Vikner in fire danger

[Vonrd]

Let's all send positive vibes Vik's way. There's a huge fire right in his new location in Geyserville.

[Klaiber]

Sending good vibes, Vik.  Stay safe.

[Britchot]

It's getting real in California. The "Tick" fire is just down the road from my house.  Probably not an issue but not like I can do anything about it from Texas.

https://laist.com/2019/10/25/tick-fire-agua-dulce-day-2-evacuations-closures.php

[J5_Hotlead]

Praying for you guys in California! Stay safe guys!

[Etzel]

Hope that everthing turns ok for our california members, all the best from europe to you guys!

[Razwald]

Stay safe guys.

[Heinrich]

Fire is Mens greatest friend and enemy, I know both of them.

May good winds protect you Vikner.

 

 

[-Hawkeye-]

You are in our thoughts, California folks. May the winds of good fortune blow in your favor!

[EmerlistDavjack]

To all my fellow Californians:  be safe, have a plan, have escape materials.  I live up a winding one-way road in the foothills.  It's a very scary thing.

[Britchot]

Any word on Vik?

[Vonrd]

No,

Maybe Klai has his email?

I'm worried as there were quite a few homes destroyed in his area. Sure hope he and his family are OK.

[-Hawkeye-]

6 hours ago, Vonrd said:

Sure hope he and his family are OK.

Yes!  

[Klaiber]

I'll send him an email.

[Klaiber]

I've heard from Vikner.  He and his family are safe.  His home and community were protected from the fires by a river and a vineyard (which made it hard for the fire to cross to him).  There was serious concern about embers jumping the water line, however.  But the fire seems to have burnt out a lot of stuff to the east of him and is moving on.  Thankfully, the eastern area doesn't have a lot of structures or people.

All in all, he said it was a very stressful week.

I've encouraged him to post on the boards to let everyone know that he's okay.

[Vikner]

JG1,

 

Geyserville was the first place evacuated about 06:00 AM last Thursday since the winds were driving the fire down the ridge across from our house (see attached).  Wednesday night around 09:30 PM the lights flashed and the internet dropped off line.  That was a PG&E power line going down near the geothermal station on Pine Flat (see attached).  We had an evacuation warning as we were going to bed and a mandatory evacuation early Thursday.  There are about a mile or so of vineyards—which don’t burn well—and the Russian River between Geyserville and that ridge.  However, with the wind gusts they always worry that fires can start quickly a couple of miles away from the main fire due to blowing embers.  Plus the road network is fairly limited in our area and they want the people out so the roads are clear for fire equipment.  We went to stay with Tricia’s cousin in Healdsburg Thursday and Friday.  Healdsburg was evacuated Saturday morning at 10:00 AM followed by Windsor and then parts of Santa Rosa.  We went down to Menlo Park and Patrick got us a room at the Residence Inn that takes pets.  We sat it out there from Saturday until Thursday morning.  Tom Petty’s song “The Waiting is the Hardest Part” covers that period. 

 

Geyserville was not under much threat after the first 48 hours since the fire had burned what it could on the ridge and moved on.  Plus the vineyard and river defenses.  However, Healdsburg and Windsor are mostly on the east side of the river and the winds were driving it that way.  They set fire lines on a couple of outlying roads and successfully kept the fire away from them.  The Pine Flat picture attached is looking east from the crest (popular local bike ride since Pine Flat and Alp D’ Huez are quite similar--attached).  Picture was taken about two weeks ago near the crest during a ride.  The fire burned a lot of stuff out east.  Fortunately, there aren’t any structures, people, roads or anything out there so they just let it go until it gets near something important.  Napa was under warning, however, looks like it is betting beaten down fast.  As we drove home, saw mucho fire equipment headed south for the fires down there.

 

Stressful week, however, California has established pretty solid procedures from the experience of recent fires.  Get the people out and the equipment in.  Believe we had about 6000 people fighting the fire at peak.   Still, constant evacuations with three cats and two dogs aren’t fun.  Next door neighbors had to move three times; Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Petaluma.  They’ve lived here 27 years and this was the first time they’ve evacuated so that’s encouraging.  Hopefully one gigorgous fire per lifetime.

 

Vikner

[Vonrd]

Whew... so glad to hear all's well Vik! Not knowing that you were on the east side and with news reports of 100 mph wind gusts around Geyserville all I could think of was the Paradise fire (my aunt and uncle lost their home in that one). Thanks for letting us know.   

[Moxy]

TG

Vik

I worked for the aftermath of the Paradise fire. I saw the devastation, and "mind of it own"

way, the fire touched one house, but not the next. Cant imagine the stress of the roll of the dice

 

All the best

Mox

[Lipfert]

Glad you and your family are safe Vik.

[Maushake]

Glad you're safe, Vik!

[J5_Hotlead]

Thanks for the update! So glad you're safe!

[Razwald]

Glad you're safe.

[Lee]

Good to hear you’re safe Vic!

[Vikner]

Went for a bike ride today.  Picture below shows just east of Highway 101 between Healdsburg and Windsor.  You can see the top of the ridge pretty well gone.  Went up some side roads and the fire burned right up to the vineyard boundaries.  Vineyards are reasonably good firebreaks when properly maintained (cleared and irrigated).  Fire got within a football field length of several homes in this area which was under evacuation orders.