quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
Map of evacuation areas.

Not like I have any love for PG&E or any of the other utilities (SCE and SDG&E) but, nobody has held the state Public Utilities Commission's feet to the fire, whom instructed PG&E, to build 'renewables/green energy' thus, they rubber stamped on every project, despite the fact that PG&E has told the PUC their equipment was in need of maintenance and updating. Welp, we got 2018 and 2019 fires largely blamed on equipment/maintenance failures which wiped out a handful of communities, many deaths, and etched a new season in the calendar along with rioting, flooding, and heat.

Bingo.

Much of the problem with fires has been the states enviro policies to not cut back the underbrush, dead limbs/trees, etc, to "worship the forest", which makes the tinder a lot more plentiful. Then add to that the state regulations requiring PG&E et al to put more money into solar and wind power (which are notably more expensive and less reliable than fossil fuels).

It damages the environment, and the economy, then add the problems of not having enough electricity.

The smoke is heavy out here today. The fires are burning all over the place with no containment in sight

quote:

Originally posted by PR64:
The smoke is heavy out here today. The fires are burning all over the place with no containment in sight

Yup. Plenty of ash on the ground here in S.F.

Snowing ash and oppressive heat and smoke smell here in the tri Valley. My friends in the Central Valley tell me it’s really intolerable.

God forbid they build a nuke plant let alone some hydro dams which would increase the water supply at the same time. The commies used to complain every time.

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

^^^^^
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is next to Yosemite National Park. Liberal enviro's say Hetch Hetchy needs to be closed, the dam taken down, to restore the beauty of mother nature.

Problem is, Hetch Hetchy provides ~70% of the Bay Area's drinking water, over 7 million people.

quote:

Originally posted by Scoutmaster:
^^^^^
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is next to Yosemite National Park. Liberal enviro's say Hetch Hetchy needs to be closed, the dam taken down, to restore the beauty of mother nature.

Problem is, Hetch Hetchy provides ~70% of the Bay Area's drinking water, over 7 million people.

Not to mention its arguably the best tasting tap water around.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:

quote:

Originally posted by Scoutmaster:
^^^^^
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is next to Yosemite National Park. Liberal enviro's say Hetch Hetchy needs to be closed, the dam taken down, to restore the beauty of mother nature.

Problem is, Hetch Hetchy provides ~70% of the Bay Area's drinking water, over 7 million people.

Not to mention its arguably the best tasting tap water around.

Do you really think Hetch Hetchy water tastes better than the pond scum Contra Costa Water Dist sucks out of Dutch Slew ?
Yesterday I was in Brentwood , my inlaws Air Conditioner quit. All the A/C contractors are booked thru February, would I take a look at it ? The breaker tripped, I almost never get that lucky. It still was miserable.
I remembervwhen James Watt was Sec of Interior, Reagan 1st Term. He proposed draining Hetch Hetchy. Many don't know , and no one will be amazed to hear, Hetch Hetchy is owned by the City and County of San Francisco. SF, ( plus a few other places) gets the water and revenue from the electricity generated there. Upkeep and maintenance on the system is mostly paid by federal and State taxpayers. Sec Watts plan to drain Hetch Hetchy drove the SF power structure insane. I am sure that is why he did it.

quote:

Originally posted by Scott in NCal:

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
Not to mention its arguably the best tasting tap water around.

Do you really think Hetch Hetchy water tastes better than the pond scum Contra Costa Water Dist sucks out of Dutch SlewSlough ?

Uhh, yeah. Hetch Hetchy is one of the few tap water systems that isn't treated with chemicals in the US.

quote:

Many don't know , and no one will be amazed to hear, Hetch Hetchy is owned by the City and County of San Francisco. SF, ( plus a few other places) gets the water and revenue from the electricity generated there. Upkeep and maintenance on the system is mostly paid by federal and State taxpayers. Sec Watts plan to drain Hetch Hetchy drove the SF power structure insane. I am sure that is why he did it.

If you're a SF native like myself, you know. Michael O'Shaughnessy, engineer of the dam and irrigation project from Yosemite, sits right up there with William Mulholland in LA as chief architects to the main lever of power in California, water rights.

Back to the OP...Interstate-80 is closed both directions in Fairfield. Fire lines are at the outskirts of both Fairfield and Vacaville, evacuations have been increased across large sections of both communities. This is gonna be a doozy

^^^^^^^

So drain Hetch Hetchy to return to mother earth, and San Fran would be out of water AND electricity?

As to the weather, we have friends who manage a private reserve/park in the Big Basin area, Santa Cruz Mountains, who had to evacuate amidst multiple fires in their surrounds. Getting a bit close to home. The sunset last night was a glowing ball of red.

Fires are getting bad...

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2...ountry-to-peninsula/

A friend lost everything in the fire near Vacaville. He escaped with his wife and dog. The farm and animals are gone.

Today we had the thickest smoke yet.

We have a massive fire called the SCU lightning complex. It has burned 344k acres so far and is only 10% contained.

Evacuation orders and warnings are being issued all around Livermore, Pleasanton and Fremont.

I'm in the middle of the city but you never know what can happen.

quote:

Originally posted by PR64:
Today we had the thickest smoke yet.

We have a massive fire called the SCU lightning complex. It has burned 344k acres so far and is only 10% contained.

Evacuation orders and warnings are being issued all around Livermore, Pleasanton and Fremont.

I'm in the middle of the city but you never know what can happen.

We know people evacuated in the CZU lightning complex. They had to weave a bit through the flames to get out, took what they could carry, prob lost everything else.

I believe I read CA has admitted they need to change their forestry mgmt policies to clean out more underbrush and dead trees. (And I think the article indicated the Feds are going to cover a big part of the cost).

quote:

Originally posted by berto:
A friend lost everything in the fire near Vacaville. He escaped with his wife and dog. The farm and animals are gone.

Just went up there, burn area went all the way to I-80, around the Cherry Glenn/Lagoon exits. Burnt the median and looks like it scorched about 100-acres on the South-side of 80. CalTrans is rebuilding guardrails and replacing other signage and markers. Can only imagine what it was like further up Pleasant Canyon Rd, lotta horse and small livestock farms.

The smokiness is getting worse every day. I'm back to wearing my respirator.