160+ Campers caught in California fires

[The Evil Twin]

Wow! I can't imagine what that must have been like for the campers! Huge shout out to the ANG crews for saving so many!! The Chinook is a rotor wing version of the B-52. Crazy durable workhorse. My friend flew them in the Army and showed me some video of them doing evasive maneuvers. So nimble for such huge craft.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/californi...randed-campers

[eye95]

Kudos to the National Guard.

But, I gotta ask. How much warning did these campers have that there was a wildfire in the area? I know that wildfires can start rapidly, move fast, and turn on a dime. However, if there is a wildfire within a hundred miles of the place where I am camping, I am going to use my fully-stocked PED (personal evacuation device, i.e. camper) and get the heck outta there.

There musta been one heckuva set of circumstances to trap these relatively mobile folks.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by eye95

There musta been one heckuva set of circumstances to trap these relatively mobile folks.

From what I've read, the road out of the campground was uphill and since fire travels uphill, they couldn't get out. I can't imagine how scary it is for the 1,000 people still stranded in a campground.

[babock]

Heard they are using bulldozers to move the abandoned vehicles since they are in the way.

[eye95]

Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird

From what I've read, the road out of the campground was uphill and since fire travels uphill, they couldn't get out. I can't imagine how scary it is for the 1,000 people still stranded in a campground.

I was talking about circumstances that created a lack of warning.

I wouldn’t choose to camp within 100 miles of an existing wildfire. If one came within the 100 miles, I’d pack up and pull out before all the exits were blocked.

On edit: I tried as best I could to research some of the facts on the fire. It seems to have started about 10 miles south of the recreation area about 24 hours prior to the evacuation. The only road out is to the north. Several miles of very winding road must be traveled before there is a choice of which way to go.

I don’t know how fast the fire traveled from the south until it blocked the road to the north, but likely the campers had little warning before the fire reached the only exit, a road heading north.

So the heckuva set of circumstances might include the fire popping up already too close and blocking the only exit. Truly this set of circumstances prevented reasonable people from evacuating in TVs or toads, let alone pulling/driving RVs!

Sometimes folks won’t have a choice, but if a wildfire advances to within 100 miles of my camp, I am bugging out.

[MtBiker]

Originally Posted by eye95

I was talking about circumstances that created a lack of warning.

I wouldn’t choose to camp within 100 miles of an existing wildfire. If one came within the 100 miles, I’d pack up and pull out before all the exits were blocked.

So the heckuva set of circumstances might include the fire popping up already too close and blocking the only exit.

Right now in California you would hard to find a campground that is not within a hundred miles of at least one fire. They have wildfires scattered everywhere.

[eye95]

I updated my post while you were posting.

A lot of the information I posted was gleaned from www.fire.ca.gov. Yes, there aren’t many places in CA right now that are 100 miles from a fire, but bear in mind that a lot of the fires on the map are contained to some extent.

“An out of control wildfire” would probably be better wording.

However, I still probably would just not camp in CA this time of year.

[babock]

Originally Posted by eye95

However, I still probably would just not camp in CA this time of year.

You must have never been to CA. There are thousands of places that would never be affected by wildfires.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by eye95

I updated my post while you were posting.

A lot of the information I posted was gleaned from www.fire.ca.gov. Yes, there aren’t many places in CA right now that are 100 miles from a fire, but bear in mind that a lot of the fires on the map are contained to some extent.

“An out of control wildfire” would probably be better wording.

However, I still probably would just not camp in CA this time of year.

The definition of containment needs some explanation. If a fire has wind blowing from the South, fire lines are relatively easy to construct on all Southern exposures. It's that part downwind that often remains "uncontained" until the next rain/snow storm. Embers fly downwind for up to miles ahead of the actual fire itself spreading it beyond any possible fire lines.


California is unique as much of it's vegetation is now just dry, its SUPER DRY. Some of the plants are also "oily" in nature. Look at video of an active fire and it looks like the landscape was sprayed by gasoline with the fire looking almost like an oil fire. The fire moves with the speed of the wind.

There are a lot of other issues in play that date back decades. If roads had more brush cleared alongside them and trees were "pruned" back, escape routes would be safer.

I've traveled down I-5 where the HUGE fire in N Cal swept across I-5. Even wide freeways aren't safe. Accounts from survivors said the fire sounded like a huge blowtorch as it roared through the Canyon and up over the freeway.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by MtBiker

Right now in California you would hard to find a campground that is not within a hundred miles of at least one fire. They have wildfires scattered everywhere.

Where's Bikendan when they need him?

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by babock

You must have never been to CA. There are thousands of places that would never be affected by wildfires.

Agree!

[MedicJim]

I just hope there insurance covers there losses

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Where's Bikendan when they need him?

Sitting comfortably on my island in Puget Sound.
I retired from California State Fire Service, back in 2014. Things have gotten much worse since then.
I could write a book about what I think are the issues but this is a RV forum.
California has various types of differing vegetation, topography and climates, that have to be dealt with differently.
It definitely is a mess and it's a good thing I retired because I wouldn't be much good, other than being an engineer/driver.

[aircommuter]

Everyplace has it’s natural dangers. Some are made worse by government restrictions. RVs sometimes get people into danger and other times they get them out of danger.
We are over 100 miles from that fire near Shaver Lake and our sky is solid smoke overcast. Only a slight smell as it seems fairly high. Keeping it cool though.

[FleckDreher]

I didn't really need ANOTHER reason to stay out of California!

[babock]

Originally Posted by FleckDreher

I didn't really need ANOTHER reason to stay out of California!

I wish there were more people like you!

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by babock

I wish there were more people like you!

Don't worry. There are plenty of folks emigrating from California. Besides the loss registered in the 2010 census, emigration continues, as reported here.

[babock]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Don't worry. There are plenty of folks emigrating from California. Besides the loss registered in the 2010 census, emigration continues, as reported here.

Thankfully the growth is slowing. Too expensive here already. Of course that does allow people to emigrate with a huge amount of money stockpiled when they retire and move to a place with a lot lower housing costs.

[Waterops1]

Originally Posted by The Evil Twin

Wow! I can't imagine what that must have been like for the campers! Huge shout out to the ANG crews for saving so many!! The Chinook is a rotor wing version of the B-52. Crazy durable workhorse. My friend flew them in the Army and showed me some video of them doing evasive maneuvers. So nimble for such huge craft.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/californi...randed-campers

Got airlifted by Army chinook while in Honduras with AF RED HORSE. They are quite a ride. If anyone gets to the Aviation Museum at Ft Rucker, they have a Chinook outside with wings; yes, WiNGS. Didn’t work out but still interesting to see.

Kudos to those CA Army National Guard aviators 👍👍👍👍👍

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by babock

Thankfully the growth is slowing. Too expensive here already. Of course that does allow people to emigrate with a huge amount of money stockpiled when they retire and move to a place with a lot lower housing costs.

With population loss, how will they ever raise enough taxes to pay unwise commitments like the correctional officer salaries and pensions? Get ready for a death spiral.

DW is a California girl (retired lawyer) and has a list unwise commitments.