By Ryan Lillis, Molly Sullivan and Ellen Garrison
Santa Rosa - Wildfires driven by powerful winds (click here) tore through Northern California’s famed wine country Monday, killing at least 10, leveling neighborhoods and forcing thousands of residents to grab what they could and flee from fast-moving walls of flames.
Two huge fires in Sonoma and Napa counties were part of a series of blazes that raged across the north state, from Yuba and Nevada counties in the east to Mendocino and Lake counties in the west. Cal Fire Chief Ken Pimlott said bone-dry conditions and high winds combined to whip sparks into firestorms.
“To be honest, pretty much anywhere in the state today (is threatened), and that’s not an exaggeration,” Pimlott said at a midday news conference....
This year is clear demonstration of the neglect of the American people. There have been catastrophic storms and now deadly wildfires. I think Californians are not used to the speed at which these fires started and moved. The ability to predict danger to Americans is becoming more and more diffuse.
These problems are brought on by planetary forces. The world cannot fight Earth. These forces are known to the world, but, this is the first time the USA is being plowed under by the ravages of nature.
There was the heat in France that killed over 10,000 French citizens, there were the fires in Russia that took the lives of 50,000 Russian citizens. That doesn't account for the losses due to typhoons in the Pacific. Even with all that reality in the face of the American people, no matter how much the conservation organizations tried, there was little to no reaction simply because it wasn't them.
October 9, 2017
KTVU staff - Fourteen fast-moving wildfires racing (click here) through Northern California Monday have destroyed at least 1,500 homes and commercial buildings, forced thousands to flee and killed at least 10 people with authorities now saying more fatalities are likely.
Sonoma County Sheriff's Department issued a news release at 4:38 p.m. confirming seven deaths. One person was killed in Mendocino County and a couple died in their home at the Silverado Resort in Napa.
A Cal Fire spokeswoman in the Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit said power is still out in the St. Helena and Calistoga areas and there is no cell phone service.
According to the couple's granddaughter Ruby Gibney, Charles, also known as Peach, and Sara Rippey were unable to escape from their home, located on Atlas Peak Road, and died in the blaze. Gibney tells KTVU Peach had just turned 100 and Sara was 99. The couple had recently celebrated 75 years of marriage....
October 3, 2017
U.S. Drought Monitor
Continental U.S.
This is the drought map and there is absolutely no indication such wildfires were expected to erupt in California.
To the left is the current map as of October 10, 2017 showing the fires in California. There is no correlation between drought and these fires. None. Fourteen fires occurred for a reason, if it is arson there needs to be stronger programs to end such a threat.A simple fire can become an inferno with high winds. That was the culprit in these fires that drove the danger to those caught in them. Some reports are saying ten dead, while another is expecting more. The winds. Californians are getting high sustainable winds that drive danger no different than the winds that lashed the Virgin Islands and other mainland areas. Perhaps California can try to stronger message about the winds and what can occur with such dynamics. The people are used to fires, they are not used to infernos driven by high wind.
Mr. and Mrs. Rippey were compliant in warnings regarding the fires, they were leaving to a safer place; it was the understanding of the speed the fires were traveling that trapped them. Mr. and Mrs. Rippey were vulnerable adults that need to be on the warning system map differently.
