How wide is the Scorpion's habitat and what is the scorpion bite treatment, is it even relevant?

  They are closely related to spiders, mites and wood ticks, thought of as desert dwellers living in hot dry areas they have been here for hundreds of millions of years. They are often depicted on the big screen as purveyors of torture to get people to "talk". These anthropoids live almost any place there is soil, Brazilian rain forests, the Himalaya's, southeastern United States and British Columbia are a few of the climates they can live in. I am talking about the notoriously dangerous and reclusive Scorpion.
Learn about poisonous insects, click here.
 

They vary in color from dark black as this one is all the way
to a light sand color depending on their environment.

There are about 1,750 species of scorpion in the world, not all are poisonous, in fact the vast majority are not, only 25-40 have venom strong enough to cause a human to die. Their venom is custom designed to the individual scorpions life style, highly effective against the given species food source. Typically eating small insects, however they are such survivors their diet is very flexible. That flexibility is the key to their survival over the millions of years they have inhabited planet earth. During drought or other events that bring a shortage of food the Scorpion is capable of slowing it's metabolism to 1/3 the normal rate for scorpions. It makes it possible for the anthropoid to use very little oxygen, able to live by eating one insect a year. It does not slow the scorpion down at all, unlike hibernators the scorpion can leap to action to capture food when needed. This adaptation allows the scorpion to live in extreme environments, in fact they have been frozen overnight in lab experiments. Thawing out the following morning and walking away as if nothing at all has occurred, extremely adaptable creatures. Scorpions must have soil to survive, in places where the ground freezes or there is high grass they may not be able to survive, they must burrow into the soil.
  Scorpions have 8 legs, two lobster like claws (pedipalps) for grasping their prey and burrowing. In an arc over the back is the tail, it is segmented with a "stinger" prominently displayed appearing set like a spring trap. They range in size from about 3/8" (Typholchactas mitchelli) up to an impressive 9" (Heterometrus swammerdami) in length. They first appeared in the fossil record 430 million years ago, Scorpion habitat is every continent on earth with the exception of Antarctica. Read about the difference between scorpions and spiders, click here.

Scorpions live in the not green shaded area. (What color is that anyway?)

  Scorpions will sting humans, but as stated above the chances of dying are remote, only 25-40 of the species are capable of injuring humans. The stings are extremely painful and for the North American species not treatment is normally needed for healthy adults. If a child or elderly person get stung by a scorpion medical care should be sought. It is a different story if a person gets stung in South America, Africa or Western Asia where the venom is strong enough to kill a human, medical care in these areas should be sought. Trade and commerce have been introduced (unintentionally) to Great Britain, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and many Oceania islands. The northern most occurrence of scorpions (northern scorpion) are found between the latitudes 23'N and 38'N above these latitudes the diversity decreases.
  Most of the time when a scorpion stings a person it will not cause death or illness. However if a person has an allergy to the venom some or all of the following symptoms may present themselves:
  1) Double vision, vertigo is a good comparison.
  2) Breathing difficulty
  3) Breathing has stopped
  4) Rapid breathing
  5) Drooling from the mouth
  6) Voice box spasms, changing of the voice.
  7) Tongue feels thick
  8) Unable to hold urine
  9) Decreased urine output
 10) Muscle spasms and cramps
 11) Convulsions
 12) Paralysis
 13) Random uncontrollable movements of the head, eye or neck
 14) Restlessness
 15) Seizures
 16) Stiffness
 17) Abdominal cramps
 18) Inability to hold stool
  Seek medical attention as quickly as possible, have all of the details ready for the examiners and if possible bring the insect that bit the person in with you for identification purposes. Other information to have on hand prior to contacting 911 is:
  1)The person's age weight, and physical condition.
  2) The exact type of scorpion, or bring it with you in a plastic zip lock
  3) The time it occurred, very important.
  4) Call the National Poison center hotline: 1-800-222-1222, for further advice 24 hours a day.
  When you get to the hospital the following test and examinations will most likely take place;
  1) Blood and urine samples will be taken.
  2) Breathing support will be included, oxygen via a tube in the nose or the mouth.
  3) You will get a chest xray
  4) EKG will be administered
  5) An IV will certainly be introduced, mainly for hydration.
  6) Medicine to reverse the effects of the scorpion venom will be used.
  7) Medicine to treat symptoms.
 

