Fire Update

 We made reservations for our stay at the Hope Valley Campground six months ago. We do this for a couple reasons. First to make sure we have a space when we get there and second is to plan our camping season early in the year so we know what days my wife needed to get off from work. This year is new because she retired in January, so we could go when ever we wanted. For that reason we reserved Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday going home Saturday morning. 

If you looked at the last post you saw the beautiful blue skies this year. Last year we got rain. It's the chance you take reserving a space that far in advance. 

Then at the end of that post, I mentioned the Tamarack Fire. The fire actually started July 4th from a lightening strike. For about a week before we got up there on the 14th they had thunderstorms most afternoons. Then we had 4 days of beautiful weather. The last couple days, thunder storms again. 

Which brings be back to the fire. With those thunderstorms the fire exploded. Saturday it was 6600 acres. Sunday it grew to about 18,000 acres. Monday it was 23,000 acres. 

The above is a picture of the current fire lines. You'll notice just to the left is Hope Valley. Just about where the name is, the campground is. This morning the Alpine Sheriff closed Blue Lakes Rd. Blue Lakes Rd is the one that runs from Hwy 88 to Upper and Lower Blue Lakes and right past the campground. The fire is currently 39,045 acres with 0% containment as of this morning.  

I would suspect that the Hope Valley campground, PG&E Campground at Blue Lakes, and all the surrounding dry camping people have been evacuated. 

I'd like to point out "what are the odds" of us getting 4 beautiful days up there between thunderstorms and the fire that were reserved six month ago. 

Sometimes Ya just get lucky.   

Stay tuned.