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Posted on 11/24/25 at 11:19 pm to duckblind56
Living in Sonoma County I am very familiar with how fast these fires move. My father who was 92 was living at an asisted living facility in Santa Rosa the night the Tubbs Fire started. Pushed by 60 mph winds and 90 mph gusts. That fire covered the almost 13 miles from Calistoga to Santa Rosa in just over 3 and a half hours burning the facility to the ground.
On a side note, my father was one of 82 elderly people who were abandoned by the staff as the fire approached. An incredible group of citizens driving by the facilty, put their lives on the line by pulling into the facility and evacutating people in their personal vehicles. My father and 3 other folks in their 90's were evacuated by a teenaged Hispanic girl (never found out who she was) and driven to a Catholic church in Cotati.
When we finally tracked my father late in the day on October 9th, he had escaped wearing just his robe, slippers and boxer shorts. The first thing my father said to me was "it was the most scared I've ever been", which is something, considering my dad was in the 7th Infantry Division at Chosin. Miss you Dad.
On a side note, my father was one of 82 elderly people who were abandoned by the staff as the fire approached. An incredible group of citizens driving by the facilty, put their lives on the line by pulling into the facility and evacutating people in their personal vehicles. My father and 3 other folks in their 90's were evacuated by a teenaged Hispanic girl (never found out who she was) and driven to a Catholic church in Cotati.
When we finally tracked my father late in the day on October 9th, he had escaped wearing just his robe, slippers and boxer shorts. The first thing my father said to me was "it was the most scared I've ever been", which is something, considering my dad was in the 7th Infantry Division at Chosin. Miss you Dad.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 11:26 pm to duckblind56
quote:
Thanks LIMM. It's just hard to imagine a fire moving that quickly if you have not lived it. That had to be terrifying, absolutely terrifying to live through.
No problem.
The scale and ferocity of those fires is hard to comprehend.
I found an article that had ages listed for 21 of the victims. I was off a bit in my earlier post, the average age of those listed was 75. The oldest victim was 95.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 11:47 pm to Cali-to-Death Valley
quote:
When we finally tracked my father late in the day on October 9th, he had escaped wearing just his robe, slippers and boxer shorts. The first thing my father said to me was "it was the most scared I've ever been", which is something, considering my dad was in the 7th Infantry Division at Chosin. Miss you Dad.
That's a heck of a story. I think I remember reading some about that facility. Didn't they try to blame the residents or something like that?
Posted on 11/25/25 at 12:50 am to LegendInMyMind
quote:
I found an article that had ages listed for 21 of the victims. I was off a bit in my earlier post, the average age of those listed was 75. The oldest victim was 95.
Sadly, the same is true for the death stats from Katrina. About 75% of those who died were elderly or disabled.
Posted on 11/25/25 at 1:14 am to CalCajun
Just wanted to say thank you for all of the work you guys did down there and anywhere else throughout the state. The videos are something else.
Posted on 11/25/25 at 4:46 am to duckblind56
quote:
Hurricane = you should have plenty of time to prepare or evacuate. Tornado = very limited time to prepare or evacuate.. Fire tornado = survive only by the grace of God.
Hurricanes- you evacuate with enough time to go to another state
Tornado- Escape to a basement or bath tub
Fire Tornado - Can’t leave, or escape to a basement, or you bake like a thanksgiving turkey, jumping into a pool is out too because the pool will turn into a scalding hot pot of boiling water.
You truly have nowhere to go to escape that nightmare, only saving grace would be some sealed life pod that is insulated from the heat and has enough air to keep you alive until the fire burns everything around you. Otherwise the life pod doubles as a coffin.
Posted on 11/25/25 at 7:47 am to duckblind56
A friend of mine with Orange County Fire dropping water between layers of smoke and haze.
[/img]
[/img]Posted on 11/25/25 at 3:24 pm to CalCajun
dude!
nice work, hell of a job, especially the new guys
i'm a first responder as well but never seen anything like that
brass balls. big ones
nice work, hell of a job, especially the new guys
i'm a first responder as well but never seen anything like that
brass balls. big ones
Posted on 11/25/25 at 3:44 pm to beaux duke
This is a good series that is worth the time:
Posted on 11/25/25 at 3:46 pm to beaux duke
This is from the same guy from during the fires. It is a good look at the fire progression of the Palisades Fire. No hindsight here, just in the moment reporting and mapping.
This post was edited on 11/25/25 at 3:48 pm
Posted on 11/25/25 at 3:47 pm to duckblind56
It's actually amazing more people didn't die, especially in the Palisades, where lots of people live up the small canyons.
Posted on 11/25/25 at 3:49 pm to usc6158
I'd probably be one of those people. Stay with the house until the last second.
A home is more than wood, concrete and brick. Folks have most of their sentiment wrapped up in their home. Its not easy to walk away.
A home is more than wood, concrete and brick. Folks have most of their sentiment wrapped up in their home. Its not easy to walk away.
Posted on 11/25/25 at 4:57 pm to RogerTheShrubber
quote:
I'd probably be one of those people. Stay with the house until the last second.
A home is more than wood, concrete and brick. Folks have most of their sentiment wrapped up in their home. Its not easy to walk away.
I'd imagine that decision gets even more difficult when the timeframe for action shrinks. You just don't have time to rationally think it out.
Also, those who just don't have a way out or can't get themselves out, thinking elderly and disabled again, aren't always afforded the luxury of erring on the side of caution.
Posted on 11/25/25 at 5:01 pm to LegendInMyMind
quote:
'd imagine that decision gets even more difficult when the timeframe for action shrinks. You just don't have time to rationally think it out.
Yep, and its not necessarily courage, people just can lose awareness and underrate the danger to them when in stress.
Posted on 11/25/25 at 7:31 pm to RogerTheShrubber
quote:
Its not easy to walk away
If you’re flammable I would recommend running in the opposite direction as fast as you can. But it’s going to be hard to escape tornadic like infernos under those wind conditions.
Posted on 11/26/25 at 8:49 am to RogerTheShrubber
quote:
I'd probably be one of those people. Stay with the house until the last second.
Had a guy with us in the neighborhood, he alone saved his house as we were stretched so thin. I had to maintain my awareness to where he was at in case things went really south which distracted me a little but after a bit I realized he was solid. I'll never forget his hat as he was looking up at me in the engine. It said "going down with the ship" a bit of levity in the moments of complete sh!t show was perfect.
Posted on 11/26/25 at 10:19 am to duckblind56
Close relative lost his house in the Eaton fire, relatively young, 50, they barely got out with nothing. They were watching the news, which said fire was several miles away, they saw a puff of smoke, ran out and saw flames. His wife threw a few things in the car, then he went next door to tell elderly neighbors, they were eating dinner, watching TV. He literally dragged them out with nothing, his wife drove their car, and she followed him out through a flame tunnel. The entire neighborhood was burned to cinders.
I'll take our hurricanes and floods anyday.
I'll take our hurricanes and floods anyday.
Posted on 11/26/25 at 10:29 am to TheGasMan
quote:
You’re an idiot
Now that wasn't very nice. You should apologize to the OP and beg for his forgiveness.
Go ahead. You'll feel better for it.
This post was edited on 11/26/25 at 10:34 am
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