Aerial Pix: Thomas Fire 12/27

[SBitz]

I'm going to post some aerial pix from a Wednesday 12/27 afternoon flight, of the Thomas Fire burn area above the SB coast. I've sent a few more to Edhat, where they might be published tomorrow. The next few Posts in this topic will contain pix of about 150k file size each.

[SBitz]

First a reminder to remain aware of air quality until the Thomas Fire is completely out, and if any strong winds kick up ash in coming weeks. We were surprised at how thick the smoke layer was, even though the air looked quite clear on the ground.


The hills above La Conchita are pretty scarred, and we hadn't realized how close the fire came to the homes there.


Helicopters are still working in the fire area.

[SBitz]

Montecito's epic beautiful Tangerine Falls looks quite different without the thick brush that surrounded it a few weeks ago.


The whole watershed above it and in the next canyon to the East is burnt bare, so hopefully it can recover before a heavy rain.

[SBitz]

Unrelated to the fire, but snapped on this same flight are these views of a homeless camp I've nicknamed the "Cliff Dwellers" below the Summerland freeway offramp from 101 southbound. There was a small cooking fire there some weeks before Thomas Fire, and authorities seem to have unsuccessfully tried to close the camp down. The fire area has been cleaned up some (right side), but much debris remains. A very creative and ambitious dwelling buried back into the cliff nearby (left side) now has a large old carpet where there'd been a door.

Yes, that's an outdoor latrine in front of the right edge of the carpet. Apparently some agencies, nearby residents and surfers are concerned. I've read that issues include sanitation, risk of falls, erosion of the freeway above and railroad below, pedestrians on the freeway and railroad, and pollution on the beach and in the water. It seems doubtful that the situation will change though, because there's a new tarp camp below the tracks now.

Last, an overview of the Cliff Dwellers camp for context. There had been small camps under the small railroad drainage bridges and among the plants below the white car parked on the freeway, but those seem to have been cleaned up. There might also be small camps where there are piles of debris on the beach.

While it could be a wonderful place to camp, hopefully safer and more suitable places can be found for the homeless.

[SBitz]

Here are a few more pix from our Wednesday 12/27 flight, of the Thomas Fire edge above Carpinteria, starting with the East end.

That low saddle at the right goes over to Lake Casitas, where the fire ran amok. Next is a little further West with some overlap of the left end of the above pic to the right end of this one.

One more with overlap - more in this case, with the white-rimmed green shape (pasture?) at left above matching just right of center below.

We didn't make an effort to snap the whole edge in a survey as with pix from an earlier flight posted here in another Topic. So this one of the drainage area above the catch basin in Santa Monica Canyon doesn't seem to overlap the pic above.

This one is in the Toro Canyon area. If anyone would like zoom views of a particular area from Carp to the West end above Montecito, post a reply and I'll have a look.

[Section Make8R]

thanks for those pics above of the canyons, kind of amazing to see any green in the creekbeds at all!!  I've noticed that in the other front canyons as well.

Regarding these homeless encampments.  I ride this mountain bike single track from San Ysidro down to Summerland, and then up and around the back way home.  Good surf check of Fernalds Point, and just a nice ride in general. Some nice beach spots down below, but its much easier to walk there at low tide, then go down the cliffs.  There is a huge extended family of cormorants, their nests are in the trees,  their feces are killing the eucalyptus trees.  Its fun to watch them feed their young in the spring.  Great feeding grounds just offshore there. You can see them from the freeway when you drive by. 

 I have seen the homeless encampments come and go. Most are just vagabonds or drug addicts etc....  Its a real scramble to get up the cliffs.  The one place at the top "was" actually very nice, considering, built in windows, solar panel, clean and neat.  I saw the guy riding his bike a few times in Montecito.

 

  The other camps, and most all of them along the railroad tracks, ( I bike ride to surf spots this way) are really cesspools though, and the characters living in them are pretty shady, if not outright dangerous. Many are drug addicts and ripoff cars and anything else they can find, and then leave the stuff they dont want at the camps.  More old bike parts and backpacks and just trash trash.

  I think Heal the Bay got involved recently, and perhaps the cleanup will be permanent.  Southern Pacific Co. swept clean quite a few of the ones near the Cemetery/Vons area, so its somewhat "normal" there now.

   The trains are a real hazard at the Fernalds Point area, blind corner and strong seabreezes combine to make the train hard to see/ and or hear. 

I think the legality is so murky because of the Southern Pacific ownership. County sheriffs dont seem inclined to want to walk the tracks, maybe out of sight, out of mind? 

hey next time you fly over this area, zip down La Vereda Rd west of San Ysidro....the one with the street of round hedge balls and 3 estates on it.....we're the one on the south side , I'll wave atcha!!!

[SBitZ.NET]

> amazing to see any green in the creekbeds at all!!

We've noticed that with other fires, maybe because they work to protect
the creek beds or they're just less dry and subject to wind.

> cormorants, their nests are in the tree

First time I noticed that from the air, it looked like there'd been a
fire. Looking at zoom pix later on the ground I could see the birds and
figured it out. Guess they have a good view of lunch from there.

> I think Heal the Bay got involved recently

That's my impression too, tho I thought it was Heal The Ocean. I wonder
if anyone's tracking it.

> trains are a real hazard at the Fernalds Point area

Is that the area where there have been quite a few train vs pedestrian
encounters in recent years?

> next time you fly over this area, zip down La Vereda Rd

PM me an address and I'll try to remember.

> I'll wave atcha!!!

Fun idea :)

Too bad "Bonymede Airport" is closed, or we could land and meet you. ;)