Wildfires

Multiple wild fires have destroyed more than 100,000 acres in Napa, Sonoma & Yuba counties in No. California.

The fires began Sunday night. We could smell smoke down here in San Francisco, some 50 miles away. The smoke smell was so strong that I thought a neighbor's house had caught fire. It's now Wednesday and it still smells like 'fireplace' in my flat. 

These 'before and after' images show a suburban neighborhood in the city of Santa Rosa called Coffey Park. There's nothing left. 

Friends and family living in the affected areas are, knock wood, all right. No one I know has had to evacuate yet. Fortunately, the winds have died down & fires are being contained. 

At least one hospital in was successfully evacuated of its patients. I can't imagine how emergency crews were able to pull that off, but they did. 

An aerial image of the Waldo Canyon fire--

It's been reported that there were 15 such fires burning at once. Fire fighters from various counties have been needed to help contain the multiple blazes. 

I've read that So. California is dealing with its own wildfires currently as well. Our governor has declared a state of emergency in the affected areas. The president, presently concerned with whether or not sports figures are standing for the national anthem, has yet to address the situation.