Seek medical help if symptoms
are severe. 

If symptoms worsen in the first 2-4 hour period a bad outcome should start to be expected, however very few people over the age of 6 die from a scorpion sting. Symptoms sometimes last for for several days or even weeks, and some of the rare deaths have occurred weeks after the initial sting. Advise from the FDA on what action to take if you are stung and experience symptoms, click this link.
  This is the second of three blogs I have decided to write on poisonous spiders, tomorrow's will be on the Brown Recluse and after that I will give it a rest to be persuade at a later date. I have a long list of subjects to write about, I like to mix them up. Thanks for reading, I hope you learned a few things by reading the blog, please leave a comment or a suggestion. Thanks

jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com

Tarantula Spiders friend or foe? You may be surprised

  Tarantula spiders live for nearly 30 years, about the size of a cup saucer and covered with fur they

Very beautiful creatures, docile and shy until challenged. They
come in many colors, mostly shades of red and black.

present an ominous presence. Their bite is not deadly, however it stings painfully, and causes rashes. Belonging to a family of spiders, Hairy Mygalomorphs, they've been around for millions of years changing very little in all of that time. There are about 700 known species of Tarantula spiders. They are found nearly worldwide, North America (southern areas) Africa, South and Central America rain forest. Some live in tunnels or burrows underground, they will either steal one or are very capable of digging their own with their very substantial fangs. Tarantula's do not spin webs, they do however have the ability to produce silk of which they use to line their burrows and use as a door. Some live in trees as well, living in wood tunnels seized from another occupant or formed with their fangs. Grasshoppers, crickets, beetles and other small insects make up their quarry on their nocturnal hunting forays. There is a breed of tarantula's named "Goliath Bird eating Tarantula" and will devour lizards, snakes, frogs, bats and small birds. They are very capable of defending themselves, among the hairs on their underside reside sharp little projections, like

This is a Goliath Tarantula, it's a big spider, the largest in existence.

needles, sort of like a miniature porcupine. The Tarantula spider when threatened is capable of rubbing the hairs against these sharp spines and shoot them at their assailant, surprise and pain in an instant. They have a multitude of predators weasels, hawks, skunks, owls and snakes, keeping them ever alert. Their biggest fear and worst enemy is the "Spider-Wasp". It's an interesting way the spider wasp attacks and deals with the tarantula. The female wasp stings the spider, paralyzing it, she then digs a hole, after injecting an egg in the body she buries the spider. Leaving the nursery bed alone the egg hatches in just a few days, feeding on the dead tarantula. Human beings are feared by the tarantula, we catch them as pets, some people eat them and others indiscriminately kill them. Tarantula spiders "molt", shedding of their external during which they also replace their internal organs, stomach lining as well as regrowing of lost limbs. Reproduction is accomplished when the male constructs a small web and scatters his reproduction fluids over the surface, the female follows laying the 500 to 1,000 eggs directly on the web. The spiderlings will hatch in six to nine weeks.
  Tarantula spiders being the largest known arachnids, heavy hairy bodies in black and brown make them easily distinguishable from all other spiders. Some species have distinct stripes on their legs, having so much fur on legs and body make them appear larger than they actually are. They are impressive looking and frightening when seen they are only aggressive when they are challenged. Two body parts make up the tarantula, the prosoma (also known as the cephalothorax) and the abdomen (opisthosoma). Eight legs, pedipalpa as well as fangs connect to the prosoma. The fangs are known as the chelicerae release venom which are just below the spiders eyes. The legs are interesting also they have seven sections with retractable claws used for climbing of which the leg hairs assist.
 

