Fires in Sonoma...again - Geyserville

[Jeff_M1]

I am perplexed that the state doesn’t clear brush in these areas. Its sad to see these fires devastate every year.

Jeff, the area where this “Kincaid” fire started is DESOLATE. Even a experienced hiker would have trouble hiking to the area where this fire started no less have brush cleared.
The problem is with 60 MPH winds the fire goes from desolate to populated pretty damn quick.

Tom

So they can’t allow cows or sheep to graze the hillsides to help cut down on the brush? There has to be a better way to manage these desolate areas so they can’t erupt into fireballs.

[brigcampbell]

In Socal, Irvine, it’s 97 and 3% humidity. Nasty, the wind fries your eyeballs. No fires, thankfully.

good resource for checking out the fires.

2023 Fire Season Outlook

[PeterH]

I am perplexed that the state doesn’t clear brush in these areas. Its sad to see these fires devastate every year.

Jeff, the area where this “Kincaid” fire started is DESOLATE. Even a experienced hiker would have trouble hiking to the area where this fire started no less have brush cleared.
The problem is with 60 MPH winds the fire goes from desolate to populated pretty damn quick.

Tom

So they can’t allow cows or sheep to graze the hillsides to help cut down on the brush? There has to be a better way to manage these desolate areas so they can’t erupt into fireballs.

Cows and sheep don’t eat brush. Goats maybe, but nothing eats the dried brush, and the area is huge.

[Dennis_Atick]

Rakes?

[brigcampbell]

Jeff, the area where this “Kincaid” fire started is DESOLATE. Even a experienced hiker would have trouble hiking to the area where this fire started no less have brush cleared.
The problem is with 60 MPH winds the fire goes from desolate to populated pretty damn quick.

Tom

So they can’t allow cows or sheep to graze the hillsides to help cut down on the brush? There has to be a better way to manage these desolate areas so they can’t erupt into fireballs.

Cows and sheep don’t eat brush. Goats maybe, but nothing eats the dried brush, and the area is huge.

Typically, it’s Chaparral or California Sage Brush. Turns green with rain and then dries out. Tough stuff.

http://www.californiachaparral.com/chaparralfacts/awheresthechaparral.html

[Mike_Kuller]

Jeff, the area where this “Kincaid” fire started is DESOLATE. Even a experienced hiker would have trouble hiking to the area where this fire started no less have brush cleared.
The problem is with 60 MPH winds the fire goes from desolate to populated pretty damn quick.

Tom

So they can’t allow cows or sheep to graze the hillsides to help cut down on the brush? There has to be a better way to manage these desolate areas so they can’t erupt into fireballs.

Cows and sheep don’t eat brush. Goats maybe, but nothing eats the dried brush, and the area is huge.

Waist high brush and small trees on steep hillsides. Some larger trees have blown down due to the high winds.

The vineyards provide a firebreak.

[Brian_Tuite]

Rakes?

[Jeff_M1]

Jeff, the area where this “Kincaid” fire started is DESOLATE. Even a experienced hiker would have trouble hiking to the area where this fire started no less have brush cleared.
The problem is with 60 MPH winds the fire goes from desolate to populated pretty damn quick.

Tom

So they can’t allow cows or sheep to graze the hillsides to help cut down on the brush? There has to be a better way to manage these desolate areas so they can’t erupt into fireballs.

Cows and sheep don’t eat brush. Goats maybe, but nothing eats the dried brush, and the area is huge.

Well that sucks. You figure as much as we pay in taxes in this state they would manage this stuff better. Its a constant struggle every year with the winds and the fires. Just hate to see so much devastation

[Tom_DeBiase]

The only way to these fires will disappear will be when the average 45 inches of rain per year Sonoma County gets happens over the course of 12 months instead of 5.

I say that in jest of course. Good luck with that happening.

Tom

[brigcampbell]

The vineyards provide a firebreak.

A vineyard is fuel. Nobody would say “we’re safe, we’re surrounded by a vineyard” if a wind driven fire is barreling down on you.

When windy, the fires “travel” by embers being blown out in front. Some times way in front which is how people get trapped so quickly, the fire can move at 10, 20, 30+ mph. A vineyard won’t stop that. Heck, highways, lakes and rivers don’t stop it. The fire just blows right over it.

[Rboinski]

New incident in Marin, just north of Muir beach #MuirFire.

Looks like the wind is offshore at the moment, so that’s something positive.

Saw this pop on GOES-17 about an hour ago in the fire temp band, but didn’t see it in visual. I had assumed it was an artefact

[Brian_Tuite]

The vineyards provide a firebreak.

A vineyard is fuel. Nobody would say “we’re safe, we’re surrounded by a vineyard” if a wind driven fire is barreling down on you.

When windy, the fires “travel” by embers being blown out in front. Some times way in front which is how people get trapped so quickly, the fire can move at 10, 20, 30+ mph. A vineyard won’t stop that. Heck, highways, lakes and rivers don’t stop it. The fire just blows right over it.

In the Tubbs Fire the vineyards acted as firebreaks in numerous locations. They are green and irrigated. The areas that burn have not had any moisture since early May.

[Rboinski]

So they can’t allow cows or sheep to graze the hillsides to help cut down on the brush? There has to be a better way to manage these desolate areas so they can’t erupt into fireballs.

Cows and sheep don’t eat brush. Goats maybe, but nothing eats the dried brush, and the area is huge.

Well that sucks. You figure as much as we pay in taxes in this state they would manage this stuff better. Its a constant struggle every year with the winds and the fires. Just hate to see so much devastation

It sucks but its part of living with nature. Whether the cause of this was natural or man-made, historical records show events of this size are not uncommon. Even if we had 10x the resources we have now for prevention,you will never fully prevent the possibility of a fire like this when the winds are gusting 60+ mph. Sad but on the upside far this has been kept to a relatively sparsely populated area and we are doing what we can to mitigate the risks to residents.

[Jeff_M1]

Definitely have to give props to the firefighters for doing everything they do to try and contain the fires

[Casey_Hartlip]

Jeff, the area where this “Kincaid” fire started is DESOLATE. Even a experienced hiker would have trouble hiking to the area where this fire started no less have brush cleared.
The problem is with 60 MPH winds the fire goes from desolate to populated pretty damn quick.

Tom

So they can’t allow cows or sheep to graze the hillsides to help cut down on the brush? There has to be a better way to manage these desolate areas so they can’t erupt into fireballs.

Cows and sheep don’t eat brush. Goats maybe, but nothing eats the dried brush, and the area is huge.

Controlled burning in the spring and early winter to reduce the fuel load.

[Alan_Rath]

Controlled burning in the spring and early winter to reduce the fuel load.

Or, just don’t start fires, at least not on red flag days. Every single one of the recent big fires has been man started in one way or another.

And don’t build your house in the hilly wilderness, not without having substantial cleared space around you, and with every fire-resistant material you can get your hands on.

[David_Bu3ker]

Alan,

Do you know how this one started?

[Paul_Gordon]

Alan,

Do you know how this one started?

It appears to be a PG&E high voltage line.

Paul

[David_Bu3ker]

So not applicable to Alan’s “don’t start fires” scold.

[Alan_Rath]

Of course it is. Human caused, whether purposeful, accidental, or negligent. A PG&E release said that, despite them turning off power in the area, a high voltage transmission line had been left on. They detected a problem at 9:20, Fire was reported at 9:27. Not sure why they didn’t de energize immediately, assuming they have that capability.