Valley Fire losses

September 13, 2015 in Friends, Geography, infrastructure, Journalism, Life, Links, News, Personal, Photography, Places, problems | 6 comments

Here is the current perimeter of the Valley Fire, according to the USGS’ GEOMAC viewer:

ValleyFire 2015-09-13 at 3.10.24 PM_a

As you see, no places are identified there. One in particular, however, is of extremely special interest to me: Harbin Hot Springs. That’s where I met my wife and made more friends than I can count. It is, or was,  one of the most lovely places on Earth, inhabited and lovingly maintained by wonderful people.

I just matched up a section of the map above with Google Maps’ Earth view, and see that Harbin and its neighborhood are in the perimeter:

Screen Shot 2015-09-13 at 3.12.19 PM

After seeing this picture here, which looks northwest from downtown Middletown…

COyGRRHVAAEwC4w… I suspected the worse.

And now comes news that Harbin is “pretty much destroyed.” Damn.

Other places in the perimeter — or so it appears to me (please don’t take this as gospel):

  • Outer edges of Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake communities
  • Parts of Whispering Pines, Cobb, Holbergs and Glenbrook
  • Areas adjacent to McCreary Lake and Detert Reservoir

Watch here for official information about the fire.

 

6 comments

  1. Elaine Dolcini’s avatar

    Elaine Dolcini on September 13, 2015 at 1:13 pm

    Any idea how the Loch Lomond community is doing?

  2. Doc Searls’s avatar

    Doc Searls on September 13, 2015 at 1:19 pm

    Not sure. Check the maps. (I’m on the road now and can’t.)

  3. Tom von Alten’s avatar

    Tom von Alten on September 13, 2015 at 2:26 pm

    Bummer. We visited Harbin once upon a time, 1990. Nothing as dramatic as meeting a future spouse, but it was a lovely, peaceful place.

  4. Lorri’s avatar

    Lorri on September 13, 2015 at 8:38 pm

    Another web mapping site is the Fire Enterprise Geospatial Portal at http://EGP.nwcg.gov with a public link at the top of the page.

    Other public fire resources are at: http://www.lapeltz.com/?page_id=210

    Lorri

  5. mike sullivan’s avatar

    mike sullivan on September 13, 2015 at 9:35 pm

    Harbin and Hobergs are burned down, Loch Lomond is currently ok. I live in Kelseyville which is a few miles north of the fire shown.

  6. Mark Johnson’s avatar

    Mark Johnson on September 14, 2015 at 3:53 pm

    I have a small facility next to the Coyote Valley Elementary School. Does anyone know if the school is still standing?

    Thanks

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