Reptile & Amphibian Forums

just a note to let hope that we are all prepared for natural disasters. The weather here and all across the country has been HOT! Yesterday here in So Cal it was 123.5 F and as the day progressed clouds started forming which indicated thunderstorms were on the way. Diana and I have goats, chickens and a Great Pyrenees on our property in front of our house so we were outside watching the storm come in. The lightning and thunder started getting closer and closer when all of the sudden I looked across the dirt road (about 200 feet from our home) and a tree took a strike! I've lived in Virginia and experienced some bad storms and this was one of the worst I've ever seen. The wind was blowing in every direction and as soon as I could say call 911 the entire field in front of our property was on fire. Diana got the goats and dog and all I had time to do was get our other dogs in the van and to safety. Fortunately many neighbors showed up to help us get the goats and dog from the front where the fire was, but we had ZERO time to get any snakes and I was sick. I drove down the road and watched the fire department drive past and looked in horror as all I could see where flames and smoke coming from the front of our house. I couldn't drive away and I just sat there thinking about our business and what I could have done differently as more trucks came. You have to live in SO Cal or any DRY Desert area to understand how fast fire moves in a wild fire.

It all ended up well as they did get it under control and all we suffered were some burnt trees and smoke in our house, but there was no time to get anything out except ourselves and the big animals.

I want to thank and I did every single firefighter that I could talk to and any here on Kingsnake for the job you guys do and how much in harms way you put yourselves for other people’s property. And tell everyone that all you can do is get OUT and you're all that matters in this type of situation.

This morning although we lost soem thermostats to power spikes from the storms we feeled really blessed to still have evrything we hold so dear.
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Debra and Diana
Camlon Reptiles

Email Camlon Reptiles

I'm exhausted because I didn't sleep much last night.
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Debra and Diana
Camlon Reptiles

Email Camlon Reptiles

Wow- glad to hear everyone's ok and things got under control before any real damage was done. It's hard to handle those type of emergency situations, there's just no time. It's been so stinkin hot here, leaving the mall yesterday my truck thermometer showed 133 when we got into the truck, it had only been sitting for an hour, it had dropped down to 116 when we reached home about 10 minutes later, but geez...
We missed the storm, got the clouds and wind but no lightning or rain.
Really glad everyone's ok.
Becky
WFR

N/P
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Greg Power
B.O.A. Inc
boainc@gmail.com

It's gotten really ridiculous down here with the heat and the fires... I'm really glad that you are all alright, but I don't know how much more of this heat and fire all of us can take. Yesterday was the most awful heat I have experienced down here in So Cal..

Glad to hear that you are all good. Get some rest..
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-Ohh, what a Lady-

Balls for Life, Baby!

www.heathersherps.com

Deb and Diana, I'm glad to hear everyone is OK. Mother nature is truley wicked when she takes a mind to be so. You and yours were fortunate and I'm glad it turned out for the best.

Quig

Glad to here you and the animals are ok....Just makes you wonder sometimes, how mother nature could be so powerful. Glad to hear you are ok........

Debra, Im glad everything ended up as it did, could have been worse. I know the feeling as you know we lost everything, animals and house a few years ago on jan 2nd just after the holidays!! We still havent recovered from it personally or business wise.

Good luck and hope to see you two in daytona

Beau

Hi Debra&Diana!
You don't know me but I couldn't help but write to say I feel for ya'll I live in East Texas and we have desasters of our
owne kind and we had a lot of damige last summer from Reata
but god was looking out for us too. Stay safe and alert.
ps.GOOD LUCK WITH ALL YOU DO.

Glad to hear that all is well.

Tom

Gals, I live right down the freeway in Temecula. I would be more than happy to help you out in situations like that, helping move animals, etc. I have a pick up truck, all you need to do it call!

Dave

I'm in San Jose and It's uncomfortably hot..
I'm glad everything was OK.
Makes me sick to think of loosing everything to a fire.
My wife did once, so she's extra paranoid about everything being fire safe around the home.

Deb and Diana -

Glad to hear that you and all the critters are ok - I can't even begin to image how aweful that was for you!!!

Best of luck!
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

6.34.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 Lizards of unknown origin

.

words and emails please everybody try to be prepared for all disasters. This all happened so fast we had no time to get anything out except ourselves (which is the most important thing to do), and if weren't for the fire fighters and our neighbors, I don't even want to think about it, well bless them all.

We're safe and sound and in our home tonight and counting our blessings.

Thanks again.
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Debra and Diana
Camlon Reptiles

Email Camlon Reptiles

I'm glad to hear that you and your home are safe.
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Tony Bocanegra
Next Generation Reptiles
www.NGReptiles.com

Sorry to hear about your fire. Glad to hear your animals are all safe though.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Debra and Diana: I am soooo sorry you all had to go through that. Here's hoping that all your bad luck has been used up for at least 20 years! Be strong
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Alice Cobb

First off it is great to hear you are both alright..... You are correct about being ready for all types os issues. A few years ago I fell over 70 feet to the ground while working as a tree climber, I broke over 3/4 of the bones in my body including my back in three places. I lost my whole collection due to money issues. After hard work and alot of sacrafice I have a small collection that I am working with. The other day we also had some very bad storms here in CT. and my sump pump stopped working in my basement and I came home to 5" of water. All of my matrix racks have water damage and I was only 1/2 inch from killing off some of my collection. Just goes to show you to always expect the unexpected. Take care Erick