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SBitz
Dec 19, 2017, 3:21:54 AM12/19/17
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Seems to me we're all very tired of this Thomas Fire. Even massive Truculent Tommy seems tired. No sign of him acting up on satellite detectors, night cameras or news reports. Our amazing fire crews are hard at work out there through tomorrow and "Windsday" trying to ensure that this zombie fire doesn't jump up to torment us again. Here on SBitZ, we hope to see more details emerge on what's burned and what was spared. It seems likely that some Members will post more photos on the ground, and I hope to get some aerial photos that are less obscured by smoke. What would you like to see posted here today, and what might you share here yourself?
Meanwhile, let's enjoy our first truly relaxed and deep sleep for some time so that we'll have a less tired Tuesday.
Meanwhile, let's enjoy our first truly relaxed and deep sleep for some time so that we'll have a less tired Tuesday.
topix
Dec 19, 2017, 12:38:16 PM12/19/17
to Santa Barbara CitiZen Network
Based on the morning tweets from the offical sources (Sheriff, Fire, etc) and the various scanner hounds, the fire made little progress last night. Welcome news! 271,750 acres, 50% contained.
FD expects winds to shift throughout the day, but most of the work will need to be done by ground crews anyway (and not aircraft, which rather want to avoid turbulence). Places that are still a concern are Romero Saddle (in SB) and Sepse corridor (Ventura). Both of those will be producing smoke. We might see a lot of smoke today, if the firing operations proceed on the back country (SB) but it poses no danger to us on this side of the ridge. Hot spots are still active in Flores Flats (SB, by upper Gibralter Road) and Santa Paula (Ventura, by Wheeler Road).
FD expects winds to shift throughout the day, but most of the work will need to be done by ground crews anyway (and not aircraft, which rather want to avoid turbulence). Places that are still a concern are Romero Saddle (in SB) and Sepse corridor (Ventura). Both of those will be producing smoke. We might see a lot of smoke today, if the firing operations proceed on the back country (SB) but it poses no danger to us on this side of the ridge. Hot spots are still active in Flores Flats (SB, by upper Gibralter Road) and Santa Paula (Ventura, by Wheeler Road).
topix
Dec 19, 2017, 12:55:24 PM12/19/17
to Santa Barbara CitiZen Network
SBitz asked what topics we might want to cover. What about starting a list of ideas of how to help those in
our community?
We could take a page from the fire officials, who have thanked the public for cookies, blankets and support but are increasingly encouraging that good will to be directed to our own community members. At yesterday's public briefing, speakers mentioned that kids who rely on school lunch programs for daily nutrition can now get help from the food bank. A mental health professional mentioned that a lot of people have seen their wages go down because of business closures, so this will increase stress in households across the area. The humane society is handling over a 1000 animals that had to be sheltered while their people were under evacuation elsewhere. And so on.
We've been helping each other with info (which has been sanity saving, thank you all !). But we've obviously also been in a comparatively good position by having had the resources (and electricity) to be able to post here. What ideas/info do folks have on community recovery efforts (volunteering, donations, supporting local businesses)? [Maybe put this under a separate post, like the one Jaz2 did for evacuees. Recovery efforts are going to probably last longer than just today ;-( ]
We could take a page from the fire officials, who have thanked the public for cookies, blankets and support but are increasingly encouraging that good will to be directed to our own community members. At yesterday's public briefing, speakers mentioned that kids who rely on school lunch programs for daily nutrition can now get help from the food bank. A mental health professional mentioned that a lot of people have seen their wages go down because of business closures, so this will increase stress in households across the area. The humane society is handling over a 1000 animals that had to be sheltered while their people were under evacuation elsewhere. And so on.
We've been helping each other with info (which has been sanity saving, thank you all !). But we've obviously also been in a comparatively good position by having had the resources (and electricity) to be able to post here. What ideas/info do folks have on community recovery efforts (volunteering, donations, supporting local businesses)? [Maybe put this under a separate post, like the one Jaz2 did for evacuees. Recovery efforts are going to probably last longer than just today ;-( ]
SBitz
Dec 19, 2017, 9:09:27 PM12/19/17
to Santa Barbara CitiZen Network
Topix wrote:
What about starting a list of ideas of how to help those in our community?
Glad you mentioned it, because we've been thinking that way too and would like to know what ideas everyone has. State Street is coming to life again, and we're looking into toy & food drives to support. Maybe we can divide up the task of finding good charities with low overhead and in different categories (food, toys, holiday gifts, etc.).
SBitz
Dec 19, 2017, 9:20:04 PM12/19/17
to Santa Barbara CitiZen Network
I flew for an hour this afternoon over the fire (TFR), getting lots of pix. I stayed over SB County but have a few telephoto shots of Ventura County. Most of the pix are from 2-3 miles away, but with telephoto I have some detail. Rather than bog down this topic with a lot of pix I'm going to post these three wider shots and then start a new Topic for the rest. If anyone would like max zoom & resolution shots of a specific area, please post a request in the other topic (I'll probably name it "Aerials Thomas Fire 12/19" to keep the title short).
For now, this first pic was soon after takeoff during the climb North, then turning South on the way up to 10,500' and it shows pretty much all the fire area. Of course Ventura County is quite far off in this wide shot.
Next is one of the last pix, looking toward the East again from nearer to Carp for a better look at the Ventura end.
Last in this small set (I shot 661, but most are duplicates in case of motion blur), is this one of the Gibraltar area over Montecito.
The originals are 5472 × 3648 pixel size, and some are shot with a polarizing filter to cut the haze. I didn't shoot any at max zoom (600mm) because they'd be much more likely to have motion blur, but I probably have quite a few at 300mm or so. Distance to subject was typically 2-3 miles. Anyway, I'll go start another topic now...
For now, this first pic was soon after takeoff during the climb North, then turning South on the way up to 10,500' and it shows pretty much all the fire area. Of course Ventura County is quite far off in this wide shot.
Next is one of the last pix, looking toward the East again from nearer to Carp for a better look at the Ventura end.
Last in this small set (I shot 661, but most are duplicates in case of motion blur), is this one of the Gibraltar area over Montecito.
The originals are 5472 × 3648 pixel size, and some are shot with a polarizing filter to cut the haze. I didn't shoot any at max zoom (600mm) because they'd be much more likely to have motion blur, but I probably have quite a few at 300mm or so. Distance to subject was typically 2-3 miles. Anyway, I'll go start another topic now...
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