Seldom smell smoke now due to the wind direction, things are pretty safe all around, and many people who were evacuated are now allowed back in.
Summit fire is 80% contained.
As of 7 p.m., the Summit Fire has burned 4,270 acres in steep, rugged terrain in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The fire is located west of Morgan Hill and east of Corralitos affecting both Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties. Good progress made on containment throughout the day.
Weather: Weather conditions for tonight are expected with temperatures in the low 50’s with northwest winds of 3 miles per hour. Relative humidity is expected to be 80%.
Evacuations: Evacuations remain in effect for the Loma Prieta Road/Summit Road. Mt. Madonna Park remains closed at this time.
• The fire started shortly after 5 a.m. Thursday, May 22nd.
• The fire is burning in heavy brush and timber.
• The fire is 80 percent contained
• The fire has destroyed 36 residences and 18 outbuildings.
• 100 residential buildings are threatened.
• There have been six reported firefighter injuries.
• The cause is under investigation.
• Total personnel is 2,631
• Estimated fire suppression cost to date $10,650,000
Note: Full containment expected on Tuesday May 27, 2008 at approximately 6 p.m.
In other news, we didn't end up going to Las Vegas this weekend, we've had visitors and such things and of course some serious World of Warcraft playing.
Monday, 26 May 2008
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Santa Cruz Mountain Fire Update 1
Chris, who I met back in February came by the house a few minutes ago to pick up the key as he is staying here this weekend while Erich, myself our puppy and Erichs family head back to Las Vegas.
Chris lives in Salinas - near the bottom of this map:
He says that the ash is falling over there and it looks like snow...
I still only smell smoke every now and again though.
Just thought I'd share :D
Chris lives in Salinas - near the bottom of this map:
He says that the ash is falling over there and it looks like snow...
I still only smell smoke every now and again though.
Just thought I'd share :D
Santa Cruz Mountain Fire
I'm not in danger here, but can very faintly smell the smoke.
5.30pm
At least 12 structures have been destroyed and 40 are being threatened in a fire that began at 5:30 this morning. Some 1,000 acres burned 9:00 a.m. and by noon the fire had exploded to over 2,200 acres.
According to Battalion Chief Mike Marcucci, the fire has jumped out of the canyon and is headed toward Corralitos.
The fire is now over 3,000 acres and could reach 10,000 acres.
The fire was first reported near Summit and Ormsby roads and is in the mountain range that separates Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. Wind is moving the Summit Fire to the southwest - nearing the town of Corralitos.
I used a Google Map which shows the mandatory evacuation area, exported it to Google Earth and put in pins to show you the places of interest. I have turned off place names because they made the map too crowded.
Erich and I live in Capitola. The first map is an overview to give you a bit of an idea of the scale. Near the top is Erich's work in sunnyvale, he travels over Highway 17 to get home, and the trip takes 45 minutes on a motorbike, or an hour and a quarter in the car.
Below is a closer version
Red Polygon: This is the evacuation area, it is larger than the area of the actual fire. I have heard reports that the evacuation area is extending along the east and south east, mainly due to smoke.
Pins:
Highway 17 - The route between Santa Cruz and Sunnyvale (Silicon Valley)
Ormsby & Summit Rds - Where the fire was first reported to be.
Mt Madonna Rd - Receiving air dumps of water
Loma Prieta Rd - Where much of the news footage thus far has been recorded from
Corralitos - nearest town to the fire. Threatened.
Watsonville - Erich's Grandmother lives here. Smoke is thick over the town and ash is falling.
The wind is South/East
Media images:
Will update again later. In the meantime ABC 7 News has a local feed which has many images and videos, see the list at the bottom of the page for the most up to date info. See it here
5.30pm
At least 12 structures have been destroyed and 40 are being threatened in a fire that began at 5:30 this morning. Some 1,000 acres burned 9:00 a.m. and by noon the fire had exploded to over 2,200 acres.
According to Battalion Chief Mike Marcucci, the fire has jumped out of the canyon and is headed toward Corralitos.
The fire is now over 3,000 acres and could reach 10,000 acres.
The fire was first reported near Summit and Ormsby roads and is in the mountain range that separates Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. Wind is moving the Summit Fire to the southwest - nearing the town of Corralitos.
I used a Google Map which shows the mandatory evacuation area, exported it to Google Earth and put in pins to show you the places of interest. I have turned off place names because they made the map too crowded.
Erich and I live in Capitola. The first map is an overview to give you a bit of an idea of the scale. Near the top is Erich's work in sunnyvale, he travels over Highway 17 to get home, and the trip takes 45 minutes on a motorbike, or an hour and a quarter in the car.
Below is a closer version
Red Polygon: This is the evacuation area, it is larger than the area of the actual fire. I have heard reports that the evacuation area is extending along the east and south east, mainly due to smoke.
Pins:
Highway 17 - The route between Santa Cruz and Sunnyvale (Silicon Valley)
Ormsby & Summit Rds - Where the fire was first reported to be.
Mt Madonna Rd - Receiving air dumps of water
Loma Prieta Rd - Where much of the news footage thus far has been recorded from
Corralitos - nearest town to the fire. Threatened.
Watsonville - Erich's Grandmother lives here. Smoke is thick over the town and ash is falling.
The wind is South/East
Media images:
Will update again later. In the meantime ABC 7 News has a local feed which has many images and videos, see the list at the bottom of the page for the most up to date info. See it here
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Santa Cruz Garter Snake
Spotted a dead snake when I was walking the puppy today. First time I've seen one outside of an aquarium type enclosure. Its pretty dried up looking, and missing its head, but I took a photo for posterity. click here to look at it.
I found a pic of a live one and details from http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/t.a.atratus.html
They are nonvenomous. Apparently gartersnakes have toxins in their saliva which can be deadly to their prey and their bite might produce an unpleasant reaction in humans, but they are not considered dangerous to humans. Erich tells me that I'm going to see them a LOT over summer.
Speaking of summer, tomorrow it is expected to be 100°F which is 38°C. Today was 76.3°F, 24.6°C. The average for May is 59.1°F or 15°C
I found a pic of a live one and details from http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/t.a.atratus.html
They are nonvenomous. Apparently gartersnakes have toxins in their saliva which can be deadly to their prey and their bite might produce an unpleasant reaction in humans, but they are not considered dangerous to humans. Erich tells me that I'm going to see them a LOT over summer.
Speaking of summer, tomorrow it is expected to be 100°F which is 38°C. Today was 76.3°F, 24.6°C. The average for May is 59.1°F or 15°C
Saturday, 10 May 2008
We Have A Puppy!
Erich and I have been talking about getting a puppy for a while now, and have spent some time looking in the local shelters and SPCA centres for just the right dog for us. Yesterday we found him, and today we have brought him home. We've named him Alfred, though we will call him Alfie, and he is a purebred miniature schnauzer. We got him from the SPCA. His littermates have all been adopted out, and his mother was adopted this morning, leaving his father as the last miniature schnauzer there. He is three months old, and we are starting to train him immediately. He is already getting the idea of "sit", I hope he will catch on to "toilets are outside" just as fast. But now, The Pictures!
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