#tick fire

Samantha Hull had less than 30 minutes to pack up her life.

As powerful winds drove the Tick Fire through acres of dry brush hills encircling Hull's family's farm in Canyon Country, a community within the Los Angeles County city of Santa Clarita, Hull was thinking about how she could get her animals to safety.

Hull, 24, and her partner, Sammi Lanthier, 29, were living on the small farm, affectionately nicknamed "La Granja" ("farm" in Spanish). It sat atop a canyon and was home to about 80 animals, including dogs, birds and livestock. Hull and Lanthier raised a sheep named Gwen by bottle and set up an oasis for their birds over the years.

But on Oct. 24, a devastating wildfire broke out in Southern California, forcing some 50,000 residents to evacuate. Since the Tick Fire started, it has scorched more than 4,600 acres and damaged more than 70 homes and buildings. A week later, the blaze was 94% contained.

When the flames charged up the hills, engulfing their home, Hull and Lanthier were able to rescue only 20 animals, including Gwen and Cupid, their 100-pound pot-bellied pig.

As California Wildfire Neared, A Family Raced To Save Their Animals

So far, they aren’t as huge as some of them have been over the past few years. 4,300 acres are a far cry from 200,000+ acres. But, the potential is there for explosive growth, structures, including homes, are being burned and the winds are blowing (predicted 65 mph gusts today). This year, the residents in many areas of California are facing another anxiety event, the shutoff of electricity in parts of the state by the local utilities to avoid even more fires from downed power lines.

KTLA video of the Tick Fire in LA County, which has consumed 4,300 acres and is 5% contained. 40,000 evacuated and 15,000 structures at risk. Here’s the link to an LA Times story about this fire.

Video putting us in a car driving through the Tick fire along the sides of the road. Why was the driver doing this? To evacuate?

Dear fellow residents of California,

This isn't normal. This has never been normal. This can never BECOME normal.

Tens of thousands of acres burned to char. Hundreds of homes and businesses razed to the ground. Hundreds of thousands displaced and even rendered totally homeless. Untold numbers of jobs destroyed.

The weather that makes California so prone to fire isn't normal. California used to get rain. California used to have normal wind patterns. California used to have a mild climate.

But anthropogenic climate change has hit us hard, and turned our state into a tinderbox.

And the corporate greed in PG&E's offices has led to an electric infrastructure ready to spark a blaze at any second.

I'm so sorry, I can only imagine the stress. It's so freaky. But, I'm glad to hear you're safe. I hope all is well with your house.

Thank you! <3

New video posted on: https://dailyvideovault.com/tick-fire-tears-through-southern-california/

Tick Fire tears through Southern California