Fire in Igo – update

Doni here, noon Thursday.  Yay Shasta.com for getting the Internet working. As Darcie said, it’s so smoky here we can’t see much. 

As scary as it was a few days ago to see flames in the distance, in some ways that view was more comforting than the one we have now. At least then we knew the fire’s location. We do know there’s a fire near enough that we have blackened ash and leaves around our property. But that’s about it.

Son Josh parked a water truck in our driveway. (When you want a job done, call a Marine.) Josh spent the night here last night and is still here, making periodical trips to the roof to see if he can spot anything.

The wind kicks up every so often, which is not good for firefighters, and it makes us nervous to think about a wind shift that could change everything. Right now the situation seems to be holding steady.

Special thanks to the firefighters; heroes who work so hard in such horrible, hot conditions.

We also thank and appreciate the CHP, Caltrans and Shasta County Sheriff personnel stationed 24 hours a day at the area road closure points, like this one in the photo above, taken at our closest intersection.

We thank neighbors Ron and Helga for the water.

We thank Josh’s friend, Judd Buick, for helping yesterday with the water truck, and we thank Judd’s father, John Buick, for the loan of the water truck from John Buick Construction of Palo Cedro.

We thank friends Darcie and Jim Gore and Kelly Brewer of Pink Hollyhock for posting updates to you when the fire and smoke took out our Internet connection.

Of course, we thank all of you for your concern, but I think Bruce and I are and will be just fine. 

We do worry about my other Igo/Ono neighbors, and the status of the fire situation near Rock Creek Road, where our friends have been evacuated from their homes. 

I’m going to go now, in case the Internet leaves.

Take care. We’ll write again when we have a chance.  (P.S. have I mentioned lately how unimpressed I am with CalFire’s information Web page? I realize that agency is shorthanded right now, but it’s really frustrating to not have consistent, current news about the fires.

Some web pages are unavailable. And one information phone number I called reached a fax machine.

Really frustrating.

I guess those of us in fire country should do the best we can to pass on news to each other.

Be safe, everyone.

Darcie here, 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

I just talked to Doni, she and Bruce are okay and at this point still at home. They have packed valuables in preparation for an evacuation. Doni said she can’t see much around her, the smoke is so thick. They do not have Internet access either. The support team will keep readers updated as things change.

Pink Hollyhock here, 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Doni and Bruce are fine right this minute, but they have no Internet connection and no access to the Web site. Something must have burnt to a crisp in the landscape that makes these things magically happen. They are in their house, keeping watch on the wildfires. They’re packed and ready to go and, as you might imagine, being practical and forward-thinking. Doni can’t believe the darn dance contest is only three days away. Bruce is patiently walking me through posting this. (Weird but true: phone access but no Internet.) They both wish everyone safe passage through this current fire danger, and say they’ll be back in touch as soon as humanly possible. If Doni were writing this, she’d say, “Nighty-night, sleep tight.”

 

Tuesday night, or technically, Wednesday morning since it’s after midnight. This is what we see from our deck, north and west from our Igo home, without a zoom lens.

We’ve packed up all our family photos, and artwork by my sister and Bruce’s mother and sister.

We haven’t been evacuated, but we’re preparing for that likelihood. We had some warning a few hours ago when I drove home from my twin’s house in town and was stopped by road blocks at Placer/Southfork road and Placer and Platina.

A CHP officer said it was OK for me to return to my house on Gas Point Road. But he said Lower Gas Point was closed and evacuated. He strongly suggested I go home and pack.

The remainder of the drive to my house was surreal. Normally this late at night you hardly pass another car. Tonight, parked cars and pickups lined the road. Their passengers and drivers stood outside and everyone faced the fire. Some took photos. One idiot in a truck smoked a cigarette and flicked glowing red ashes out the window below him as his passenger stood on tiptoe to watch the fire grow in the distance.

It felt like a disaster parade, made even more somber as I passed the Igo Community church and saw the parking lot packed – on a Tuesday night – with cars and people, probably those who’d been evacuated.

At home, Bruce had already loaded his truck with tools, and had sprinklers going outside the house.

I wonder how long those hoses can run before the well runs dry.

I tried calling the CalFire number for information about the Igo/Ono fires and got a fax line. Wonderful.

If evacuated, we’ll turn off the gas to our house and leave; with a suitcase each, and pillow cases filled with framed family pictures, my recipe book, and Bruce’s coffee cups that belonged to his sister (from Sante Fe) and mother (a Hawaiian print).

We’ll unplug this computer and take it with us.

Our hearts go out to the people in Igo and Ono who’ve been evacuated. With pounding hearts we packed and listened to scanner-chatter descriptions of fire on Rainbow Lake Road, and calls for help removing animals.

I’ll sign off now. I need to help Bruce load a few more things in my car and his truck.

We hope we wake up tomorrow by an alarm clock, not a reverse 911 call or a bang at our door.

We hope that by morning the fire is contained; without the loss of life, livestock or homes.

It’s late. We’re going to try to sleep.

We won’t be surprised if we don’t.