I just captured these two photos from the Lyons Peak cameras. They've got us feeling a bit optimistic at the moment…Our first reason for optimism is the situation on Elena Peak (top photo). The actively burning area is much reduced over what we've seen over the past few hours. We know that aircraft are working the fire, 'cause we hear and see them going over our heads. I also hear chatter on the scanner from the CDF crews mentioning the air support frequently.
Our second reason for optimism isn't visible in these two captures: all of the fires that we could see in Deerhorn Valley are out. There were a lot of small hotspots spewing smoke just a few hours ago; now there are none. I'm certain that's due to the ground crews hard at work.
Our third reason for optimism is that we learned that the summits of our local mountains – at least the ones capped with electronic equipment and antennas – are high priorities for the firefighters. This is for the simple reason (though I never thought of it!) that their communications equipment is on those peaks. This makes us optimistic for a reason that may not be immediately obvious: the four cameras on Lyons Peak are our single best source of information about the fire. I don't believe I'd be willing to stay here with a fire this close if I didn't have the information those cameras are providing. So to know that they are a high priority for the firefighters (because they happen to be on the same towers as the CDF communications) is really good news for us.
And the fourth reason for optimism can be seen at right. This is from the camera looking west from Lyons Peak. While there is a lot of smoke in the air, the number and size of actively burning areas appears to be greatly reduced. The one sour note is that the smoke plume in the distance, on the west or northwest side of San Miguel Mountain, looks a bit bigger than it did a few hours ago.Debbie and I are feeling very lucky at this point. We've had (and continue to have) some anxious times, but nothing like what our evacuated friends, co-workers, and so many other San Diegans have had. We know from our own experience in past evacuations that it is just agonizing to not know what the situation with your home is…
Tom,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for doing this. I can tell by your blog and by the cameras that right now our street is still there. News has been difficult. We are under mandatory evacuation, living in the parking lot of Steele Canyon High School. We left our chickens behind never dreaming we would be gone this long and not let back in.
any word about the poodles at kaye kids breeder on cinnamon rd?
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I'll tell you right now, to be realistic about anything in Deerhorn Valley. I Live up on the very top of Mother Grundy/Temple Trail and From what I know and have learned from neighbors all over DV, is that very, very little is surviving out there. We among many have already lost our homes
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