California Wildfires - 2020 Keeps Giving

What our sky looked like the morning of 8/18 when we became aware of fires.

As most of you know by now California has a huge amount of wildfires burning up and down the state. We're about 10 miles from the The Del Puerto Canyon fire. Ash is falling.

It looks like it's dusk outside. Reminds me of Kodiak in the winter.

Inside the house, no natural light mid-day.

We've been in a heatwave for the past 2 weeks, hovering around 110*.

Since then fires have popped up everywhere. These fires were started by lightning strikes. 

This photo where taken Monday night west of Newman near I-5 and Stuhr Road.

An aerial image from above Newman shows the extent of the smoke cover caused by the nearby lightning complex fires of which the canyon zone fires are a part of. As of 9:40 pm this evening Cal Fire is reporting 4% containment with 35,000 acres burned and no structures lost.

8/19

Air quality alert issued in response to smoke from wildfires.

''Wildfires continue to rage; Diablo Grande remains on evacuation warning.

The wildfires comprising what is known as the SCU Lightning Complex, including those burning in the Del Puerto Canyon west of Patterson, exploded in size overnight from 35,000 acres to 85,000 acres, according to a morning report from Cal Fire.

Containment stood at 5 percent, Cal Fire reported, and more than 1,400 structures were threatened.

Those figures are for the SCU Lightning Complex as a whole, which is broken down into three separate zones - including that known as the Canyon Zone, which encompasses the fires burning in the Del Puerto Canyon area.

The complex encompasses about 20 fires burning in Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Alameda, Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties.

Evacuation orders remain in place along Del Puerto Canyon Road.

Residents of the Diablo Grande community remain on a voluntary evacuation warning. Those who have not evacuated the community have been advised to be ready to do so on a moment's notice should evacuation become mandatory.''

''CANYON FIRE EVACUATION WARNING AREA EXPANDED AND NOW INCLUDES ALL AREAS SOUTH OF DIABLO GRANDE PARKWAY, WEST OF I-5 TO THE STANISLAUS/MERCED COUNTY LINE. DIABLO COMMUNITY REMAINS ON EVACUATION WARNING ISSUED MONDAY. AUTHORITIES SAID THAT EVACUATION IS VOLUNTARY BUT TO BE PREPARED TO LEAVE AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE IF NEED BE.''

Immediate evacuations ordered.

The fires have grown to 102,000 acres with 5% containment per Cal Fire’s most recent update. Heavy smoke and ash is still blanketing the valley, stay indoors when possible.

8/20

''Cal Fire update: the SCU lightning complex fires which includes the canyon zone fires is 137,475 acres at 5% containment.''

Fire tornadoes

40% of the state on fire

Hurricane on the way

San Andreas fault having 4.0 - 5.5 earthquakes

Buckle up everyone this ain't over yet!

''The wildfire that ran through Lick Observatory and surrounding areas yesterday and last night was captured by HamCam2. The extent of the fire around our main telescope domes is especially evident in the nighttime photos. CalFire did excellent work protecting the facility and we give them our wholehearted thanks for their efforts. The HamCam2 camera is mounted on the top of the Lick Observatory Main Building and points east. The fire reached the observatory grounds in the early afternoon August 19th and continues to affect the observatory and surrounding areas this morning.''

''The fire has now burned some 157,475+ acres with 5% containment as of Cal Fire’s evening update.''

''This mornings Cal Fire update on the scu lightning complex fires which includes the canyon zone fires is 229,968 acres burned with 10% containment. 20,000 structures are threatened with 5 having been lost already.''

Smoke alerts have been issued for several California counties.

Limit outdoor activity

Run A/C (re-circulate to prevent outside air from moving inside), if possible

Stay indoors with windows + doors closed

Merced County Sheriff's Office issues evacuation warning for portion of West Side.

8/21

''Update on today’s activities regarding the Canyon Zone Fire (the name of our specific fire).

The total complex is over 230,000 acres. It is officially the 7th largest fire in the state’s history. Estimates for our county put the fire over 100,000 acres, making it the largest in our counties history by far. Prior record was 34,000 acres in 2006.

Yesterday we identified 41 structures in DPC, checked 30 and 11 were destroyed.

Today we identified 16 structures in the Blue Hill area (the southern zone), checked 13 and 9 were destroyed.

DPC road remains closed and will be through the weekend due to the hazards from fire, smoke and debris. On Monday we will finalize our plan to reopen the road with the intent of completing it by mid-week.

Once the smoke clears we will continue to fly both areas and identify other locations to be checked.

We will continue additional patrols in Diablo Grande through Sunday night at a minimum.''

''The biggest wildfire in California is burning out of control in the Diablo Range 30 miles southwest of Manteca.

The series of four fires started by lightning strikes early Sunday morning has increased 250 percent in a 24-hour period ending at 10:42 p.m. Tuesday. It has now scorched 35,000 acres as winds have shifted it to burn east toward the Northern San Joaquin Valley in the extremely sparsely populated mountain range west of Interstate 5 and Patterson.

The Santa Clara Unit Complex Fire — originally named the Canyon Fire given the biggest of the four fires started in Del Puerto Canyon — had burned 35,000 acres as of 10:42 p.m. Tuesday.

To give you an idea of its size, it has now burned an area larger than the entire land mass of the City of San Francisco that covers 29,996.9 acres.

With 4 percent containment the odds of the fire still growing significantly are high.

The smoke is responsible for the grayish-reddish overcast in skies over Manteca, Ripon, and Lathrop that is also making the heat wave muggier.

Given the number of wildfires underway in California there hasn’t been the manpower available for the initial attacks. More resources were committed initially to fires in more urbanized areas.

The fire burning across San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Contra Costa, and Alameda counties is bigger than the Apple Fire in Southern California that as of mid-day Tuesday had burned 33,424 acres and was at 95 percent containment.

The third largest fire burning out of control with 32,025 acres burned and with no containment is the LNU Lightning Complex fire in Napa and Sonoma counties.

The Diablo Range fire is likely to make the next wave starting Saturday even more uncomfortable in the South County. Saturday there will be 100-degree plus highs for eight days with the peak being 106 degrees on Tuesday. Delta breezes will help drop the overnight lows in the next heat wave down to the mid-60s — some 5 to 15 degrees cooler than the past week. But that will also mean higher winds will fan the fires in the Diablo Range.''

Today, 8/22, the air is so bad it's

Hard to breathe outside. Ash has covered everything. It's been dusk for days, feels like Kodiak in the winter. We're all feeling the effects, lethargic, headaches, burning eyes, etc. AND we haven't opened up since the fires started. Praying for all those involved. Note to self: I cannot hold my breath to the trash can and back

 More thunder storms are predicted Sunday, 8/23, thru Tuesday, 8/25.

Hoping for rain without lightning.........