Governor calls up 2,000 more troops to battle fires

[PatSeg]

Source: Sacramento Bee

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today ordered 2,000 additional California National Guard troops to be pressed into service as firefighters, one of the largest such call-ups in state history.

The troops are expected to undergo firefighting training at McClellan Air Park in about 10 days, and will join the 400 National Guard troops already serving as firefighters around the state.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/1089/story/1076814.html

[doodadem]

1. Our air quality is really terrible here now

And we're up in the mountains, over on the east side of the state. You walk outside, and it's so hazy, you can hardly see the bigger mountains beyond. Doesn't help that our temperatures have been hitting 110 degrees the past week.

Respiratory diseases are epidemic here. Everyone has something. When we moved here 7 years ago, all I had was chronic bronchitis. Now I also have asthma, and frequent respiratory infections requiring antibiotics.

Ironic......we used to bitch about the air in Cincinnati, and couldn't wait to get out here to clean mountain air.

[PatSeg]

2. The worst air quality in the Sacramento area

has been northeast - Roseville, Auburn, Colfax. I haven't seen blue sky for several days now.

I understand the irony. I moved here from the Chicago area and have had frequent respiratory problems as well. I didn't think it would be bad in the mountains though.

[Mz Pip]

3. It's been raining ash here

We're about 60 miles east of the fire in Paradise. It really is one of the worst fire seasons I've ever seen. It will be a long summer. In 1991 we watched the Oakland fire and that was the worst residential fire. It was in October, at the end of the dry season.

This very well could get a lot worse since we won't be seeing any rain until November.

[PatSeg]

4. Same here

I've only seen rain in the summer in Sacramento one time since we moved here in 2001 and that was just a shower. This is going to be a long, long summer for California.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. I just read where they found charred remains of a body in a burned out home

This was behind the Concow evacuation line. So sad. :(

[FirstLight]

6. There was ash on my car this morning, and visibility is horrid

here at Tahoe...we can't even see the mountains from the center of town. Pray for rain! I know we probably won't see it till October, but it doesn't hurt to ask for some precip to manifest!

And a prayer for the firefighters and the homeowners and the wildlife ...it is scary to be in that situation. i was evac-ed last year due to the Angora fire, no damage, just scary!

A long, hot summer, indeed.