Putting life on hold for a day or so...

[mperko]

A fire broke out in Santa Barbara yesterday, and we thought it was under control, until the temps went up to the mid 90s today and the winds gusted to the upper 60s. The fire has now spread and is uncontained, and my wife and I (and our cat) had to evacuate. So, I'm writing this in a Motel 6 in Ventura, watching tv and surfing like mad to find out if our apartment is ok.

Thankfully I loaded my desktop into my trunk. It's got my life's work on it, so I couldn't afford to leave it behind.

Here's a couple of photos I had a chance to make in the last 2 days. It's crazy. I've never been near a fire like this.

This is from day 1, when we thought the fire was under control, and on it's way out.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/3505620707_5c1dcacef6.jpg

This is day 2, after the fire came alive and tore through the mountains. (This view is about 4 houses down from our apartment)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3320/3509732086_6da61c81da.jpg

[Chris of Arabia]

Wow! Not what you want to see out the bedroom window. I hope your house ends up OK.

[LaFoto]

Dear! Matt!
I hope you'll be able to return to your unharmed apartment any time soon! Whoa! That's a rage!

[Artograph]

Wow...hope everyone stays safe!!! Fingers crossed that your apartment is OK too!!!!



The pics are awesome by the way.

[ann]

take care of yourself. Material things can always be replaced (in time).

[Antarctican]

The fires have been big news here. I hope your place is spared and that you're back home soon.

[Aggie]

The perils of living in the western desert USA. I know those in Az. and here where I live have been through it as well. The worst I was in was three years ago when three sides of me were in flames. Take I-15 north and you see the skeletons of the trees burned. It's mother natures way of saying time to clean house. Even if 99% of the fires near me were people caused with illegal fireworks. It was all well before the monsoon season started and we had lightening. Cedar City Utah has the regional airport for the planes who load up for water dumping drops. It's the only place in So. Utah that can handle the really big planes of all sizes. I need to get up there the next fire and take pics of the firefighters and planes when the frenzy is on.

On a better note, I know that if the fire gets close to the town itself, they will battle it fiercely to control it from spreading in populated dense areas. If you lived out from town, you would not be so lucky to have them battle to save your place. The old addage of scarifice the few to save the many.

Things will smell like smoke when you return home. Have everything that stinks tha can be washed cleaned with a little vinegar in the wash water. It cuts smells and doesn't linger for more than an hour after you clean and wash things. Also good old windex or adding some isopropyl alcohol to water will cut the film that smoke leaves. It is actually kind of greasy when you go to clean it off things. If they have dumped fire retardent on your area, that awful organe red stuff, get it off any surface asap. it actually will eat into the surface and etch it forever.

[Terri]

:shock: I can't imagine how unnerving this is for you all. These fires have been in the news, like Anty said - can't believe it's gotten this close. I'm glad you were able to get the desktop out safely, but Ann is right - material things can indeed be replaced.

Stay safe!!

I hope the cat is behaving (the ones I've had get really annoyed when you upset the routine), not driving you all batty.

Keep us updated as time permits!

[MissMia]

Glad to hear that you are safe! Hopefully you will be able to return home safely.

[invisible]

Awful news, but the good news is that you are safe. Hopefully everything will be back to normal soon.

[PhotoJet]

Stay safe, Matt.

[renegade]

I've been watching the news about the fires. I lived in Santa Maria and loved Santa Barbara so I know how devastating it must be. I hope all will be well with you.

[Terri]

Well, this morning's news about these fires wasn't very encouraging. :(

Matt, hope your home has escaped the worst of it. We're thinking about you all!

[Antarctican]

Any news about your home, Matt? I've got my fingers crossed.

[mperko]

Hey gang, here's the update.

2 days ago we evacuated to Ventura, about 45 minutes south and spent the night in a Motel 6. Then Thursday morning we came home, as things seemed calmed down. The fire department still had 0% containment. We waited most of the day, until around 7pm when as the fire chief put it, "all hell broke loose". The sundowner winds picked up and the fire spread dramatically to the west and began to threaten Goleta, the neighboring city to the west. We had a lot of smoke and ash at our apartment. My car was beginning to be covered in ash, and the smoke smell was very strong. It was very dramatic as it was at sunset, and the massive smoke cover above was tinted orange, and very ominous. We left and spent the night in another motel 6 in Carpenteria, to the south. A second fire sprung up on the east side, and began moving east towards Monteceito, which was the site of the Tea Fire last November. That fire is also picking up speed, but that is east of us. I think we may be able to return to our apartment today, as the fire is moving away from us on each side. The Santa Barbara area is not out of the woods however. The fire department claims now to have 10% containment, which is not great. We are keeping our fingers crossed. Over 75 homes have been destroyed, and 10 firefighters injured thus far.

[Seefutlung]

Good Luck to you. Hope we get those fires under control.

Gary

[Antarctican]

Sounds like positive news vis-a-vis your apartment! Here's hoping the fire is contained soon, with no further injuries.

[mitica100]

Stay safe, stay well Matt! Keep us informed. We'll keep our fingers crossed for you.

[mperko]

Thanks everyone. We went home yesterday afternoon, and decided it was safe enough to stay. Thanks to some help from mother nature, the fire is now 40% contained and or neighborhood is in the clear. Apparently Oprah had to evacuate again though.

I got out the night before last and found a good vantage point to take some photos as the moved west up into the mountains. It was pretty dramatic.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3652/3516848609_0ab4cbb33e.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3310/3516848583_71258046ba.jpg

[MissMia]

I'm glad you are back home safely! Nice captures too. I like the second one quite a bit.

[Tangerini]

Oh my. So sorry you've had to go through this. Hopefully your apartment is still safe.
Nice captures of the event especially the last, very dramatic.