shit's on fire, yo.

[arethinn]

Rough outline of the CZU Lightning Complex fire area. Not that everything inside is literally on fire right this second, but I fear for all the redwoods in the area, including Big Basin and other state parks.


ETA 8 PM:

Fire enters Big Basin Redwoods State Park — update 5:35 p.m.

A fire spreading in the Santa Cruz Mountains has entered Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Flames were burning on both sides of China Grade Road entering the park from Boulder Creek on Wednesday afternoon. The road was blocked by a burning tree about a mile into the park, which inspired the creation of the California state parks system with its towering ancient redwood forests.

The view from the highway was one of giant redwoods rising from a sea of ash, their bark glowing orange from the light of fires burning the remaining underbrush. The old-growth redwoods themselves appeared as of Wednesday afternoon to be scorched but standing.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/19/bay-area-fires-thousands-forced-to-flee-from-wine-country-to-peninsula/

ETA 1:45 AM: Park headquarters and other buildings at Big Basin have been destroyed. https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/20/historic-buildings-destroyed-at-big-basin-redwoods-state-park/


Evac map for that area:




SCU complex on the east side of the bay.

(Where I live is not in either of these map views, but is not that far to the northeast of CZU, on the other side of the peninsula ridge, and not that far to the west of the SCU one.)