A Couple of Fires In My Area UPDATE

[Texas Lizard 1,059]

Winds are way down....But still have the fire...Plus I am so lucky we have a new one....This one is north of me...This one is north of 91 freeway...The other is east of 241/261 toll roads....If everyone stays on there side road, I am good...They jump....Could be a lot of very expensive houses having trouble...

 

 

Makes one think what to take and run with..Thinking and looking around, I need better plan...Fast get out, leaves much....Wife and myself first on list...Grandkids also first...But  I can see I need to do better on the household important papers...Have let them spread out to much...Pictures also high on list...Toys get the best out...The high price things....Might have to secure most in safe and maybe have some tarps or something more fireproof cover them...

 

One last important thing...The black powder...Might help to hold the house together....

 

Texas Lizard

 

Any other ideas are welcome....The fire are only about 10 miles away...But with 70 mph winds...Could get here somewhat fast....Hate Santa Ana winds....

Edited October 28, 2020 by Texas Lizard

[Sedalia Dave 11,888]

You are going to be a busy camper tonight

 

Get all the powder and primers out of the house.  Dig a deep hole and bury it ASAP.  While you are at it bury all your loaded ammunition as well.

Place it all in ziplock bags or other water tight packaging. If you are sure the container is water tight and will not leak soak the ground where you buried it.

 

Collect what isn't replaceable.

People

Pets

Medications  ( Thanks Wallaby Jack )

Photos

Important papers

Jewellery and firearms

 

Everything else should be covered by insurance. If it isn't its too late to worry about it now. Take pictures of everything in the house. Or if you can, walk through and video everything.

 

Only thing that will help preserve the contents of your gun safe is fire resistant insulation. Several layers of sheet rock on all 4 sides plus the top will help some. Rock wool is a lot better. Gun Safes are fire resistant not fire proof. Odds are pretty good that if your house burns down to the foundation the contents of the safe will be damaged beyond repair.

 

Fill all your coolers with water and place them on top of the safe. As they get hot and melt the water will help hold down the temps some.

 

 

Edited October 27, 2020 by Sedalia Dave

[Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428 888]

Devil winds...

I hope you end up having an uneventful night. 

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 2,309]

medications

[Calamity Kris 2,077]

Prayers up for you and yours, TL.  Please keep us posted when you can.

[Subdeacon Joe 24,675]

Meds.

Important papers.

Guns.

Dog.

Computers (only takes a minute to disconnect all the wires and cables), external drives, etc.
Changes of clothes, personal care items.

[Texas Joker 179]

In a go now situation grab your dirty clothes basket. Might be dirty but has several changes of clothes.

 

Prayers sent and best of luck. 

[Texas Lizard 1,059]

6 hours ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said:

medications

You mean the whiskey...Already by the door....

 

Texas Lizard

[Cypress Sun 2,607]

11 hours ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said:

medications

 

Try to refill your meds early, then refill early again and so on. I get my RX's in 90 day refills. I try to refill at about 60 days. Kind of gives me a cushion for "if stuff hits the fan" situations. I know that there are some meds that you won't be able to do this for due to med classification, costs or your doc is a stickler for timelines but it helps to have a 100+ dosage failsafe.

[watab kid 969]

i look at these fires , the droughts , the hurricanes and it makes me feel moderately better about our cold and snow here on the north coast - i guess i can deal with it another year 

[Subdeacon Joe 24,675]

On 10/26/2020 at 8:50 PM, Texas Lizard said:

Any other ideas are welcome....The fire are only about 10 miles away...But with 70 mph winds...Could get here somewhat fast....Hate Santa Ana winds....

Edited 2 hours ago by Texas Lizard

 

Scary stuff.   Went through it with the Tubbs Fire in '17, about 800 yards at the closest,  and not even a month ago with the Glass Incident Fire,  600 yards, could feel the heat and hear the low roar.

 

Get stuff into your vehicle NOW so all you have to do is pull on your shoes,, grab things from the fridge, grab pets, keys and wallet and get out of Dodge.

 

 

[Pat Riot, SASS #13748 20,683]

One of the guys that works for me left early Monday to evacuate his wife and get some things from their apartment. He lives in Irvine. He ended up taking yesterday off to help family members evacuate. 
 

It made me realize that as ready to vamoose as I thought I was in a situation like this, I am not really. We have way more cherished items and important documents than I have fire proof / water proof storage.  I will have to remedy this. 
 

