Well, here is what happened. According to the media. The power company shut down high voltage lines but not those with the highest voltage. The reason is that the lines with highest voltage has more clearance to trees, so they are rated for higher wind speeds and therefor with the weather forecast we got they did not have to shut them off. They are also feeding a wider area so they for that reason also wanted them on.
Then, at 9:20 pm the night the fire started, it was northern winds, and the fire started north of us, so it would be pushed down here. Anyway, at that time the power company got an indication, the media did not say how, but I assume it was an indication on their instruments at the power plant that said something was wrong in a high voltage power mast of those who were still on. And this was not caused by the wind or trees or branches, but some kind of mechanical fault. They don't know if this caused a spark or not. But, 6 minutes later, at 9:26 a fire close by was reported, and the rest is history.
A bit later in the evening the wind changed to ENE, East North East, and blowing towards the coast. So, it was favorable for us here in Santa Rosa, but not for the little town Geyserville. Therefor we did not have any smoke or any problems, the smoke was blown towards the pacific ocean, and was laying like a wall in north.
This morning it was still fine, but when my wife drove to work, and she looked towards the sun and east, the sun was totally red. She knew what that meant, and 3 hours later we were surrounded by the smoke. It is a bit better again now in the evening.
The fire crews has not had much headway today, so it has been able to grow to 24,000 acres, from 21,900 in the morning. Tomorrow it is supposed to be very high winds again, and on Sunday up to a record of 80 mph in the gusts.
The wind direction when the wind will reach it's strongest would be NNE, North North East. Which is a bad direction for us.
Bill
