Wildfire photo KSTS

[RIlls]

This was the view off my right wing this evening on final to runway 14 at KSTS.

That red dot in the upper right? The sun.

 

[Pilawt]

This is 2020. Looks about right.

Excellent photo, btw.

 

[Rick182]

Blue sky? That’s all but vanished in Sacramento because of the smoke.

 

[RIlls]

Yes, the blue sky is a small blessing.

Here’s another photo after I got out of the plane. The sun really was that red.

 

[Stan Cooper]

I keep my plane in the "Nob Hill" T-hangars on the east side of the approach end of 32. The area just west of the airport (shown in Rills' first post) is under "evacuation warning." I briefly considered moving the plane to Petaluma, but there's a red alert in effect for high winds and dry lightning throughout the area until 5:00 PM tomorrow, so if lightning starts a fire close to my house I need to be home ready to evacuate. I've got my "go bag" ready.

Fortunately, there's not much vegetation fuel for fires on the airport proper, so my plane is probably better off in my STS T-hangar than it would be if tied down at Petaluma and a lightning fire got started at the airport there. In any case, the plane is fully insured.

 

[eman1200]

This is 2020. ...

california has been burning for years. can anyone explain to me why cali is always on fire? only thing I know is from that forensic files episode about the firedude who set a bunch of fires himself.

 

[FORANE]

california has been burning for years. can anyone explain to me why cali is always on fire? only thing I know is from that forensic files episode about the firedude who set a bunch of fires himself.

I grew up in Santa Rosa. The hills are always brown. Lots of kindling...

 

[frfly172]

Nice photo

 

[Stan Cooper]

california has been burning for years. can anyone explain to me why cali is always on fire? only thing I know is from that forensic files episode about the firedude who set a bunch of fires himself.

I could answer that, but the thread would be locked.

 

[Everskyward]

california has been burning for years. can anyone explain to me why cali is always on fire? only thing I know is from that forensic files episode about the firedude who set a bunch of fires himself.

It doesn't rain all summer. Nothing new, except that more people have moved into areas that burn.

 

[Geosync]

The non political explanation is years of woodland mismanagement and fire suppression which was a healthy part of the ecosystem. Throw in weak utility company oversight and hotter, dryer seasons, and you get this. So we have dense, dry forests, neglected power infrastructure with lines cutting right through all these dense forests and when the wind comes(hasn't yet this year) and the lightning it's a conflagration.

 

[ateamer]

california has been burning for years. can anyone explain to me why cali is always on fire? only thing I know is from that forensic files episode about the firedude who set a bunch of fires himself.

Pretty much no rain from late March until mid October or later, very low humidity, heavy rain in the winter with mild temps that spurs thick growth, plants that are optimized for the climate by being loaded with oils (chapparal), high winds in late summer and fall, and decades of forest non-management. Then throw in a utility company that doesn’t maintain the right-of-way under its power lines and it’s not just a recipe for disaster, it’s a guarantee.

 

[Zeldman]

can anyone explain to me why cali is always on fire?

Gives the state politicians a preview of where they are going .??

Just a joke folks, don't get all fired up.....

 

[N1120A]

Almost completely a combination of utility companies being poorly regulated and psychopathic fire bugs knowing they can cause mass destruction. The Dolan Fire in Big Sur is arson.

This year has been a little different because we've had this really odd weather with dry thunderstorms during a major heatwave. That has not helped.

 

[sourdough44]

Seems like much is the very dry brush, not so much trees in many areas. Then when you have fire started by lightning, it’s about impossible to prevent. Yeah, I’ll go somewhat with the ‘natural cycle’. Of course with homes & structures, can’t be allowing them to burn.

It would be nice to steer the upcoming Gulf moisture over to CA.

 

[N1120A]

Seems like much is the very dry brush, not so much trees in many areas. Then when you have fire started by lightning, it’s about impossible to prevent. Yeah, I’ll go somewhat with the ‘natural cycle’. Of course with homes & structures, can’t be allowing them to burn.

It would be nice to steer the upcoming Gulf moisture over to CA.

They can keep the hurricanes

 

[donjohnston]

They can keep the hurricanes

And you can keep the multiple massive wild fires every year.

 

[23103a]

Nice photo.. here’s one up in those hills that very same afternoon where I was working.

 

[Witmo]

california has been burning for years. can anyone explain to me why cali is always on fire? only thing I know is from that forensic files episode about the firedude who set a bunch of fires himself.

They're not raking their leaves.

 

[hindsight2020]

They're not raking their leaves.