There are a lot of trees all around the residential and business areas. Very strong winds blew the fire from a dry forest area to the suburbs of the city. Humidity is very low, maybe 12%8% . This is the dry season, long time since winter rains; in California it's fire season every year at this time.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sjtill,

^ Unlike most urban areas in California, vegetation is a big part of the landscape in Sonoma and Napa counties. The areas within the city of Santa Rosa are heavily wooded or have large tracts of dried brush in and around the residences and roadways, so the fires have plenty of fuel to carry it into the municipal area. And the homes and businesses are mostly wood or metal construction, which are both susceptible to fire damage.

The area where my mother’s friends live was heavily damaged but their house seems to have survived. There are still fires burning in that area, however. She said there are a lot of homes between hers and their house that are gone but fires continue due to gas lines fueling the fire. My mother has her car packed, ready to evacuate if needed.

Wife is now in Sebastopol, 7 miles west of Santa Rosa, with my sister at my own late Mom's house. If winds were to pick up again in NE direction, there's nothing to stop it, all dry grass between Santa Rosa and Sebastopol.
But for now at least things are calm.

holy crap - didn't know about the fires until I got into my hotel here in Temecula

now the phone conversation makes sense - we can catch up on my next trip

My 83 year old mother and step father live in St. Helena, north of Napa. Power has been out all day and is still out. No mobile service either.

Here is a link to 101 photos including before and after photos of the fires in Napa and Sonoma County.

Link

Among destroyed structures: the historic Stag's Leap winery manor.
Beautiful country, all of it close to my heart still, damn the politics.

My neighbors' friend called her to let her know her house is gone.
Prayers for these people.
I still remember FireStorm 2007.

Prayers and good wishes for you, doc, your friends and family and all of the other Californians affected by this.

I live 50 miles southeast and the smell of smoke this AM was so strong I thought it was in my neighborhood when I left the house to go to work. When I got to San Francisco for my job the burning smell of smoke was even more intense and ash was coming down in the city. Lots of colleagues and clients live in Sonoma and Napa counties. The Santa Ana winds and the heat this late in the summer early fall creates the worst possible scenario.

The local news showing the tracts of neighborhoods with nothing left, just chimneys is so saddening. Winds are supposed to be calm tonight but the fires are not contained at all. One co-worker had friends from Santa Rosa evac at 4am and drive to her place in San Francisco and they are staying with her indefinitely as of 5pm they had no idea if they had a house or not.

Even big box stores like Kmart just burned to ground as well as a Hilton hotel.

Too many stories of people having neighbors and cops banging on doors at 3,4,5 am saying GTFO NOW! Why a grab and go bag with copies of personal docs is a must that can be grabbed in the 1 minute you may have to get out.

Multiple deaths reported, the local news has reported one sad story, a 100 and 99 year old married couple that just celebrated 75 years of marriage were not able to evac and have left this world together

These two Twitter links will give you a better idea of the devastation in Santa Rosa. Two different neighborhoods. Unbelievable.

https://twitter.com/bvdbrug/status/917616016103837696

https://twitter.com/jackie_war...s/917479837454893056

Foxnews is reporting over 100 missing and at least 11 dead. It's hard to believe that this is all happening so close to home.

Wine Country Fires

heart breaking. so much development through these valleys the past 30 years.

good source for fire locations here: https://maps.nwcg.gov/sa/#/%3F/38.5874/-122.6807/16

Based on this, my grandparent's former ranch (now out of the family) is cinders. now waiting to hear about my aunt's current place in Santa Rosa...

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
Here is a link to 101 photos including before and after photos of the fires in Napa and Sonoma County.

Link

Among destroyed structures: the historic Stag's Leap winery manor.
Beautiful country, all of it close to my heart still, damn the politics.

Unbelievable. To all of whom are in harms way, stay safe. And, God Bless and protect the brave firefighters and first responders who run into the fury.

quote:

Originally posted by feersum dreadnaught:
heart breaking. so much development through these valleys the past 30 years.

good source for fire locations here: https://maps.nwcg.gov/sa/#/%3F/38.5874/-122.6807/16

Based on this, my grandparent's former ranch (now out of the family) is cinders. now waiting to hear about my aunt's current place in Santa Rosa...

How do you read the legend? Is the direction of travel of the fire moving from dark circles to light circles?

For example, is Rutherford getting flanked and pinched?

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:

quote:

Originally posted by feersum dreadnaught:
heart breaking. so much development through these valleys the past 30 years.

good source for fire locations here: https://maps.nwcg.gov/sa/#/%3F/38.5874/-122.6807/16

Based on this, my grandparent's former ranch (now out of the family) is cinders. now waiting to hear about my aunt's current place in Santa Rosa...

How do you read the legend? Is the direction of travel of the fire moving from dark circles to light circles?

For example, is Rutherford getting flanked and pinched?

click on the "legend" on the left side (three stacked dot-long dash). The dots are satellite detection of fires, with red being 0-12, orange 12-24, and yellow 24-48 hours ago, so movement is from light to dark.

Looking at it that way, the Atlas fire is heading north from Yountville towards Rutherford - still 4-5 miles away.

That looks very bad. We had our bout with fire this fall and late summer. Prayers for all involved.

So, the dark is the advancing front line of the fire?

So one fire is heading toward Fairfield / Vacaville from Napa?

And Santa Rosa is going to get hit again from the south?

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
So, the dark is the advancing front line of the fire?

So one fire is heading toward Fairfield / Vacaville from Napa?

that is my read too, so yes. you can toggle the aerial photo and topo layers too, as there hopefully will be some natural barriers to spreading that far. Although, after looking at the photos, I'm guessing winds are picking embers and spreading beyond fire breaks.

I remember watching the planes dropping red borate on Mount Diablo as a kid. Not enough tankers exist to take on this number, with as much fuel. Zoom out on the map, and the ones in Montana and rest of the Northwest get into perspective...

Just drove through the affected areas. The smoke is so thick, you almost can't see the sun. Police were out in force, there's no power anywhere, and there was ash on my car even though I'm 11 miles from the fire.

My mother sent me video of the neighborhood where her friends live--which is literally a three minute drive--and the only things left standing are burned trees. Burned out cars standing where garages or driveways used to be is the only indication there were houses.

I don't know anything about fires south of Santa Rosa. I drove five miles down the 101 and the smoke got clearer as I drove.

Wow.

With strong winds from the west, I wonder if the fire will be controllable if it breaks over the hills at Vacaville. Just vast fields and farms between the hills and Sacramento? Could it become too large and fast to manage?

Seems like these fires are spawning multiple fronts and will spread fire fighting teams thin.