We all know that California (along with Oregon, Washington and British
Columbia) had some devastating fires this year. We were particularly interested
in hearing of fires that blocked I-5 near the Oregon-California border, and
another near Redding, CA. We often travel that section of I-5, and the Redding
Elks is one of our favorite stopping places enroute or returning from our winter
travels.
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So, we were especially alert to see what effect the fires had in those two
areas. Yesterday, we traveled over the affected I-5 section, and parked at
Redding Elks.
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On I-5, there was about three miles just past the border where we could see
that fire had covered an extensive area on both sides of the freeway. Then,
maybe ten miles south from there, there was 13 miles of similar damage. Dozens
of highway crews and contractors were busy chopping down the burned trees,
grinding them into mulch, and spreading the mulch over the scorched landscape;
then covering the whole mess with the green “slop” containing seed and peat
moss that they use in areas where they want to hold the soil and encourage grass
to grow. The state is worried about winter rains causing many mud slides. Thousands of trees, hundreds of dozers, rollers, trucks, broom
tractors, guys with shovels --- all moving around the area looking like ants and
toy trucks across the blackened landscape.
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We had seen some TV shots at the time, of motorists trapped between the two
areas – no exits. Luckily, no one died, but the freeway was closed for five
days. Not sure if some of the cars had to stay on-site, but we understand that
the trapped people were pulled out without injuries.
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The Redding fire was much worse. The so-called Carr fire snaked around the
southwest corner of the city, covering 229,650 acres, eventually destroying 1179
homes, and causing 38,000 evacuations, including the Elks Lodge, right on the
Sacramento River.
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After talking with folks around the Lodge, we took the C-Max
for a ride near here. About four blocks away, we began to see cleared areas
where homes had been, sometimes only one missing home surrounded by six or ten
undamaged ones; sometimes four or six destroyed homes surrounding one undamaged
one. In just few miles, we saw easily 100 “holes” where houses had been – many
of them very nice homes alongside or viewing over the river. Over the years,
we’ve walked or biked the riverside path. We remember the quality of those
homes, now reduced to flat spots with driveway cut-outs, some with stakes or
other signs of where a replacement house will be built. One thing that caught
our attention was that NOTHING remained of the previous houses --- even the
foundations were gone. I guess the heat damaged the foundations to the extent
that they had to be removed. (Further out, where crews are still tearing apart
damaged houses, there were still foundations and fireplaces, along with
burned-out cars and piles of stoves, furnaces, air conditioners, sheetrock,
roofing, and memories.)
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Below are pictures of cleared areas where homes were, damaged homes in the
process of being removed, and general debris yet to be picked up.
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The lodge was undamaged, although being evacuated for five days.
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Aren’t we glad we live in the soggy northwest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FIRE DAMAGE PICTURES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EMPTY (REGRADED) LOTS
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| Note Burned Trees |
HOUSES:
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| EVEN THE FIRE STATION BURNED |
CARS, BOATS, ETC
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| GUARD RAIL POSTS BURNED AND THE RAIL FELL OFF |
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| BACK OF WHITE TRUCK BURNED OFF |
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| 2 BURNED BOATS ON TRAILERS |
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| ANOTHER BOAT |
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| ONE MORE BOAT |
