With a continuing drought and all of the problems you just know that they “trimmed” the Interior Department budget. Most of the first have connections to National Forests in California, and the Colorado fire is on a military base, but the USFS is broke. What a country, what planning.

My brother evacuated during the San Diego fire, but it picked the next valley north to head to the West so he escaped damage. It all depends on which valley the wind selects, as to where it is going to go.

Stay safe and wear a mask. Don’t forget to add some lemon juice or vinegar if you wash off the ash with a bucket, it’s alkali.

The winds shifted yesterday, and a black cloud of smoke and ashes from the fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains came billowing our way here in the South SF Bay area. At 5PM it was like dusk outside and the entire southern sky was this horrible brown color. My Jeep was covered with ashes this morning.

But we don’t need FEMA here, just fire crews. Unfortunately, thanks to the Shrubbery’s budget cuts, the USFS doesn’t have the budget left to loan us fire crews to fight the four (!!!) fires burning in the area, they could get emergency authorization if the Shrubbery were to declare a state of emergency, but (duh) the Shrubbery be on vacation, and god forbid that we disturb him while he’s on vacation. GAH!

– Badtux the Smoky Penguin