Butte Fire - Dave Bean Engineering & Friends

[khamai]

Many of us have used Dave Bean Engineering as one of the great sources of information, parts and encouragement. The Butte fire continues to spread and threaten the towns along Hwy 49 in California. At this moment the Town of San Andreas where Dave Bean Engineering is located is under evacuation advisory meaning that the residence need to be prepared to leave at any time.

There are nearly 4000 fire fighters battling this blaze.

It's with obvious concern that we pray for the safety of Dave, Roberta, Ken, Tommy and our other Lotus and non-Lotus friends in the affected area.

http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/in ... nt_id=1221

Kiyoshi

[john1180]

Update from Dave Bean:

As always, there are a lot of rumors, both official and unofficial, floating
around during these state of emergency. The San Andreas evac. order was
only for the northern strip that extends into the forest and foothills. Our
warehouse is located in "down town", which in the metropolis of SA, means
its on the only main drag. So we were at the shop all day and were not
threatened. Our own home , 6 miles northeast of town, and in the forest and
hills, was put on manditory evac. at 5AM Fri. I was already up, monitoring
the advance, organizing dogs, wives, and other stuff worth saving and
rescuing our 102 year old neighbor a half mile away. We simply opened the
shop early. Tommy, the old parts guy, who does not normally work Fridays,
called later to say they had been evac'ed to the Cty. Fair grounds, where he
got free breakfast and lunch courtesy of the local Round Table Pizza
Franchisee. Ken, who lives five minutes away heard that the road he lives
on was being closed so he headed home early to self evac. He found refuge
at a friends house for wife and mulltiple cats. Berta and I, our 110 pound
black lab and a mongral stray spent the night with our good friend Trish in
nearby Angles camp, which itself was under threat of evac. We survived the
night, albeit I've been living on Tums for the last 24 hours!

At this point, we do not know the fate of our house, machine shop, S2 Elan,
and 4, count'em, 4 Lotus race car projects. When they close roads, they do
not rush into opening them again, even though the fire, within minutes of
the place, would have burned us out or had moved on by daylight. Although
the front of the fire, 24 hours on, has moved a good 6 miles further east,
logic and reason are in short supply with the CHP's manning the road blocks
right now. Back at the warehouse now, tending to busy work, and heading to
the town hall meeting at 1:00pm to see what we can learn. Would dearly love
to get home tonight. Although, at the very best, without power for 36
hours, the beer will be warm!

In the past, I've ignored evac orders, choosing to stay and defend the
cabin. My concern here was getting our neighbor to safety. Had I been
thinking straight, not 5 am muddled/panic brain, I should have sent Berta
away with him and the dogs and driven the BMW out later, if at all. I've a
tractor with front loader and can deal with grass fires, and our house has
plenty of "defense space" and is also redwood, which is less volatile than
most sidings. And we have a full 5000 gal storage tank for this very
purpose, (except my '63 Land Rover wild firefighter project with classic
Coventry Climax fire pump and 200 gal water tank in the back is not quite
done yet). For the lack of a nail.............

As of this AM the fire has consumed 65,000 acres and is now threatening
historic Murpheys 12 miles to the east, and once it gets past there, it goes
into intensly rough country and pretty much has its own way--shades of the
'92 Old Gulch fire, which pretty much followed the same path. Old timers
here have always said that expect a fire back about every 25 years. As far
as I can tell, all threats to DBE are now over. Pending news of the machine
shop of course.

I'd like to extend my thanks to the members who have shown so much concern.
Now, keep those prayers going for a few more hours, please.

Dave Bean.

P.S. Just as I was about the send this, we got a call from a neighbor (the
pot farmer), who had avoided the evac. sweep, saying that his trailer, and
crop, our house and the immediate neighbor's (who was in Tahoe during the
whole ordeal) are OK! Thank you prayer circle! Yay, God!!!

[khamai]

Thanks for the update. Still scary and we won't stop thinking about all of you!

Kiyoshi

[Certified Lotus]

Dave, so glad to hear your family, business, employees and friends are all safe. Keep the faith!

[tvacc]

Dave and Roberta,

All of us at Lotus Ltd, Lotus Owners of NY and our family hope all is OK and wish you the best. Please keep us informed.

Tony Vaccaro

[lotusS2guy]

So sorry for all the disruption in your life, but happy to hear that you have made it through unscathed. Our prayers are with you and your neighbors.
Herb Berkwits

[Ross Robbins]

I talked to Roberta a few minutes ago and she says they have not been allowed back into their neighborhood but fears based on a report from an observer that their home may have burned.She says it is "just stuff" but it is their stuff and all they have accumulated during a lifetime of Lotus service, so I hope the observer is wrong. Put them in your thoughts tonight and be prepared to reach out if the worst comes to pass.

Ross "made it this far on our journey thanks in no small part to Dave Bean Engineering" Robbins

[tvacc]

This is terrible news if true. If it is true then I would like to propose we start a "crowd funding" effort to help the Beans out. Please keep me informed.

Tony V

[Esprit2]

Dave, I'm so sorry to read this news, but it's good to know you, Roberta, and the good folk at DBE are safe and well. Please know our thoughts are with you all.

Regards,
Tim Engel
Lotus Owners Oftha North (LOON)

[Elan45]

Geez, what a scare. I sure hope that 's all it is. My thoughts and prayers are with Dave and Roberta, Tom Smith, Ken and all others. I know Tom had just finished a new barn just a few years ago to house his very interesting Lotus collection.

Roger Sieling

[khamai]

Update as of 2:45pm PDT.

Tommy is fine. Perhaps without power.

Ken & his family were allowed to go back to their home this morning and have power. Whew...

Unfortunately Dave & Roberta are still without any real solid news. A couple of their neighbors who have sneaked past the closures have returned with vastly different reports. One says their home stands, but is surrounded by the burned area and another says the house, barn and shop are gone. The situation changed so quickly last Friday morning that they literally got out with only the clothes on their backs. Dave left behind their 4 Lotus cars.

Please continue your prayers and keep those fingers crossed!

Kiyoshi

[khamai]

The good news is Dave, Roberta and the dogs are safe.

More good news is the Shop (with the race cars and Elan) survived, as did their Bunkhouse building.

The bad news is their home did not. Now, just ashes.

Kiyoshi

[tvacc]

Terrible news. Please give Dave and Roberta our regards. While terrible news, we all know it could have been loss of life, thank heavens it was not that. If you all want to start a rebuilding fund to help them. I am all for it. Someone could arrange it with their bank, or we could do it on one of the "crowd funding" sites. I am too far away to do much local good, but will help get the word out.

[elanfan1]

Agree awful news but just wondering from across the pond does this damage fall within insurance cover? I appreciate this cannot replace memories and sentimental stuff but nothing can. Must be devastating.

[khamai]

Agree awful news but just wondering from across the pond does this damage fall within insurance cover? I appreciate this cannot replace memories and sentimental stuff but nothing can. Must be devastating.

Yes, home owners insurance typically covers fire. Unfortunately as you point out insurance money, while extremely helpful, cannot replace the memories and such. In Dave's case he had a lot of irreplaceable Lotus books and materials, photos, an amazing and valuable gun collection. And, of course the recovery time will be massive.

Kiyoshi