A totally involved tarantula spiders hatch, up to 1,000 hatch.

In the United States the most popular tarantula is the "Eurypelma californicum" (where do these names come from?) found in California, Texas and Arizona. The other common spider in this country is the "Aphonopelma chalocides", or the desert tarantula, living in desert regions. Living primarily in Arizona is the blond desert tarantula, color is from gray to chocolate brown. Kansas has them as well, living in rocky areas or hillsides in burrows underground, Texas brown tarantula's (Aphonopelma hentzi) inhabit this same area as well, maybe as much as a third of the state (Kansas) in the south. They are not native to Florida, introduced as pets, the species "Brachypelma vagans" natives of Mexico, commonly known as "Mexican red rumps". These tarantula spiders are black with red abdomens, a painful bite but not poisonous. For more information on bite treatment click here.
  As mentioned previous, tarantula's do bite, some people have an allergy to them in which case the reaction may include: pain, respiratory problems, itchiness, increased heart rate and swelling where the bite occurred. It's much like the reaction some one has when stung by a honey bee and has an allergy to the sting. If bitten by a tarantula and the reaction is severe immediately seek medical care.
 Thanks for reading, there is comfort in knowing although scary, tarantula's bite will not cause death to humans. Leave a comment or suggestion I welcome them!

jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com

Should we kill black widow spiders or just leave them alone? After all do they hurt anything by being here?

  Venom fifteen times stronger than that of a rattlesnake, able to conceal themselves in all of our common areas. We share our gardens, garages and sheds with that notorious villain of the spider world the "Black Widow". About the size of large coat button all black with a red "hourglass" on it's underside. The most difficult part is not identifying them, it's trying to see them before reaching into a dark dry spot. They live any where they are able to avoid detection by predators, birds, lizards and some furry little animals. Black widows are solitary spiders with a life span of 1-3 years. There are several species of the spider in the US, the "Southern Widow" found in the southern and northeastern states. "Latrodectus hesperus" (call them Black widows) are native to the western states, the "Brown

Female Black Widow with an egg sac, over 100 hatchlings in each sac, protected
fiercely by the mother only to be devoured by each other.

Widow" located in the south and the northern widow found in the northeast. Black widows eat ants, arthropods, caterpillars, grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches and scorpions plus many others. The black widow males are smaller than the females which are distinguished from the males by orange and brown at the joints. In some species the males are colorful as well, some display red and white stripes on the abdomen, more colorful than many females. Reproducing in the spring time and early summer, the egg sacs are easily recognized appearing as tiny "dust balls" and protected by the female until they hatch. Out of the hundreds of young in the egg sac, few survive, black widows are cannibalistic in the early stages of their lives. The young spiders are white and orange in color and resemble young black widows. Many spiderlings overwinter as immature then fully developing in the spring. Surviving baby spiders will "balloon", they leave the nest after 3 days, make a web and take

Spider balloons after landing in their new home.

to the sky. In the early fall (October in Northern California), the balloons can be observed floating in the breeze sometimes for many miles landing in their new homes. They build their webs close to the ground under wood piles, low hanging branches, lawn furniture and other places they can stay secluded. Black widows earned their name due to their mating habits, after finding a mate if the female is willing they complete the union. As the story continues after insemination the female will devour the male, it's not entirely true, that behavior has only been observed while the spiders are in captivity. If you are bitten by a black widow immediately tell someone so they know what has happened. The bite rarely will kill someone, however it is important to get medical help as soon as possible. The bite will most likely (yes, I know how that goes) will not kill you it may make you sick enough to wish it would. The first action is to wash with warm water and soap, call the emergency room and tell them you are on your way often they will be ready for a poisoned victim upon arrival. Keep the bitten area elevated above the heart. Very often black widows do not inject venom, if you are bit there is no need to panic no one in the United States has died from black widow spider bite in the past ten years. It hurts after being bitten symptoms include muscle cramps, stomach pains, weakness, nausea, dizziness, chest pain and problems breathing. Read how to treat a bite here.

