The Fire Thread

Getting pretty close to me. Finally seeing some aircraft. S-3's I think.

 

Just saw an Embraer I think make a low level run.
Couldn't see what it dropped, hopefully a lot of something.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewe...yOxoRCrTrZlvsY8K&ll=33.714622907342424,-117.7

 

7200 acres now

 

Fire is very close to Whiting now. It's in the avacado/orange orchards where Portola Parkway ends. Wind is blowing it towards the freeway, but it's inching sideways along the 241 towards Foothill Ranch.

 

Stay safe my OC’ers

 

Anybody on evacuation watch here??

 

Lots more aircraft.
I think an OV-10, S-3? and an MD-80 type made three really low turns over my house (or better 3 of them).

 

Here's the view from out front of our place. Two guys I work with have been evacuated and a third is on evacuation warning in Portola Hills. Hoping it stays out of Whiting.

 

This sucks. Prayers for all.

 

Do we need three active fire threads? Can we consolidate? @Mikie

 

Saw a report it has jumped Alton near Commerce Center.

 

The Blue Green River Ridge Fire. On the radio it is the second fire, Silverado is the first.

 

livestock is a fantastic fire control system. Goats and sheep, they eat and eat until it is dirt or they move the containment fence. They eat until it is just dead wood, and even some of that. I guess we should call it business climate change, from Ag to donated hills and mega mansions. The shot shows Wildwood. Parts are homes, parts are still range land. The coastal sage scrub has not taken hold. The image is from Frank Knight about 1970. you can see parts of the old roadbed that became the Lynnmere trail, also the main Wildwood road from the end of Arboles just after the death of Gunsmoke. The upper right ridge is the one made famous in Sparticus, Where Burt rallied the slaves to battle the Roman Legion. The photo does not show where I did the OTB on the Lynnmere.
Happy trails in the depths of climate change.

 

Dodge City 1967, it sat at the main wildwood parking lot. Note the climate change even on studio property, no grass,no scrub, no homes
Happy history trails

 

Last time a train was there several weeks ago, it was there for three or four weeks AFAICT, then gone last week and another back this week. Ended up riding across the freeway several weeks in a row, then the golf course side last week, then across again this Sunday.

 

Green, Blue, Silver... yikes!

So sad to see our hills burn.

 

That’s thick. That’s dense. What the hell; I’ll like it. Happy hillbilly goat trails.

 

I don’t see the change in the still photo.

 

Changed...

 

Portola Hills under mandatory evacuation, looks like I have some extra guests for the night.

 

Thanks; that area had vegetation that was so dry I wonder how they'll ever get the fires out until they can attack from above. This AM, visibility and wind prevented that.

 

This morning from by balcony.

 

11k+ acres.
New evacuations in Mission Viejo and warnings for back along Santiago Canyon, Williams etc.
Did see a bullfrog this morning with a snorkel. From flight direction might be getting water from the Lake Forest lakes.
Also saw a flight record of a helo picking up water at Lake Mission Viejo and dropping it in Borrego Canyon.
So, Whiting will largely be toast.

 

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/...-orange-county-silverado-fire-irvine/2450163/

Looks like Dreaded is on fire and the north side of Borrego.

Helis and ground crew all over the place. Winds are very low. Crossing my fingers.

 

This is all so depressing. Hopefully everyone is safe and that everyone’s home remains safe

Limestone Canyon, which is toast, was the crown jewel of the Irvine Ranch landmarks. They had done so much work on bringing back native species and plants including planting seeds for oak trees off Hicks Canyon (Lots of volunteers involved). The park was a home for a lot of wildlife.

 

Bright side: Archaeologists and the Native Americans are able to survey the ground with >80% surface visibility for the first time in Centuries. Happy grubbing costs are reduced substantially for home builders and jesters, and landslides are also metaphor trails!

 

I'm guessing from the news coverage and evacuation areas that CHSP is toast for a while?

 

When I drove past it about an hour ago.....the back of the park looks like it was taking a beating. Plus the fire looked to be burn up the 71 Fwy.

 

Just cruised past Whiting on the way home from the office (wanted to check on a work colleagues house as he had to evacuate). It appears that the firies are on top of things, saw about 4 helicopters working, very little smoke around now. They've cut a massive firebreak up behind the Ralphs at the Borrego end. The Glen Ranch road end looks to have survived unscathed. Took a couple of quick pics. The hills north of Whiting all look to be toast.