A 17-Year-Old Mendocino Girl Recounts How She and Friends Fled the Helena Fire in Trinity County
They could see the fire not far way.
Eventually, a group including Johnson started getting ready to leave. Johnson said, “I packed up all my stuff and put it in my car…My mom was calling telling me to leave….It just didn’t seem real.” The group still was undecided.
“Then,” she said, “all of a sudden, there was a fire truck with a loud speaker telling us there was a mandatory evacuation.” The group started driving to Weaverville. “Flames were on the hillside right next to us…The visibility on the road started to get pretty gnarly.” In the town of Weaverville, Johnson said. “The sky was just blacked out. It was raining ash.”
Johnson’s friend’s dad and his friends “decided to stay and defend their land” at first but now, she said, “they think they are going to leave the property. It isn’t looking good…I think my friends’ house might be burning to the ground.”
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/
Good thing they made it out when they did hopefully other residents make it out in time as well
Praying and hoping all are out of the way!
I’m glad u r all ok . That’s the important part .. I’m in Lewiston & it’s the same out here. Raining ash.. I want to go home to Mendocino so bad. Hard to breathe here.. god Bless J.C& Helena !! Stay strong
You can go down I5 to 20 west to Mendicino. My hubby had to stay in Anderson last night. They are going to try to find him a load to Ukiah, he can come home (to Eureka) from there.
This is a good story to read. It’s easy to think that you’ll know what to do but it is rarely so clear.
Where I live the trees would block out views so I might get a whiff of smoke and that might be my only clue to go.
Any updates this morning?
https://kymkemp.com/2017/08/31/hwy-299-still-closed-after-5000-acre-wildfire-burned-homes-and-sent-residents-fleeing/
Hope the adults have left, that’s how the guy died in the lake county fire. Your house isn’t worth it, leave it to the professionals.
If they.say go,GO!!please be safe. I’m so happy you all left and are safe.im so sorry about your friend’s home. But your all ok,it’s a house it can be rebuilt,your life is worth more.
Sent my c-section wife and newborn off to stay with family yesterday because of the heat coming and just in time, damn the smoke is bad! Be safe everyone, sending best wishes!
Good luck with everything, hoping Mom and Baby are good, glad you got those baby lungs out of there!
Chuck,why didn’t you go too? Hope your safe,glad your family is safe. Take care. Bless you
We are 30 miles away, just smoke. I am the ranch hand, my wife is the boss who gets to leave 😉
Stay safe!!!
Need some editing here. Same paragraph twice.
Thank you. I’m having some trouble with my software. Fixed now.
So many fires, so many people losing their homes. Praying for safety for all in the area. Wondering how we can we help in practical ways?
Anyone know the status of the ghost town? Hope everyone is being safe.
I was in Weaverville Wed night and thurs morning. The smoke was soooo bad. Even those safe from the flames should leave due to hazardous air. We got up and left as the fire trucks poured in by the dozens.