Hope all good Wuddy

RAF_Dumoulin · Post by **RAF_Dumoulin** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:27 am

Hello,

Seem's it's hot in Santa Cruz.

Regards.

Gus.

Wudpecker · Post by **Wudpecker** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 12:25 pm

Good to hear from you, Gus. Was just collecting some of your list of utilities to post at Coders.

It is hot just north of Santa Cruz in a big way. The wind-blown cloud from the fire on satellite photos stretches over 800 miles down the coast into Mexico and Baja Califoria. Of course, it's spectacular here with red, yellow and dusty brown smoke streaming by in a clear sky at sunset.

People are already leaving or packing up if they live anywhere near Bonny Doon and Empire Grade, where the Lockheed Test Base is (that's why they call it the Lockheed Fire).
Those two areas are just north of Santa Cruz. The University is right at the foot of Empire Grade. My neighbor said she can see the flames from the campus.

We have been short of rainfall for 3 years, and the redwoods, madrone, and brush are ready to burn. Over 4,000 acres and some houses are gone. Firefighters are coming from all over, but don't even begin to contain it. Last year's big fire was in the mountains at south end of Santa Cruz County. This one is North and West.

No one knows the cause. But a guy's pickup from Southern California was found abandoned near Lockheed a couple of weeks back and he is still missing. People are saying the fire was lit to cover up his murder.

I don't have to light a cigarette to get some smoke (it's not bad, but not a great brand)

Actually everyone has been warned not to go jogging, biking, walking, or do other outdoor exercise. Stay in the house to avoid breathing the smoke.
Lucky for me, the wind is "offshore", meaning it's blowing toward the sea, not toward town. My place is a couple of miles from the ocean. No danger yet. But I appreciate and welcome your concern.

My old stomping grounds are burning up. I used to live on the West Side of Santa Cruz and tested my stable of Jaguars by driving from my house up Empire Grade Road to Lockheed or over to Bonny Doon.
The Jags are long gone. Now so is part of the forest. :cry:

RAF_Dumoulin · Post by **RAF_Dumoulin** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:26 pm

Hello,

What better than have first hand news from a journalist on the scene

So .. you don't quit smoking .. lol.
Great all good for you.
It's coming a habit here in Europe to have news of California fires.

Regards.

Gus.

Wudpecker · Post by **Wudpecker** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 8:15 pm

California was a mythical land of paradise hundreds of years ago.
So...everyone moved here.
Since humans learned fire, they practice it a lot. Especially in California.
We do our part to promote Global Warming. And we love publicity (NOT)

Seriously, the firefighters have made progress overnight. Nights in Santa Cruz County are almost always cool (keeps the bugs down), and the winds died back a bit. Now they say about 1/3 of the fire is contained.

But wilderness fires have broken out elsewhere in the state. *Sigh*