Gloves hat and overalls, this lady is all set up for spiders. 

  In summation: As all creatures in our world black widows play a very valuable addition to our out door existence. They eat tiny insects that defoliate our plants, they devour that universally hated pest the house fly, they eat grasshoppers and lots of mosquito's. It's OK to have a love/hate opinion of the them, but be careful of where you place your hands. That spider web that is head high most likely is not a black widow web, bites on the hand are most common among people who do get bit. It doesn't matter where you are working in the yard or shed, wear gloves and be observant, the little pest can be anywhere.
  Thanks for reading, I am going to write my next few blogs on poisonous bugs, scorpions, brown recluse and tarantulas being a few. Leave a comment, suggestion or a life experiences I appreciate it.

jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com

As a witness you are a member of the forensic fire investigation, here's 20 questions you may be asked..

  Fire is on everyone's mind this year, the great amount of rain we had coupled with the mild temperatures of spring time led to an abundance of tall grass, weeds and undergrowth. The winter rains were followed by days of temperatures exceeding 100 degrees F, rapidly drying out the

The rain made it beautiful, the hot sun made it
dangerous, this is now bone dry. 

landscape. Fires in the city's are on the rise as well, many of them have been proven to be "Arson", the intentional act with the intent to start a fire solely for the purpose of destroying a structure. Some are set in vengeance, insurance settlements and some are set by people just to see stuff burn. I'm sure there are many psychological explanations for being an arsonist, I am not qualified to comment on the aspect. There is another side of fires, whether arson or not, wildfire or city fire, that other side is the people who are the first to come upon a fire. They are considered "witnesses".
  In the event that you come on a fire come forward to the fire department or police department as a witness. Don't decide by your self if what you saw is valuable to understanding what took place, the fire inspector will determine that. After presenting your self as a witness you are expected to tell investigators what you saw, smelled, heard, and observed. When lives and property have been damaged one of the worst things to do is to walk away after being a witness not telling anyone what you saw, it's important. It's in society's interest to have every fire solved, and any cause identified, we can all help as witnesses. Our co-operation normally brings about changes in the fire safety in buildings. Click here for San Francisco's 2016 new fire safety requirements.
  There are two types of witnesses:
1) People that saw the fire start, or arrived within minutes after ward.
2) People that were not on the scene and not close enough to see what happened, these individuals are familiar with the area of the fire and the buildings or terrain.
  Witnesses in category 1 are able to describe either how it started (if they saw it) or the speed and direction of the fire spreading after first ignition. Sometimes a witness is someone that smells smoke then opens a door and is met with fire. Some questions asked by the fire inspector may include:
 1) Were you there when the fire started? If so explain what you saw prior to the fire starting, what were the conditions leading up to the start.
  2) The first time you came in contact with the fire what did you see?
  3) The first time you saw the fire what did you do?
  4)  Do you know of any hazards that existed prior to the fire?
  5) Did you notice any paint, chemicals or combustibles in the area?
  6)  When you first saw the fire, what color was it, how did it act, how hot was it, was it moving rapidly? (rapid fire questions? No you will have time to think and answer).
  7)  Did the fire smell abnormal, what color was the smoke, was there a lot of smoke?
  8)  Where did the fire start.
  9)  Were any people in the vicinity when you first noticed the fire? Do you know them, if so who was it.
  10) If people were present what were they doing? Were there cars in the vicinity, did any drive by, if so can you identify them?
 

The fire inspector works in the public interest, they will appreciate your help
not to worry, they won't have you sift through the ashes. 

