Are there others among us suffering from the huge N. CA fires.

I’ve had to live in a smokey nightmare this last couple of weeks here in Sacramento. Living in a valley can definitely its disadvantages. Fortunately, its starting to dissipate some. The air reminds me of L.A. during the seventies.
Seesul shouldn’t be having much of a problem, though. She lives quite a way to the south.

In San Rafael, just north of SF, the air has definitely been smokey for the last week. Just starting to really clear up. I was in SF yesterday and there didn’t seem to be any smoke there at all.

Trustinglife- I’m at Six Flags in Vallejo right now. I was surprised to find the air quality worse here. Are the Fairfield fires still going?

Brisbane, CA – San Bruno Mountains

Its been burning since Sunday, too much shrubbery and hard area for the fire department to get to.

I get to work everyday and the air quality is all bad.

I think they got it under control on FRIDAY NIGHT hopefully.

AC: There’s a huge Napa/Solano fire that has been burning for a while. As of yesterday it was 60% contained though, but yes, it’s still burning.

I’m in Davis and the air is awful. During the day the sun glows red, and at night, I can’t see the stars like I used to. It’s like a big, gray blanket was pulled over the valley. I feel like I have a sore throat from breathing in the smoky air.

AC, I don’t watch the news, so I couldn’t tell ya.

By the way, Allie,, I shouted “Hi Allie” as I passed the Richards Blvd. exit on my way to Vallejo today. So that sound you heard was me.

AC: Oh ok, I was wondering what that was. Good to know I’m not going crazy. Thanks for clearing that up. =)

From a friend who lives in Nevada City; posted today 7:30 EDT (I put this also on the Sacramento thread.)
——————
“A week ago, the area near Grass Valley in the Sierra of northern CA began to burn and the air around us at home turned to “extremely hazardous”—-the worst air our Air Quality monitoring person had seen in his lifetime.

So we headed to the Pacific Coast, Santa Cruz, which recently had 3–4 huge fires but they were out.

Santa Cruz is N. of Big Sur where about 300 square miles are burning. By dawn this AM, the air in Santa Cruz was filled with large particles from the Big Sur fire——grey dandruff from the skies. So we took off again.

I am in the SF Bay Area now where it seems breathable today—- at least compared to the other places we’ve been.

Miracle no one was killed—-that I have heard about anyhow. Crews have come from all over the US to help. Feds sent big tankers but they could not see in the smoke to fly. Had to get a Black Hawk heliocopter with night vision capability to drop fire retardant.

A friend who lives on the Yuba River at the edge of the Yuba River Complex fire sends us daily reports. She says the bears and the rattlesnakes are coming out of the woods and are in a very bad mood. She also says the terrain so steep, dozers can’t get in to do their work and firefighters are spraining their ankles on the steep slopes.

It is going to be a long hot smoky summer.

..and don’t plan on going to Big Sur anytime soon. They are trying to save the Tassajara complex. Anyhow, the Pacific Coast Highway is completely closed down.”

Yes… Well, actually my brother does. I spoke to him briefly last night, and I mean briefly, as he has to go outside and onto a clearing to get any reception. He says, you have to wear a face mask at all times. He and a bunch of ranch hands had just returned for gathering more cattle, and they have 1000’s to go. He’s located east of Humboldt Complex fire which 55 fires are almost 50% contained and south of the North west of the Lime complex fire in which 70 fires, 30350 acres burned 15% contained and he has Iron Complex or Hell’s Half complex is only 25% contained.
In short, he is surrounded by fire. I believe he said the ranch is over 100,000 acres also. He says you can no longer see over the mountain ridges that the smoke is too dense.
I don’t begin to imagine what it must be like trying to gather cattle on horseback while it is so smoky. How easy it would be to lose your sense of direction.
Scary!! Please excuse my rambling!

Update: one of these fires are two ridges away, apparently he has been working along side the firefighter. He’s calling, gotta go