Wild Fires near Yosemite National Park  |
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I do not know how many of you have head about the wild fire that is raging near Yosemite National Park. It started last Friday afternoon from a spark when someone was target practicing. I know that does not sound like it would start a fire let alone such a devastating fire. California is in a draught right now and we have not had our average eleven inches of rain the last two years. Everything is very dry especially in the foothills and mountains.
I am writing this because where the fire is I was raised. I grew up in El Portal that is on Highway 140 just outside the gates of Yosemite National Park. They are about 15-20 miles away from the fire and have not had electricity since Saturday. The power lines where burned that go to El Portal and Yosemite on Saturday. I have several friends in El Portal that I am worried about. I am worried because the one’s in El Portal without power the weather has been very hot and then it has been hotter because of the fire.
In Midpines and Mariposa I have friends who live on Colorado Road. This is one of the roads that are closed off and the people are evacuated. I have a pair of friends how live down that road that I have not been able to get a hold of since Saturday morning just before they where evacuated. I did call and tell them if they needed a place to stay they could come here. We are 45 miles from Mariposa I do not know I could leave the area there was a chance my house could burn down. I do not know if they have a home or not.
We are 45 miles from the fire and can smell the smoke. I will be trying to make some phone calls today to see if I can lend a hand volunteering on Friday or this weekend up there. I can sit at a desk and do paperwork, I can help cook for the fire fighters.
I want to get my friends together and have them clean out their homes of all those unwanted items and clothes so I can take them up there to donate to the people who have lost their homes.
When living in the hills and mountains you are taking a chance that fire will take your home. It does not hurt any less when the time comes and it does happen.
My heart goes out to my old hometown and the people and places that I love.
The photo I posted is in looking down the mountain into El Portal. You can just barely see someone’s home in the trees. I posted this photo, which was taken in June 2008 you can see how dry the grass is. When there has not been a fire for a long time and there are drought conditions a spark can start a large wild fired in minutes. The grass burns like crazy and the fire can spread very quickly and get out of hand before you can call a fire crew in to put the fire out.
Has anyone of you had to deal with a wild fire or a natural disaster? What do you do and how do you deal with loss and devastation?
I have posted a link so some of you can read about the fire.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/30/BA7P121F8D.DTL
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Dry grass near Yosemite National Park |
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1.  Thoroughrob (7934) | 1 year ago |  I hope they get it under control before it gets too much closer to you. Hopefully they will let you volunteer. I am sure things are pretty heated up there. It is sad that so many people are losing their homes.
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| teapotmommommerced (5724) | 1 year ago | I am not worried about my home because we live so far away and there are a lot of building to go through before it gets to me. I did find out that my friend's home is OK>
I still have not heard from him and his wife | |
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2.  Transdisc (18489) | 1 year ago |  It only takes a spark to get a fire going, teapotmom.
I hope that the fire is contained without too much more damage and without injury.
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| teapotmommommerced (5724) | 1 year ago | You are right. Today the news had aerial photos of the blackened mountains. How horrible it looks. I gave you a link for the local news and if you watch the video you can see the aerial views of the devastation and the fires are not out yet.
http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=9fe19950-4510-4b0c-8926-20dddccf867b | |
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| 3. OreoCookie3 (18662) | 1 year ago |  I get so upset to hear about fires like that. I think of the wildlife that is either killed or run out of the area and any homes that are in the way. There is so much dryness that there always seems to be forest fires somewhere.
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| teapotmommommerced (5724) | 1 year ago | It sure seems that the last few years California is burning up. We have lots of wilderness that is dry and burning as we speak. It sickens me. I know that some of the fires are good but when it takes peoples homes I get sick to think about it. | |
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| 4. irishmist (2388) | 1 year ago |  I'm sorry to hear about the fires where you grew up. I know how you feel, as I just moved back here to the hill I grew up on in October, and if it ever caught fire I would be devestated. We have woods all around our hill, and a fire could get out of hand. I hope the fires will burn out soon, maybe even get a downpour of rain.
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| teapotmommommerced (5724) | 1 year ago | Us California's do not know what a down pour is especially in the summer. We average only 11 inches of rain in the winter. We did not even get half that last year. | |
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| teapotmommommerced (5724) | 1 year ago | Thanks Elic my spelling is so bad. I could not find it in the dictionary on the computer. Spell checker could not help me either. It's good that I do not need that word in my writings for the doctor. heehee | |
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| ElicBxn (15381) | 1 year ago |  My spelling is also awful, but I looked up your word and knew it was wrong - well, I knew it was wrong anyway, but I didn't know if it was a real word. However, since I live in Texas and we STILL talk about the "Great Drought" of the 1950's, I might've had a better idea how to spell it than you did.
Just to let you know, NOTHING has helped my spelling more than 2 things. A class in Latin and a course in History of the English Language. I mean, when you KNOW why there is that silly "w" in answer, then it makes sense.
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| teapotmommommerced (5724) | 1 year ago | You are funny.
Thanks for the advice. If I do not know how to spell a work for work I use another word. I need to buy a dictionary, we do not have a paper bound dictionary when my son moved out he took all of them. I do have a medical dictions but I do not think it would have helped in this case. heehee | |
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| ElicBxn (15381) | 1 year ago | I'm not joking, those 2 classes helped my spelling a LOT!
And my friends say that when I misspell something, they can't spell it right for days afterwards! | |
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6.  everlasting (9961) | 1 year ago |  I have read this in the news. I hope this fire will be contained. This has been a regular calamity in that area and I hope the people will be extra careful.
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| 7. pyewacket (11627) | 1 year ago |  I realize this discussion is a week old but I was wondering are the fires still raging in Calif? I had heard about the Yosemite Fires...just last night I heard there was a casualty of firefighters in one of their helicopters trying to put out fires but not sure if it was in the Yosemite area or not. Seems each year the fires in Calif get worse and are more widespread
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| teapotmommommerced (5724) | 1 year ago | Last I heard that fines where 100% contained. That means they are not out but contained. Some of the fire will burn until we get the first rain. What is left burning is tree stumps. | |
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8.  kunthanraj (469) | 1 year ago |  ho it is hard to control those fire. a fire at a small state is it self hard to control, it is a tough task for the fire workers. i hope they can setout the fire as soon as possible, since they can spoil the treers and ecosystem to, and kill lots of life, i hope that doesnt happen, will pray to god thet will be set out as soon as possible.
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| teapotmommommerced (5724) | 1 year ago | Thank you for your response. The fires Near Yosemite National Park are now out. There are now fires down south of us in Santa Barbara CA that have burned 122 homes. These homes cost in the millions of dollars and belong to movie stars. I hate to see anyone lose their homes. I just wonder how much one of the kind art has been lost in those homes that have been burned this week. | |
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