I hope all is well, Texas Lizard. 

[Subdeacon Joe 24,675]

Update, please?

[irish ike, SASS #43615 1,031]

If you can I recommend taking your guns with you. The myth that gun safes will protect your guns from fire is a wonky one. Yes during the actual fire they will be protected. But once the fire is out and the safe cools the seal is done and the heat inside will draw moisture into the safe. You'll have all of your guns but unless you get hem out immediately you'll have a pile of rusted ruined guns. This is especially the case for the "cheaper" gun safes. Lots of pictures on the innerweb of guns after a fire in a safe!

Edited October 29, 2020 by irish ike, SASS #43615

[Utah Bob #35998 15,296]

I guess I’m one of the few who wouldn’t bother with pictures if it was gioing to delay me another 30 seconds.

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103 1,941]

You will be alive afterward.

You'll want to collect on insurance.

The advice to walk through with a video camera is sound.
Point it at each item of significance and speak aloud what it is.

TV set, make and model, VCR or DVD player or whatever they use nowadays (yes, I'm obsolete on electronics!)

Open every drawer and rat through it, camera in one hand and the other hand showing the camera what's in deeper layers of each drawer.

Open every closet and record what's in it.

Do this in your work shop, shine that polished lens at every hand tool, every power tool, you don't have to do a close up interview with each piece but afterward -- reviewing this at your leisure -- it can help your poor failing memory tell the insurance people exactly what-all was lost.

This is an activity better suited for a moment of zero stress, not when you're loading up to evacuate.

[Subdeacon Joe 24,675]

3 hours ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

I guess I’m one of the few who wouldn’t bother with pictures if it was gioing to delay me another 30 seconds.

 

That's the reason I mentioned the computers.  Photos, videos, important documents, basically all of our important information.

Also, once a month or so print out your passwords and stick it in your wallet.  Have them tagged with something to remind you what they go to but obscure enough that others would have a hard time figuring it out.  

 

4 minutes ago, Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103 said:

The advice to walk through with a video camera is sound.
Point it at each item of significance and speak aloud what it is.

Then put it on your computer and a couple of flash drives.  Stash a drive in your glove box.  

 

[Henry T Harrison 1,218]

One of the good things about living  in Western Pa is that there would never be a serious reason to bug out more than a few miles and that would be in the case of a very rare tornado 

[Texas Lizard 1,059]

13 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

Update, please?

They are getting a hold on the fires and wind is way down....Depending which part of the day, more smell...Other times less smell....People are somewhat moving back in....The fire close to me, no homes damaged...Next to no wind is helping out a lot....But I am going threw the house and start a better set up and plans for needs...Too many papers in too many places and corners of the house...Sure is an eye opener...Same with no power....And all them flashlights need batteries...

 

Texas Lizard

 

Digging hole for ammo is something I do not fast from wheelchair...Asking wife gets...See you later...You bought you dig....

[Subdeacon Joe 24,675]

6 hours ago, Texas Lizard said:

Too many papers in too many places and corners of the house...Sure is an eye opener...Same with no power....And all them flashlights need batteries...

 

We decided after this last round to just keep the important papers in, I'm not sure what to call it, maybe a portable file folder.  We only pull them out once or twice a year so it makes sense to keep them together in one spot under the desk.  That way we don't have to dig them out, just grab and go.
Power - with the Public Safety Planned Shutoffs happening since the Tubbs Fire no power is a regular thing in late summer and into the fall.  We have plenty of candles and matches, some flashlights, and a few hand cranked lanterns.  Last bug out when we stayed with my boss, we got up in the morning and went to the living room.  Light was on in the kitchen, which gave us plenty of light to see to walk around.  Boss' wife came out and was surprised at us "sitting in the dark" and was puzzled when we said it was plenty of light.  Since we spent many years in the SCA doing about two camping events a month from March through November, then Civil War reenacting, we are used to dim lights.  Also, evening services at church are lit only by candles and olive oil lamps:

 

[Calamity Kris 2,077]

I recently purchased one of these for our important documents.  It is water resistant so it will protect them from water damage.  We have it in the top drawer of the file cabinet so if we need to bug out, grab the box and go.  We also keep the thumb drive copies of all our photos and videos of our property for insurance purposes. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DZLL5Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Edited October 30, 2020 by Calamity Kris