Watching live news right now it appears some type of out building at Rupert Murdoch’s vineyard Moraga is burning. News was saying it’s a house on fire but from the video looks more like a storage type building.
Video I looked at showed the fire right behind the Getty but wind seems to be blowing the other way.
Isn’t SQN in Ventura? Anyone know how close the fire is?
Ryan posted above:
“The fires did flirt with Krankle’s area but seem ok for now. Will keep you posted on any major change or word from Adam/Manfred estates.”
I agree, Larry. Thanks for the added perspective. I never watched any news while Napa/Sonoma lived its horror. Seeing maps drawn of your property and receiving reports from various sources can add to the misery of evacuees/fire victims. For what it is worth, after our windstorm the other night, and waking to turn on the computer to see all-too-familiar images of raging fire, sent me to the bathroom to gag. Literally.
Someone also noted in this thread that it would be a good time to take a vacation (from the current Ventura area fires). That is a nice idea…but for those who have beloved pets, that is a difficult choice. In our area, the local Vet was closed and places to board your pets were not obvious or certain.
These tragedies are multi-faceted and affect different people differently. No right or wrong - it is what it is.
I am heartbroken for the Stonekings and others who are living through this.
Nice post Merrill.
I said to Lori before bed on Monday, that I don’t see how anyone in Napa or Sonoma counties could ever sleep a windy night again. It’s not even just an intellectual fear, which is legit, but the emotional memory stays with you. I woke to a burning house in 1987, and it was years before I could sit next to a campfire without freaking out. So on Monday we had a sinking feeling, but I still didn’t expect to wake to this news.
…edited to add… It’s a great point about pets. If anyone wants or needs to get out, and can bring pets with you, our door is open. We’ll happily spend a week drinking wine and slinging pizza until the winds die down.
It was a storage building, but the vineyards were untouched as far as I can tell.
Mike and Dana got in to see their house today, or what’s left of it. Total loss. Heartbreaking. 
Where are all the SQN and Ojai Vineyard sites? They now expect the entire area between Hwys 33, 150, and 101 to burn.
150 has now been closed so 33 is the only way out of the Ojai Valley, which has the potential for diceyness as evacuations continue, depending on wind and fire behavior.
No containment lines for the Thomas fire yet.
Winds tonight are expected to gust to 80mph. Some claim it could be the worst Santa Ana winds… ever.
I think we could wake up to NEW fires in SoCal, not just these.
That’s what I’m hearing. It also appears that all CA regional assets(OC & SD) are on alert and not available to flex for redeployment to the LA & Ventura fires. That appears to be a change for fires in years past.
So things are getting crazy over the past hour. Lots of fast moving fires. I am very worried about the Valley including SQN and Ojai Vineyard, not to mention my house and club I run.
Next 48 hours will be scary and the above is correct regarding worst SA winds on record.
A couple of quotes-of-the-day (there were many):
“There will be no ability to fight fire in these kinds of winds,” Ken Pimlott, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said, according to the L.A. Times. “At the end of the day, we need everyone in the public to listen and pay attention. This is not ‘watch the news and go about your day.’ This is pay attention minute by minute … keep your head on a swivel.”
“The prospects for containment are not good,” Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said at a news conference Tuesday night. “Really, Mother Nature is going to decide when we have the ability to put it out … it is pushing hard.”
National Weather Service says it expects high winds to return to the area late Wednesday through Thursday.
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#ThomasFire: No crews allowed along Highway 33 south of Ojai due to it being too dangerous.
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#ThomasFire: Crews are trying very hard to keep the fire away from Highway 33 north of Ojai or else Ojai will be cut off.
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Adam Tolmach just sent this out to people on Ojai’s email list:
I am very happy to report that all the staff is safe, and there is apparently no damage to our winery. We have not been let into our property yet, but reports are good…
Robert
Adam sent this e-mail out a bit ago:
Great to hear indeed. I know that he is up by the Thatcher School IIRC, and I do know that they lost a couple of structures.
Keeping fingers crossed that the winds that are expected will not be as bad as they say they will be . . .
And by the way, plenty of ash falling in the city of Santa Barbara yesterday and today.
SQN home/winery is near the north east corner of Lake Casitas so their area looks ok for now but it is still scary with the winds. Cumulus vineyard is around the winery while their other two vineyards are in Santa Rita Hills and Los Alamos (Vineyards | Sine Qua Non). We hope and pray that everyone in the area is safe and hopefully the wineries and vineyards survive (SQN, Ojai and others).
Mother nature seems to have an appreciation for wine as many wineries and vineyards were spared when the fires tore through Napa and Sonoma counties so hopefully she does the same for the areas currently affected by fires.
Are you sure about this, Larry? Curious because there’s a 3pm update on the Thacher website which says the following (copy/pasted…the typos are in the original):
Thursday, 12/7, 3 p.m.
The Thacher School, along with most of Ojai, remains under a mandatory evacuation due to the Thomas Fire that began on Monday evening and has grown to more than 95,000 acres. For more information about the fire and related closures, cilck here.
Students, faculty, staff, and horses were all evacauated safely early Tuesday. Meanwhile, firefighting crews have established a command center on campus. As of Thursday afternoon, fires have swept around the campus, but the impressive work of firefighters has prevented any structural damage. Although this brings a profound sense of relief, it’s tempered by the knowledge that many of our friends and neighbors have suffered terrible losses.
While we feel so fortunate that the School survived last night, shifting winds and smoky skies remind us that we are by no means in the clear. The campus remains surrounded by burning embers that could present new challenges at any moment. At this point, we still can’t even guess when a return to campus will be possible.
Parents, students, faculty, and alumni can expect regular updates from the School as the situation develops. We thank you and many others for the many expressions of concern and offers of help we have received. And of course all of us in the Valley are overwhelmed with gratitude and admiration for the competence, committment, and bravery of the men and women fighting the fires.
Anybody know how the OldCreekRanch wnry has done with fire??
Tom