After burning through a month’s time, 259 square miles and over seventy million dollars, the Day Fire is history. Crews are heading home, scientists are assessing the damage, and homeowners in this area are heaving a big sigh of relief. What put the fire out? Not the thousands of firefighters, the countless helicopters, engines, andContinue reading “Turning the Page on the Day Fire”
Author Archives: Kit Stolz
Barney Says: Enuf!
Following SFMike‘s wise advice, I try and stay out of politics on this blog. There’s plenty of other folks who can do that for you, and most of them far better than I. But this one from the great Mike Luckovich is just too good.
Global Warming, Super El Ninos and Ultra La Ninas: An Expert Explains
Note: Over the last two weeks, I’ve conducted an interview with a mentor of mine, Bill Patzert, a meterologist and oceanographer with JPL. I’ve never met Bill, and only talked to him a few times on the phone, and I don’t even remember why exactly I first contacted him years ago, but he’s been hugelyContinue reading “Global Warming, Super El Ninos and Ultra La Ninas: An Expert Explains”
Wouldn’t It Be Nice
$75 million.
Life Under Smoke
While trying to put a couple of posts together for Grist, let me just give you a tiny taste of what it’s been like for the last couple of weeks. First, the evening sky a week ago. Second, the way the Sheriff’s Department lets everyone know we’ve officially been warned to evacuate. And third, anContinue reading “Life Under Smoke”
Fire as War in SoCal
An efriend named Judith Lewis, an enviro reporter for the LAWeekly, has a good story out this week on the Day Fire. She too interviewed fire ecologist Richard Minnich, but had the advantage of interviewing him after the fire broke out. He made an important point, quoting a TV forecaster: "‘It’s better that it gotContinue reading “Fire as War in SoCal”
Fire in Southern California: How Close Are We to the Edge?
My report from the Ventura County Reporter. This was filed literally the morning the Day Fire broke out, so my timing couldn’t be beat, and, I’m proud to say, the story stands up to the reality of what ensued quite well. In an attempt to entice you to read it, I’m going to copy overContinue reading “Fire in Southern California: How Close Are We to the Edge?”
A DC-10 Takes on the Day Fire
This morning we can sniff smoke in the air, and it’s going to be very hot today, but the atmospheric low off the coast has dissipated and the winds gone. The worst of the Day Fire may be over. Much credit goes to the Ventura County Fire Department, the "Hotshots" teams, the prison hand crews,Continue reading “A DC-10 Takes on the Day Fire”
Day Fire Makes Front Page of NYTimes
With a nice pic and story from the Associated Press.
Day Fire Burns On
The Day Fire is now advancing slowly but surely towards our home in Upper Ojai on two fronts. From the north, over the Topa Topas (6600 feet high) and from the east, up Santa Paula canyon. The eastern firefront is much more likely to cause us harm, because it’s more likely to be driven byContinue reading “Day Fire Burns On”
Kit Stolz 