Active Fires today

[RWebb]

Lower 48 only - other fires are burning in Alaska and in the arctic

[Bugsinrugs]

This is a bad year. Fire season here used to end in October but now goes into November. My fire insurance went up to over $3000. That’s just fire. Contents and liability are extra.

[rusnak]

I've been watching the "Creek Fire" burn my childhood stomping grounds around Huntington Lake, Shaver Lake, etc. The old cabin is still not burned by some big miracle. So is Lakeshore Village. Can't give enough props to the fire fighters out there. Our local police also headed up to the mountains. Very horrible and very sad.

[RWebb]

"Fireproofing" homes or cabins helps a lot.

and it may lower insurance costs too

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Bugsinrugs

This is a bad year. Fire season here used to end in October but now goes into November. My fire insurance went up to over $3000. That’s just fire. Contents and liability are extra.

By "That’s just fire," do you mean just the structure?

[Tidybuoy]

Originally Posted by RWebb

"Fireproofing" homes or cabins helps a lot.

and it may lower insurance costs too

I don't know how you would do that. I have two friends with cabins at Huntington Lake and the cabins are surrounded by big pine trees. If they had a fire like what's right next door, nothing would survive. I think the only protection is to clear the areas of brush and dead branches - that is everywhere.

[jyl]

The fires east of Salem and Eugene blew up practically overnight. Bad structure and death toll, and they’ve just started. The smoke plume is insane. I was thinking a week ago that we (Oregon) might just make it through this fire season without getting clobbered. I guess, 2020.

[RWebb]

Your local fire dept. (RFD) or the state has detailed info for you.

Two sets of things:
1. the house - use a fire resistant siding (oiled lumber is worst)
- metal roof best (cedar shakes are worst)
- clean patios, walks, roof of debris
- no plants next to house
- no firewood stored next to house

2. surroundings
- no overhanging branches
- yes, clean up that litter (pull it into piles and burn during the winter/fall or use branches for kindling in the fireplace/stove)
- remove brush
- remove any trees that could fall on the house - house should be in a forest clearing

#2 is a lot of work - I've helped friends several times - you can make it a party or can hire it out

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by jyl

The fires east of Salem and Eugene blew up practically overnight. Bad structure and death toll, and they’ve just started. The smoke plume is insane. I was thinking a week ago that we (Oregon) might just make it through this fire season without getting clobbered. I guess, 2020.

the one up the McKenzie went 30 miles in a few hours - they are now starting to evacuate Springfield - a city of about 50,000 (but only the east part of it so far)

[regency]

My insurance went from $1,300 / yr ( 2015 ), to $4,000.00. Now have two policies, 1 - wildfire only & 2 - all the other stuff, liability etc.

Also, It really makes no difference as to the amount of "fire proofing" you might do ( IMO ), Insurance company underwriters simply look at where your house is and then that area's rating and thats that.

No regular Insurance company would even consider my house ( Grass Valley )...i'm with Cal Fair plan.

Steve

[Tidybuoy]

We had a fire outside our plant last week. Just over the perimeter fence is a large (50 acre) field and nowhere near any roads or people. It was plowed about 2 months ago but has grown to 1-1.5 feet. It seems to have caught on fire for no obvious reason (i.e., cigarettes, sparks from trailer chains, etc).

While waiting for the fire department, which took about 10 min, I was shocked as how fast it spread. It was 100x100' in a matter of just a few min.

[LWJ]

For commercial insurance "protection class" is used to evaluate fire risk plus construction type and and safeguards- like sprinklers.

FYI, rural BFE is protection class 9. Most cities are protection class 2. Mostly due to fire hydrants.

[rusnak]

There is nothing you can do in a forest fire except run, early and far.

A "wildfire" such as a grass fire on flat land will literally spread faster than you can run on foot. You blink once, and it's 50 feet away. Blink twice and it's 100 feet away.

https://atascaderonews.com/news/cal-fire-reports-creek-fire-north-of-shaver-lake-0-contained/

[pwd72s]

Considering how much antifa and blm folks love fire....well, I gotta wonder?

[RWebb]

stay in PARF if you can't control yourself

[Bugsinrugs]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

By "That’s just fire," do you mean just the structure?

Yes, just the house and garage. Contents,flood and liability are covered by another policy. About $1100 additional.
I’m lucky in that there is a hydrant less then 500 feet away and a fire house within 5 miles. My friend that lives on 25 acres with much less house then mine pays over $5000. That’s just fire insurance. The California Fair plan. Only place most people can get fire insurance from.

[upsscott]

The town of Berry Creek in NorCal was wiped off the map today.

[Evans, Marv]

^^^^ I feel really bad for those people who lost everything. We have a fire locally that's been going on for four days - rough terrain, dry & hot conditions, winds, etc. This is the first time I've had that uneasy feeling about my house, considering the season is just starting. Everybody around here is on the CA Fair Plan with a supplementary policy. It's not very good coverage. At least my property got reclassified from a class 9 to a class 3 (it's a State fire rating thing) last year which got me a premium return of $1,200. I have friends east of Fresno who are keeping eyes on the fire situation.

[jyl]

Reports that the Oregon towns of Detroit, Talent, Phoenix have been burned. These are not big towns but we may still be talking hundreds of buildings. Some deaths known, may find more. Fires moved fast, narrow mountain roads. Fires are nearing larger towns like Estacada, Springfield, Klamath. Looking at the fire maps, I see more towns at risk. Some state parks have burned or are threatened. Fires are moving west toward actual cities like Salem and Eugene, though winds may not be westerly as they approach urbanization.

[Bigtoe32067]

Thankfully we just have hurricanes to deal with and I say that sincerely.
Some of the pics of the fires burning are unreal.

Why so many?
It seems like the last few years have been really bad for the west.
I may not care for their politics but man I feel for their losses.
I can’t imagine entire towns burned off the map and it continues daily.
Is there more we can do other than pray for rain? Lots of it.
I hope everyone on here is safe and stays out of harms way.
Tony