Re: [APML] TSP report

["Andy Homeyer" <homeyer@starband.net>]

> Andy,
> Very pleased to hear your property is safe

I am rully sorry for the long delay in getting back to you. Had another hard
drive problem and darn near lost everything, and no I didn't have a back
up---stupid of me I know. Luckily the local computer store in Alamo was able
to install a new (80 Gig) hard drive and then transfer almost everything on
the old drive to the new one.

Yes we were extremely lucky. If it hadn't been for my friend, who lives at
the bottom of the mountain, and his brother going in with his big back hoe
and his brother witha 20 inch chain saw to start the felling fo trees and
cutting the initial fire break we probably would not have made it. We then
got 2 teams of the Mescalerohot shots in, closely followed by 2 teams of the
Sacremento hot shots. The initial fire break ands tree felling was what made
it possible for all of them to save our homes. Burned righ up to the edge of
the road that goes to my place. If the fire would have crossed the road then
all would have been gone as that is an indefensible area.

.>A friend of mine is the fire weather forecaster dispatched from the NWS
office here to coordinate with
> firefighters. He said for a time this was a very bad fire in it's
behavior.

The fire started the original burn going basically east. The 2nd day it made
a reverse turn and the head of thefirewas now in the west and burning west
and north. It then started burning north toward why 82 but didn't get to the
hwy. then it turned east again to come get us. Extremely erratic behavior.

  >Several times, ground crews were called back because flame lengths were
> excessive and tankers nor copters could operate because of high (40+mph)
> winds. They could only stand and watch the fire explode. I can only
imagine
> how anxious you must have been!

We evacuated at the very last minute and just camped out where our road
leaves the highway and just watched it burn. A very unnerving situation to
be in. Anxiety levels went thru the roof, but there was nothing to do but
watch it.

Now that the burn is over and none of us lost homes we know that we are now
a LOT safer from futer fires. The new burn gives us protection from the
west, which was our biggest danger. On the south, and actually where I am
was totally burned 50 years ago and so is a low fuel area. On the north is
the hwy 82 valley with very low fuel. The only area where we could be in
some danger is the east, but a firewould haveto burn form eastto west which
is a rare occurance. So we now feel much more secure in where we live.

>Glad you are safe.

Again I thank you for your concern, it is heat warming. So now that we are
relatively safe when are you coming my way?????



--  APML Archives at <http://astro.umsystem.edu/apml/>  ---
             Unsubscribe at <majordomo@seds.org>