Cali Fires

PlutoTheDog89

DIS Veteran
Joined
Sep 19, 2011
First and foremost - obviously sending my best to those in the Cali area. My heart is with those affected.

My family is doing a trip to Cali during Christmas week - starting in San Fran and working our way down the coast. We're driving down PCH.

Any chance the fires affect our trip? I know it's still 2 months out, but I also understand these things can last a while and have a lasting impact.

Worst case scenario we'll just try and change our flights or fly into san Fran and immediately make our way downtown LA, rather than staying in San Fran.

Edit: I realize now that the fires are also in LA. Question still remains.
 
In 2 months, winter rains will start, so the increased moisture will greatly reduce fire dangers. September and October are always big fire danger months in CA. You'll probably be fine.
 
Just following- we’re flying in to San Francisco this Friday evening, and doing a week of site seeing, wuth 3 nights/2 days in Disney. I’m getting nervous- but it’s so close now to figure out all the cancelling or move things around.... I’m just hoping for the best I guess!!!! And thinking of everyone actually affected by it!!!!
 
There are never raging fires in December. They get them put out in a matter of a couple weeks, usually. The fires currently in LA should be out by the weekend. In any event, there is always a way to route around fire areas, so even if you were coming this weekend, you'd be fine.
 


BIG Santa Ana winds are expected to start tonight and go through Thursday. It would not surprise me to see another round of fires this week. HOWEVER!!! The fires so far are an hour drive away from Anaheim and the wind is blowing out to the ocean. There is no smoke in Anaheim and there hasn't been. It's a little hazy and the sunsets are pretty. So far, that's the only effect. I'm sure you'll hear it here first if that changes.

Don't plan on going to the Getty - the artwork is safe but that's right where the fires are - CLOSED for the foreseeable future.
I don't know for sure, but would guess Universal is pretty smokey (but safe)
Magic Mountain was close to the earlier fires but that should be fine by now.
 
If it's a wet winter, you don't have to worry about fires. If it's a dry winter, like the 4-5 years in a row we had droughts, then December fire danger is a real thing. But it's all going to be location dependent and you just have to wait and see what's going on right before you head out.

The bigger issue is going to be electricity. Pacific Gas & Electric services a lot of Northern California and the rest of the state. PG&E is also in bankruptcy and because they keep getting sued over whether their electrical equipment is causing wildfires, they've started to cut power when the wind picks up. Just this week they cut off power to 971,000 customers across 29 counties. This too is all location dependent. I'm in Sacramento and we're on a municipal utility and we haven't lost power at all. Coworkers who live in the foothills 40 minutes out of downtown and who have PG&E have had their power off for multiple days in a row.

Best way to see if your trip is impacted by power outages will be the PG&E map:

https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/em...l-disaster/wildfires/public-safety-event.page
 
I just wanted to mention, there are no power outage issues in San Francisco proper. My sister lives in the city, and although all the areas around the city have had outages, the city itself is supplied by a different provider. She said people are driving 40+ miles INTO the city just to get ice because they have been without power for days.
 


My family is doing a trip to Cali during Christmas week - starting in San Fran and working our way down the coast. We're driving down PCH.

Any chance the fires affect our trip? I know it's still 2 months out, but I also understand these things can last a while and have a lasting impact.
The current fires will not affect your December trip. The fires will have a lasting impact for the residents but none for a visitor driving down PCH.
 

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