[All] MV home safe after Thursday night drama at my house

[Vasques, Marilyn F. (ARC-SGG)]

All,
Here is an abbreviated version of my last night in Houston….I got a call from my husband, Bob.  He said there was a fire coming down the hill from the neighbors, what does he need to take with him when he evacuates?  I, not calmly, gave him the list and when he said it was really smokey, I told him to forget the list, open the donkey gate and leave!!!  He said there were helicopters and planes dropping retardant and he thought the fire would stop at our road but wanted me to see if the neighbors on the hill need help.  I called and got no answer.  I called him back and the fire had jumped the road and was now in our pasture but the good news was the neighbors came down the hill.  Their house was burning and the propane tank exploded.  It is a total loss.  Bob gave me hourly updates as he tried to put out the small fires with sand (power went out first thing and, on a well, no power = no water).  At one point 20 firefighters came over the hill, then fire trucks and bulldozers.  Bob helped them get to the now large fire on our back pasture and on another neighbor’s property.  Two vans arrived with inmates who walked the burnt areas looking for hot spots.  They were there until 2am and back most of the next day looking for hotspots.  It was very stressful to follow this from afar and feel so helpless.  When I arrived home last night, I could see that we lost a small old shed and some grass but besides everything smelling like smoke, we were amazingly lucky.  Bob now has lots of ideas to improve our fire response.  Donkeys get lots of credit because the fire on our pastures died when it got to their grazed area.  I told Bob we might need more donkeys.:)

Hope you all are well.
M


-- Marilyn Vasques
ESPO Director
NASA Ames Research Center
MOBILE:  650-417-8796
OFFICE:  650-604-6120
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