The Dixie Fire Aftermath - the first phase

 We evacuated (well most of us) on July 18.  I returned, after a nourishing friend visit and lunch with the Braatens, on the 20th.  I brought drinking water and watermelons, among other supplies, but our well and pump system were still working, thanks to much effort and repairman coming from a distance, and we still had water in the Fire Water tank, too.  Generators had gas.  All was "well" in Tobin.  I saw the group of neighbors, did some limited touring, but then, sigh; on July 21st as we ate lunch, a pyro-cumulus cloud blotted out the sun to the south, and the downstream side of our mountains was seen to be blowing up with fire.  Helicopters thundered overhead with retardant, and the world became quite awful again.

I put my stuff in the truck, and got out of Dodge; the rest stayed.  Here is July 20 and 21 in photos.

This is what I drove towards, headed to Tobin on the 20th.  I had permission to get through the Gate at Jarbo Gap, and was allowed to enter the canyon.

 

This is the "mellow" fire being handled as I neared home.

Pink stripes on the highway and things look calmer

Band of security

The tilted cedar is burning at it's base, so it must be felled by a faller

Our guardian crew that day gets to watch.

We will sleep outside until the smoke drives us inside.

July 21

The view from the B6 overlook.

Our driveway with hoses and cut underbrush lining the way

See the backfire scorch directly behind the cabin and on up the slope?

You can see the backfire right behind the big cedars in this view of Kathy's driveway.

Uncle J's Flying Circus truck was scorched but not destroyed.

The backfire was right next to and around Kathy's home

Water tanks still provide protection

The trailhead is unharmed

Jeffery and Uncle Grover check and do some repair work on the drinking water tank above Dunedin.

Looking down to Bob and Sue's from the water tank

Now familiar view from the bonfire pit.

My leaning tree looks like it may have survived!

The view from over our roof.

The Dorm and to the left, Russ and Anette's yard

The Historic Tobin Lodge.

Looking back from the east end of the Storrie bridge

Helicopters bombarded and striped the mountain with retardant.

View of Storrie's view

From the Pulga Maintenance Station

From Jarbo Gap

Seen from Oroville

This photo, taken by Jeffery, was shot at  about 8p.m. from the Tobin Dump overlook.  The Buck's Creek powerhouse, just to the right of the smoke plume, with penstock climbing up the hill, is where the Bear Fire stopped last summer.

For the next two days, I hung around the computer and phone, touching base with Jeffery only when he had the generator on in the morning and evening.  He was busy doing networking and touring the property and eating dinner with the neighbors.  I met up with the Braatens on the 22nd for lunch and ice cream and a fun museum tour, and I wasted a trip on the 23rd going the long - Truckee to Graeagle to Quincy - way to get the mail I'd heard was waiting at the P.O., only to get a PG&E. bill, a credit card bill and 2 pieces of junk.  I started to paint my Thankyou sign that evening. 

On the morning of the 24th I got the story of the Candle Tree that I blogged about, but the Gate was still hard closed, so I filled another day, finished my sign, and on July 25 I headed back up Hwy 70.  Soon, I was once again passing through the (hardening) Gate to head to Tobin.

Following a Mobile Air Control Support Unit down Hwy 70 near Blairsden on July 23

Map of the Dixie Fire on July 24.

The trip into the canyon was safe.  Same pink stripes, lots of debris on the verge.  We put up the sign.

This is a good place to stop.  There will be more, as I tour the realm and do my fire science assessment and take tons and tons of photos.  I'll try to compact the images to come, but our world is totally altered, and I wish to record it appropriately, so be fair-warned.

So much sorrow.  So much gratitude. We must process it all.