Controlled Burn Out of Control

Heavy smoke continues to blanket the Mother Lode due to the escaped controlled burn in the Big Meadow area of Yosemite. The size of the fire is now at approximately 2,500 acres according to thepinetree.net. The pictures of the smoke (along with the two videos below) are from near the Outpost Gas Station at Highway 108, Soulsbyville and Longeway Ave, Mono Vista area looking east towards Mount Provo and Mount Elizabeth. For an excellent list of tips on how to remain ready in case of wildfires, click HERE.

Fire on the Mountain

I don't have to tell you there's a fire burning in Tuolumne County. All you have to do is take a breath to realize that. On the other hand, I do have some pictures to offer and a video of a smoke-filled sky and awesome sunrise from the perch of my home in the Mono Vista area near Soulsbyville. It's quite a spectacular sight (if I do say so myself). Beyond that, you'll notice two links. The first is to the Cal Fire news site that offers updates on what has been dubbed the "Knight fire" north of Twain Harte which is behind all the smoke. (Click HERE.) The second link is really cool. It's to a local webcam that looks across Bald Mountain and Telegraph Mountain towards the Mount Knight area where the fire is located. (Click HERE.) We strive to offer a lot of things on the Sugar Pine Realty blog site including posts that may help to ensure your safety in times of emergency. I hope you enjoy the pictures and video.

A Blood Red Sunrise

It was a blood red sunrise this morning across the Mother Lode caused by the continuing fires across the Golden State. For those of you that weren't up early enough to see it, I have a picture and a video. The picture (on the right) is taken from the top of Valley Oak Drive in Mono Vista looking in the Twain Harte direction. (Click on picture to enlarge.) The video (below) is taken from my house as the sun appears over the trees.

Smoke in the Mother Lode

No matter where you woke up in the Mother Lode this morning you likely woke up to smoke. (You'll notice some clickable pictures in this post and a video below of the smoke as it was seen in the Soulsbyville area looking towards Mt. Provo and the Sonora Vista Subdivision, respectively.) The major culprit producing the smoke in the Mother Lode (at least in the immediate vicinity of Tuolumne County) is what has been dubbed the North Mountain Fire located approximately 19 miles northeast of Groveland. According to the local radio news this morning, the fire has burned around 645 acres and is 5% contained. And so the smoke we've been experiencing in the air is probably going to continue for some time. The weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday is for a 20% chance of thunderstorms. Let's hope (and pray) the firefighters can get a handle on the North Mountain Fire before then and that no more fires will be started by lightning over the weekend. I hope you enjoy the pictures and the video.