Life in Paradise: Fire & Rain

Yesterday we had two major fires breakout. One of them, the “North” fire started in the “Cajon Pass” along interstate 15. Trapping hundreds of motorist on the interstate, needing to abandon their vehicles and run for their lives. The fire has destroyed five homes, more than twenty five vehicles, most of them on interstate 15, including two semi trucks.

Today it is rare rain and thunderstorms, all courtesy of Hurricane “Delores” (now a tropical storm). We need the rain and it will help put out the fires. We don’t need all of the lightning as it could start more fires.

One thing about living in paradise, it’s never a boring day.

And the idiots/morons flying drones over the I-15 disaster area, should be hung-drawn and quartered.

Drones Delayed North Fire Response: Officials | NBC Southern California

Don't get me wrong, a truly like muli-lane limited access roads. We just call them "Interstates" here because that's about the only ones we have. Most of the Californians call them "freeways" and put a "the" on whatever number they're talking about. Other regions maybe call them something differently ("parkway" is one I've run across). But one of the problems with such a highway set-up with limited access is once you're committed, there isn't a way to get off until the next exit. Put that in a place such as "Cajon Pass" in rugged and non-populated places and its a good recipe for bad things. Fast highways with lots of potential entries and exits probably are probably more dangerous year-in, year-out for general traffic tragedies but perhaps a person doesn't get that feeling of being trapped and left to what's happening on the road. Maybe its just me...

Yesterday we had solid rain for about six hours, with very heavy rainfall at times. July is normalliy our dryest month, so we shattered our rainfall records with two days of rain. Washed out a bridge on I10 so that should make for some taking the "long way" home!

Rog - Is there anything good about California?

I used to live in the IE (Inland Empire) for all you non SoCal people�� and the High Desert. I traveled that pass ALOT fires like this one came through the area about every 2-3 years or so. and yes the pass is tretrious at times. one thing can shut the pass down for hours if not longer. What was it burt, 2-3years ago there was a 56 car pile up? I was visiting my parents in Victorville when that happened.

Yes huge pile up due to fog, if I remember? The pass normaly moves thousands of people per day with liitle problems. Also shared with the railroad, moving tons of freight daily. I can't remember the elevation at the top of the pass, but it's up there in elevation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bigburtchino

Rog - Is there anything good about California?

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Heck yes Burt, San Fran East Bay weather, as long as you don't go inland.

I dated a girl from Concord in the 80's, we went sailing on the waterways and a river pretty far inland from the bay area and it was one of the greatest times of my life. I never knew until then that Cal. had so many inland waterways. The state is a great place North and South (in between too), nothing dull about this state!

We just had a recent fire here in the Ortegas, it was put out, but on Sunday we had a storm, and in 2 years we finally have a little water in a river next to us.

Sure Burt:

The ocean
The Sierras
The Central Valley if a person is interested in agriculture and figuring out what everything is that is growing. More interesting than just corn, soybeans, and some alfalfa.
Interesting places to eat if a person wants to push pasted their comfort zone.
Interesting quirky places to shop by what I see in Storage Wars.
Looking down at a ship passing under a person while they stand on the Golden Gate bridge (done that).
I'm sure there are more if I thought about it harder.

My last post wasn't about living in California specifically only the fact that once you're committed to entering a limited access highway, a person is stuck until they hit the next exit. I once had to drive 5 miles in Danbury, CT to go 2 blocks to a pizza place because it was after dark when we got in, were tired and didn't know the area, and drove pass the driveway and ended up on a freeway and had to go down to the next exit to turn around. I could get caught in a grass fire on the way to Rapid City on I-90 if I wasn't paying attention.

Glad no one got killed in the Cajon pass fire...

Seventy-three men sailed up
From the San Francisco Bay,
Rolled off of their ship
And here's what they had to say.
"We're callin' everyone to ride along
To another shore,
We can laugh our lives away
and be free once more."

I feel your pain Burt.

From one Paradise resident to another.

Sirscrapalot - Enjoying his cooler in paradise till the next Hurricane comes whipping through.