Butte Fire Update #1: Sep 11, 2015

Quick update. We closed yesterday about noon and still closed today...possibly tomorrow too.

It all started at lunchtime Friday. My husband was out building fire breaks in Avery/Arnold area. He called to say "time to close and go pack up our stuff" so I went!

Rest of day a blur of packinlg essentials, getting kids home safe from school then heading to Angels Camp to Megan and Mom's to get them packed. Became bit frantic when evacuation alerts issued for HWY 4 corridor day that suddenly included Angels too!! It was super hot, smokey and uncertain. Murphys was positively apocalyptic looking at 3pm as we drove away with nasty black smoke and a brilliant red dot in sky for the sun. Ash everywhere blanketing town so it seems like snow.

Its tough to drive away uncertain what will happen but once family grouped together Megan and I breathed bit easier. But with heavy hearts knowing so many friends are in same predicament and hoping they too are getting to safety. 

(These two cats usually never cuddle and keep to different areas of house. Even though each have own crate Pippi totally crawled in to cuddle Fritzi!! This is monumental. They are Fire Firends!)

It helps having my husband out on front lines and Dad next to us interpreting the news, maps and reports. This go round I can reach Aaron on cell unlike the Rim Fire when completely out of range, hours away. His regular updates super helpful, especially hearing a certain tone in his voice that told me he was worried which made me hustle like a demon! Our kids were great help and really pitched in.





For Meg and I this is familiar territory. Growing up we packed up to evacuate in 1980s and again in 1990s for Old Gulch Fire. One big difference: technology now means more information faster. Wait second big difference: Old Gulch burned about 27,000 acres in week or so..... This fire reached 65,000 after just 48 hours and still only 10% contained.

After a fitful night's sleep, half listening to sirens warning of mandatory evacs, today dawned very very smokey, still but with hints of hope. Weather today co-operating, fire lines being built rapidly along hwy 4 corridor and tons of outside equipment and crews pouring into our area. The scary very red heat map of yesterday looking a bit less red now.



We in Calaveras County are still under evacuations: mandatory for most of those north of hwy 4 and east of 49; advisory for those south and west. But the hallmark for this Butte Fire 2015 is "erratic, unpredictable and rapidly changing" so we are in watch and wait mode. Granted a lot less frantic than at this time yesterday. Fingers crossed - weather shows raindrops for Tues! And today all packed and ready to flee.

Signing off now after a long "quick" update... But I'm trapped in a house with 3 rambunctious children today, glued to my fire updates and maps! I needed the distraction......and a use for my endless gathering of info to share.

Megan and I hope all our neighbors friends and loved customers are safe. Don't hesitate to email me if you want more info about the fire. But today we are a bit more hopeful than 24 hours ago....which feels like a lifetime ago.

ps: man it took forever to do this post on iPad so forgive funky photos not lining up!