Since our heatwave has broken, I decided to start a new thread about the fires.

CNN has a good story about them here:
Wildfires' smoke, ash chokes Northern Californians - CNN.com

The lead photo shows the extent of smoke coverage:



For reference, that Lake Tahoe at the right lower third, and Eureka in the top left corner. The State is about 230 miles wide there, so the smoke covered area in just this photo is perhaps 200 x 200 miles or 40,000 square miles.

Foxnews.com is reporting this morning that firefighters are being sent to California from as far away as Maryland. FWIW, Maryland is on the Atlantic Coast, and we are on the Pacific Coast. A quick look at Street Atlas shows the route from Baltimore MD to Sacramento CA is 2,737 miles, so those firemen have some traveling to do.

FOXNews.com - California Fires Bring Dismal Air Quality, Threaten Health - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

• Crews Fight California Fires as Lightning Threatens to Ignite More Flames
• Tourists Desert California Coast as Wildfires Spread
• Gov. Schwarzenegger Asks Bush to Declare Fire Emergency as Firefighters Prepare for Long Battle
• Air Quality Advisory Extended for Bay Area, Section of Highway 1 Remains Closed
• Maryland Firefighters Head to California As Fires Advance to Big Sur

The closure of famed California Highway 1 100 miles north of us is being felt in our area as summer tourism along that road has effectively been halted. Hotels, motels, and restaurants are seeing their business drop off a lot.

And, it's another murky day in SLOtown... But Jimi King will be on Live from London on SKY.FM in a half hour, so that'll be nice.

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