Re: Eastern Sierra wildfire

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plawrence

Eastern Sierra wildfire
February 10, 2015 06:50PM

Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 4,173

Since the winter storm that past through the Sierra help putout this raging wildfire after just a day or so, it wasn't widely reported on the news. Yet nearly 40 homes were lost in the small Owens Valley communities of Paradise and Swall Meadows. We have some forum participants who live in and around those two communities. I hope they are all okay, with minimal property loss due to the wildfire.

http://petapixel.com/2015/02/09/witnessing-raging-wildfire-lens-camera/

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hikerchick395

Re: Eastern Sierra wildfire
February 12, 2015 03:06PM

Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 693

Friday was quite a nightmarish day. With a high wind warning hoisted, the wind ferociously arrived about an hour late. The wind came roaring down Pine Creek Canyon sounding like a jet fighter. Trees, branches and fences came down and that would've been enough to try to handle, but then the fire started. The wind was erratic but steadily headed up the creek in a northwesterly direction. But after 4pm the fire started to turn south a bit, while also continuing through Paradise then towards Swall. So us as spectators suddenly had to prepare to evacuate ourselves. Power had been out in the area since the morning and phones (cell and land line) didn't work in the fire area and was spotty service just south. My experience was that everything that could go wrong did. But I got ready as much as possible. And the bullhorn notice never came. And the rain came. All residents as far as I have heard are OK, but with phone service out, I haven't heard yet who may've lost their homes Four fire fighters were injured..

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mtn man

Re: Eastern Sierra wildfire
February 12, 2015 05:03PM

Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 668

Quote
hikerchick395
Friday was quite a nightmarish day. With a high wind warning hoisted, the wind ferociously arrived about an hour late. The wind came roaring down Pine Creek Canyon sounding like a jet fighter. Trees, branches and fences came down and that would've been enough to try to handle, but then the fire started. The wind was erratic but steadily headed up the creek in a northwesterly direction. But after 4pm the fire started to turn south a bit, while also continuing through Paradise then towards Swall. So us as spectators suddenly had to prepare to evacuate ourselves. Power had been out in the area since the morning and phones (cell and land line) didn't work in the fire area and was spotty service just south. My experience was that everything that could go wrong did. But I got ready as much as possible. And the bullhorn notice never came. And the rain came. All residents as far as I have heard are OK, but with phone service out, I haven't heard yet who may've lost their homes Four fire fighters were injured..

Please keep us up to date. I was receiving updates from the sheriffs office during the fire as I have friends north of Mammoth who forwarded them to me, but the information now is pretty much done.. Are you in Swall meadows and how did you come out of it? Can't believe there were no lives lost in such a firestorm. Wasn't there a major fire in Swall meadows about 30 years ago?

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hikerchick395

Re: Eastern Sierra wildfire
February 13, 2015 09:56AM

Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 693

I am 2 miles south of the Inyo/Mono county line. The fire shifted towards the south in a few places...the pasture at Talbot's ranch, down the dirt section of North Round Valley Road, then along the base of Wheeler Crest, where it also started running up the steep slopes.

Yes there was a big fire near Swall maybe a dozen or so years ago. I helped a friend evacuate as flames approached his home. Helicopters and planes were in the air that time. This burn reached that old burn. I have not heard if this friend's home made it this time, but his 85th birthday was Saturday and he was at Tom's Place with a lot of other evacuated folks.

1995 we got ready to evacuate when the Pole Fire got to within 1/2 mile of Rovana (where we were living at that time.) Then 1997 was the Tom Fire which burned up and beyond the Horton Creek trailhead.

Inyo County Sheriff's Dept has a faceybook page, as does CalFire. Google Round Fire for other info.

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plawrence

Re: Eastern Sierra wildfire
February 13, 2015 10:01PM

Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 4,173

One bit of very good news for one very lucky person who was in the Eastern Sierra this week: someone who purchased a Power Ball lotto ticket at the Mono Market in Lee Vining picked all five of the five non-powerball numbers of last Wednesday's Power Ball's super jackpot drawing. That ticket is worth a cool 1.4 million dollars!

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