This was taken from my building near the Lompoc Gate exit when it was still "small" (only 150 acres, I believe, at the time). I guess it started around 11:30a. We had INSANELY strong winds today, and apparently either a power line got downed or a transformer exploded (I've heard both, not sure which is true) right near the middle school which happens to be right across from the Main Gate (the area around has been under road construction ALREADY for a month now) and the highway that connects the base to Santa Maria. Most parts of the base lost power around the same time that it started (because, of course, that was the day that I was going to stay on base and eat, so NATURALLY the power is out everywhere there is food for me or gas for the car). My building lost power around 1:00p (only four of us had gotten back from lunch at that point) and the DO and Chief came back and sent us home around 1:30p. The problem, of course, being that THE HIGHWAY TO SANTA MARIA IS CLOSED so I end up either having to drive all the way to Buellton on the nice safe highway and then take the 101 up or take the Harris Grade road which is closer and more direct, but has NASTY hairpin curves. As in the "you misjudge this by the slightest speck and suddenly have an enormously good chance of going flying off a cliff" type curves. And everybody and their brother from base or base housing or trying to get to their kids is on both roads. So needless to say, it was slow going.
The news media says it's 50% contained already, so I'm hoping I can at least get in to work tomorrow morning. I just really hope my building doesn't burn - we JUST finished painting it over the weekend!
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