It's raining right now with a break at 1pm. A moderate breeze from the south west temp 16c feels like 17c.
Oreti and Logan thank you both for your kind comments. One day at a time is all we can do as we take all the fire precautions possible to protect our homes. We have both had to evacuate our homes due to wildfires in the past since extreme temperatures began drying out the top layers of soil so quickly that everything became fuel for fires, as well as careless people who cause forest fires. I remember last year wildfire broke out on the Hawaiian island predominantly on the island of Maui. (my oldest son lives on the south end of the island the fire was up north). The wind-driven fires prompted evacuations and caused widespread damage, killing at least 101 people on Maui's northwest coast. Many people had no place to go but jump in the ocean off the coast of the island as high winds called a ‘Fire Storm’ , pushed the fire to the islands coastal waters. Haunting pictures that shows the only house that survived the wildfire on Maui IslND. https://www.unilad.com/news/us-news/red-house-hawaii-maui-wildfires-214944-20230816 I would hope that the home in the picture above which was the sole wildfire survivor out of hundreds of homes is a reminder at what wildfires can do to communities and there is a lot of fire precautions that we all could take from that picture to stay safe. Depending on the circumstances and surrounding region.
Thank you @Pacnorwest , likewise I wish you the same too ( not too sure of the time difference it's nearly 7pm here). We have continued with fleeting glimpes ot the sun but on the whole it's been mostly cloudy....but pleasantly warm .
@Pacnorwest thanks for the link, that photo is so moving to see. The surrounding devastation is truly a horrendous horror. What was the reasoning given for that house to survive untouched ( I've zoomed in to look as closely as is possible) when even the neighbouring house to the left was left as only a pile of ashes.? Even the car looks fine too. Amazing ! As the article said the persons living there must feel happy and so lucky but at the same time grieving for all their other neighbours...very mixed emotions I'm sure.
Hi Oreti , good question. How did one home out of hundreds survive a horrendous wildfire? The home that was not destroyed into embers was all made of fire resistant materials. No plantings near or around the house no lawn. Surrounded by concrete no flammable materials . The metal roof did not pic up hot embers blown through out the area. Zero trees or plants around the home to pic up hot embers . It is an excellent example of how using non flammable building materials and a zone free of plants and fire retardant materials can protect a home from the onslaught of a huge unforgiving firestorm. Wildfire develops its own weather system by building high winds , fire tornados form adding to the danger and unpredictability of wildfires. That one surviving home didn’t entirely escape damage . What can’t be seen in that picture is that lots of ash is inside the house which enters thru vents, doors and windows. All over furniture , and clothing. The smoke order and ash covers everything inside. And the paint on the house is most likely bubbled and the car if it was there before the fire not after , it to will have ash in the engine compartment and paint bubbles over the entire car just due to the intense heat from the fire. Hope this answers your questions . Any other questions don’t hesitate to ask. It’s now 1:30 pm here and probably around about 7:30 pm there.
Wow, they really got their act together and thought everything through very thoroughly. A fine example to others of what can be achieved with a bit of forward thinking and planning. Well done to them.
Pretty much what I'm working towards. It's a slow process and a lot of challenges for a retrofit. It's much closer this year but still a lot of work and costs remaining. I think I'll leave lawn sprinklers running on the deck if we have to evacuate this year. Not perfect - they will stop when the power stops - but maybe it will help a little. One year I sprayed the roof with a hose, for the same reason. Today was cool with occasional rains. Predicted weather for the next week will be great for tomatoes, peppers, figs and roses.
Daniel yes it is a long process to fire proof our homes against wildfires. Never in a million years did I ever think that summers would be loaded with so much anxiety. It’s obvious that the homeowners were not gardeners in the pic that showed the home that did not burn in the Maui fire. You are doing a great job with protecting your property. Many insurance companies have fire standards that must be met for fire coverage. Oregon state has developed new maps of all the fire danger zones available online. We don’t have fire hydrants available where we are located.. but have water holding tanks and fire retardant supplies and fire hoses on file with the local fire dept. Just check in with your nearby fire dept they can come by and help evaluate your situation as well as plans for a safe summer.
Good morning all, sunny intervals and light winds temp 7c to 14c Precipitation 0% Sunrise 4.48 Sunset 21.24 No rain is expected today
A super sunny start today, I'm meeting up with a school friend for a pub lunch today and hoping that is stays warm ( ish) so that we can sit out in their beautiful garden area to enjoy our meal.
