If we return to Healdsburg, we do not know what to expect. The house is still standing? The houses of our neighbors and friends yet? How long do we have to breathe in the fine dust? And this is the big, scary question: what does the future hold for our village, for our Region of Sonoma, California at all? A Federal state with 330 fires alone this week, and the gloomy predictions of climate change, the droughts even more, winds and forest fires, predict?
It is afternoon, two o’clock. An eerie silence lies over Healdsburg. The sky is blue, a Wind blows gently through the trees. We say goodbye to the neighbors and compare our plans of Escape.
A woman takes precautions to escape from the fire. Photo: Keystone
“I could drive to Arizona to see my parents, but I’ll be around,” says Dave. The Farmer has contributed the largest part of the harvest although a few days ago, however, he wants to return immediately when the evacuation is lifted. Alex and Federico will refer to friends in the vicinity of San Francisco a room. They Packed their cars full, even with some boxes of wine. “A lot of people regret that they have lost their good wines,” explains Federico. Ken travels with his family to Relatives on the coast in Mendocino. “We are when we drive in the direction of the North,” he says. “Stay safe. Hope to see you soon.”
We wanted to go, and had posted on Saturday the last flight from Santa Rosa to Portland. There, my wife’s family has offered us a place to Stay. Before departure to the airport for a last look at our house. Four suitcases we have Packed more. Important documents, insurance cards, tax documents, medicines, and some clothes and shoes. That would be all, if the Kincade Fire to capture our village and the house would be burned.
Out of the plane we see the glowing red hills, which lie just a few kilometres to the East of Healdsburg, and where, last week, the Brand – considered at first only as “Bush fire” broke out. Later, we hear that virtually all of the 12’000 inhabitants had complied with the evacuation command. More than 180’000 people in a Region as large as Switzerland are on the run.
Apocalyptic warnings
The electricity – and gas supplier Pacific Gas & Electric, PG&E, was interrupted last Saturday by the electricity. In a few hours the storm would use winds of yet never measured strength with speeds of 150 kilometres per hour, and the fire directly to Healdsburg is to drive up. We had to not only flee, we tried to escape. The warnings of the authorities, the apocalyptic-seeming Videos on Facebook and on television and the uncertainty over the spread of the fire had us scared.
Over 2 million people are without electricity. It extreme winds and fire were said danger. Photo: Keystone
We are those friends and Acquaintances who Have in 2017, your house and all your and were traumatized remembered lost. And we remembered the last of November, than in Paradise with the most serious fire disaster in the United States in more than 100 years, the 82 human misery died. The smoke at that time extended over the whole of Northern California, and covered us for almost three weeks with a toxic cloud.
the cause of the third great fire, is not cleared since 2017. However, PG&E is likely to be according to their own information for Kincade-fire and three other fires.
We fear that in the future, any peace is only the calm before the next disaster.
once Again, PG&E, The company has failed for decades, to modernise the pipeline network. Many of the facilities are outdated. Exploration at the end of transformers and torn wires may have caused in the last few years, hundreds of fires. The company has created a compensation Fund of 24 billion dollars, but can not pay for the damage with safety. It is in a bankruptcy procedure and is desperately trying to minimize risks by, it has interrupted the power supply in our Region in just two weeks, four times.
That was not enough. The climate makes plans, forecasts, and hopes to waste. California is by several of the will be denied to be affected mutually reinforcing circumstances of the strengthened by the climate crisis, the government’s Trump still. 90 percent of the rain falling in our Region in the Winter, but the rainy season was delayed in the last few years, more and more. Farmers report that 20 years ago the rain started in mid-September, about 10 years ago in October and since 3 years in November.
The heat days have increased greatly. Also, many cities temperature recorded records; in Healdsburg, the Thermometer rose until recently, up to 40 degrees. The hot Diablo, as always, in the autumn winds in the North and the Santa Ana winds in southern California. The smallest spark is sufficient to kindle a fire, which spread in the wind, before the fire has a Chance to intervene.
The persistent Blackout in our Region hits two million people. Hospitals and Telecom companies are dependent on generators, but the person responsible no longer fear that the devices are able to withstand the continuous stress or even the fuel might run out. Not a word have we heard in recent days, more than “apocalyptic”. Alex reports call the current state of things. In Healdsburg, up to 150 Firefighters were stationed in trucks to a Spread of the flames to ward off. So far no damage.
Since the weekend, gain a meets on an ongoing basis. Teams from neighboring States rush in to help and solve to the point of exhaustion-working colleagues. On the airfield of Santa Rosa, we have seen fire fighting aircraft that were landed on the quarter-hour clock, and with fire retardant chemicals refueled, before they disappeared in the low-altitude flight in the gray-brown clouds of smoke. After Governor Gavin Newsom had declared a state of emergency, were also offered specifically for the fire-fighting trained prisoners up. Secure the empty roads.
The devastating fire lead to dramatic scenes in Los Angeles. Photo: Keystone
The authorities had prepared for the evacuation well, and warned insistently about to sit on the fire risk at home. Robert Payne resisted the call. His house in Santa Rosa 2017 had fallen victim to the flames. He built a second house, in a safe location in the neighbouring village of Windsor, as he believed. He procured the addition of a solar-powered pump and found water tanks with 25’000 liters on the plot.
Payne felt ready. But the Wind had turned unexpectedly and the fire roll came and surrounded him in the middle of the night. He tried to delete his own strength. It was not enough. At the last Moment, a fire extinguishing team showed up and helped save the house and his life. Why was Payne? “I don’t have insurance. The house I built myself. It is my Everything.”
The fires put a strain on a Region that gained the reputation as one of the most beautiful, most relaxing areas of the country, and a real estate boom with massive price increases experienced. The wine and the luxury tourism form the economic basis of small towns like Healdsburg. Hotels, Restaurants and shops, but had to accept the first financial loss after 2017 and 2018, the images of burning forests and villages of the country have been widely spread.
Clouded prospects for the future
The Horror of the raging Kincade-fire is likely to cloud the economic prospects for the future. “This is an urgent cry of alarm. I am very worried that this will be the new normal,” says our neighbor, Cindy. She drove her disabled husband to Santa Rosa and needs to be prepared to flee if the flames reach out further.
In the best case, the head of the fire brigade, hope the fires on 7. November tamed be. However, the forecasts are unfavourable: Warmer and windy weather conditions are popular to ten days, and not a drop of rain in sight. Friends advise us to stay as long as possible in Portland. “The air here is shit,” said Cindy. There are also some bright spots: Our neighbor, Bruce was able to inspect on Monday shortly his Farm and found, contrary to his fears intact. The fire was nearly dragged to his property over. The break-free use of more than 4000 firefighters is also thanks to them that so far no one has perished in the flames.
But we must fear that in the future, any peace is only the calm before the next disaster.
Created: 29.10.2019, 19:59 PM
