Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Fires rage, my family evacuated

Are any of you familiar with Barricade fire blocking gel? I heard an interview on NPR that discussed it or something similar. I think it might be worth checking into if you live in a fire prone area.

http://www.barricadegel.com/default.asp

Here is the interview from NPR, just click on the LISTEN button:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15264319

Is there any chance of our Pond Brothers in California getting out their tractors and either brush hogging the tall grass or discing a fire brake around their place? If they don't own one maybe one of us close enough to give a helping hand. It may be to late (just a thought)

Like catmandoo stated, its hard for me to imagine the evacuation of so many. Jeff, I hope you and all family members come through this with everything still intact and a story to tell. From some of the news reports I've watched concerning the evacuees holed up at QualComm stadium , its nice to see how well folks are working together in such trying times.

havent heard of the stuff GW, thanks for the info.

tim, good thought for small brush and grass fires, but these late summer socal wildland fires dont even need brush to spread. they are literally moving from one house to another. i heard one story yesterday afternoon of a line of firefighters holding up and standing behind a fire resistant curtain, they were protecting another line of firefighters that were attempting to protect a house. the plasic sunroom windows and decking on the house they were trying to save was melting before their eyes. they had to leave and the house perished. the heat from these things is unbelievable.

Jeff and Dave, best of luck! You guys and all the good people in that area are in our thoughts and prayers.

First off I want to thank all of my pond Boss family for their positive thoughts and prayers and to let you know that they worked!

My family's homes were all spared this devastation. My mom and dad, sister and her spouse were able to return home yesterday. It is an earie sight around San Diego, the devastation is of a scale that is almost unimmaginable. Fire consumed a tremendous number of homes. The fire raged (and burned homes quite literally to the gound) to within a matter of a few hundred feet of mom & dad's home yet spared theirs. Who knows why one family is spared and another suffers tragic loss. Is it the power of prayer and positive thought, divine intervention,karmic forces, or just sheer dumb luck. As I sit here in posting this update I can tell that I don't have any answers. But I can also tell you that I felt great comfort knowing that my extended Pond Boss family was "out there" (some of you more out there than others) sending us all of your positive energy and prayers. I know that had the need arose that I could count on you to help my family "rise from the ashes" if it had come to that - that is of great comfort at such trying times.

A special note to Mr. Lusk: I now have had a very small glimpse of what you must have felt with the loss of your home. It gives me a much better appreciation your post fire circumstances. You are inspirational proof that a family can overcome such a tragedy, rebuild both their home and their lives and thrive.

As the fires raged my family evacuated to my home. Since Ricki (my wife) and I normally live alone it was interesting to have a home full of six people and two dogs. We did what all family does pulled together in mutual support.

Once Ricki and I knew that everyone's homes were safe and that fire no longer was a threat, we did what any able bodied red blooded American would do - LAS VEGAS BAYBEEEEE! We told our family to lock the door when they left that we were going to escape to L.V. to celebrate our anniversary. Ricki and I had made hotel reservations months ago and bought very good show tickets all of which would have gone to waste if we didn't use them. So here I sit updating you from Vegas (betcha don't feel so bad for me now, dang I should have played the sympathy card longer).

I have decided that since October was such a lousy month for us I am going to eliminate it from our calendars. We will combine September and the nasty "O" month to form the new month of Septober. Septober will have 61 days. Halloween will be celebrated on Septober 61st, our anniversary on Septober 50th. All people of German decent (my family included) will now be able to have a 61 day beer drinking festival herein after known as Septoberfest.


To DIED, thank you my friend for just being there to talk to me and offer your support. I am greatful that I met you through this great site. I truely appreciate the friendship that you and Jean and given Ricki and I. I am going to take you up on your unconditional offer of support - I bought a starter fly fishing combo and some flies at the Vegas Bass Pro Sho and I believe that to truly emotionally heal from this near tragic experience you need to provide me with some additional fly fishing lessons.

Thank you all once again for you thoughts and prayers! I hope one day to meet all of you at a Pond Boss convention to properly thank you in person.

I will return home from Vegas on Septober 60th and will catch up with the rest of the pond boss threads then.

A greatfull....

I think a lot of us have been logging on and waiting for your next post.

Good to hear and enjoy Sin City.

Jeff - thanks for the update. Glad you are all ok. I would bet that if you talked to Bob about the fires (his and yours) he would tell you that the response here was just what he would expect from family - because that is what we are - no thanks are needed as helping is what the PB family is all about.

Dude! Great to hear you're safe and sound, at least upon your arrival at Lost Wages. Departure can be a different story.

Very glad to hear good news from you.
Congrats on your anniversery.Hope you have a great time and safe trip home

Glad to hear our prayers were answered! I'm so glad for you and your relatives!

I think I'd be interested in building a moat around the house with some type of spraying apparatus that shoots mist or water up in the air via diesel power, but undergroud or in a protected building. Maybe leave the moat empty until their is impending fire danger and then pump water from a nearby pond into it.

I agree with DD1. We have all been waiting for that post. Have fun in LV, and remember, don't take "insurance" - if THEY offer it, then it's not in YOUR best interest.....

Welcome back, Snake eyes. Very glad that all has turned out safely for you and yours

Great news indeed!

Now go and put it all on black.

Well, we're back from Vegas and now the clean up begins. The house and yard are covered with ash. I'm going out this morning and wash down the building and yard.

Fortunately Vegas was good to us so perhaps my Septober luck is turning around.

Thank you once again Pond Boss family, you folks are great!

Now to catch up with a weeks worth of posts here.....