 As the primary witness for the forensic fire investigation it is prudent to write down what you saw at the earliest possible opportunity, do not remain in the area to gather this information, your first duty is to stay out of harms way.  A request may be made to record your findings, that is a voluntary choice to be made by you.
  The witnesses in the 2nd category have information on how the fire spread, however the most important information they have is of residence. These witnesses most of the time have information pertaining to the conditions of the area prior to the fire. Knowledge of suspicious activities, feuds, arguments, threats and the like. If the local that suffered the lose is a business many times employees are 2nd category witnesses. Some other questions they may be asked are:
  1) Did you discover the fire, did someone tell you? How did you find out about the fire?
  2) When did you first discover the fire?
  3) Did you call anyone and report the fire? If so what did they say? Did they do anything that you know of?
  4) Tell us what you saw at the fire scene, everything you can remember.

Would you have considered Guy
Faulks suspicious?

  5) Did you see any one the area, near the building, in the field or walking by? Do you know them, did they look familiar?
  6) Why were you there?
  7) What goes on around here during the day and night? Did any thing out of the ordinary occur that day, week, month?
  8) What time did you come upon the fire? Are you sure of the time?
  9) Do you know the people normally here? Do you converse with them?
10) Have you observed any suspicious activities over the past few months?
  Normally there will be more questions than you have answers for, relax and be truthful everything will be fine. It is best at the first opportunity to write down everything you remember about the event, everything, don't hold back on anything. The investigator will ask for your contact information, it is rare during an investigation to not come upon the need for more questions to be addressed. This is especially true if it turns into a fire arson investigation, it is then criminal. Read a paper on "Expert" witness questions, click here.
In summary it is a good practice to be forthcoming and completely honest with the investigators, they truly do work in the interest of society. Their main goal is to discover the cause of the fire and if it is arson, the perpetrators are held responsible. Whether a wild fire or a city fire, if you discover it, call 911, before doing so know where you are. Street address, city, as well as your name and telephone number. Know what to expect sometimes takes some stress out of trying situations, this brief description is close to what will take place if you are a witness. Thanks for reading, leave a comment or suggestion I appreciate it!

jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com

Do you have a emergency preparedness plan? This lady had one, it did not work, why? Read all about here..

  I read an article this morning, the title was "Wildfire season is upon us, are you ready?" I have written blogs about this before, I feel it can't be stressed enough, if it helps just one person it's worth writing about again. The lady's article was pertaining to how she "failed" in her emergency

I first saw it high on the hill behind the house, I looked again
and the monster was upon us. Notice the propane tank away
from the dwelling, it's in a good spot. The trees on the right
may be a problem it appears. 

evacuation planning, she was prepared, however she forgot to tell her family they were participants in the same plan. She had gone through a lot of work putting her disaster preparedness plan in writing, putting together 72 hour kits, phone numbers to contact, it sounds as if she did everything correctly except one thing. She did not include her family, her thinking was she would be in the home when any event occurred.
  As events unfolded, she and her family had left on a long day road trip, her children with the exception of the family's oldest daughter were in the vehicle. Two hours from home, on the road, she received a call from home, the oldest daughter was due in to work that evening. Her daughter was on the other end of the phone, "There is a fire on the hill above the house, it appears to be heading towards the house, if I have to evacuated what do I do?" There it is, Murphy's law in the works, luckily the fire changed course and headed a different direction. The author of the article stated all she could think over and over is "I do have an emergency preparedness plan", fortunately it did all work out for the family. I give the lady a lot of credit for writing about this, it reminds me of the grandson failing 7th grade English, he did the homework, he just didn't hand it in.  Fema has planning down, you can get the planning templates and ideas by clicking here.
  Make a disaster preparedness plan include in it evacuation procedures, phone number of a contact out of the area, list places for family members to meet, detail what do when ordered to evacuate. Keep in mind the spirit of an emergency disaster plan, it is to make it possible for the management of the entire cycle of a unexpected catastrophic event. A plan identifies priorities, levels of capabilities of the family. The plan will spell out various organizations SOP's (standard operating procedures) and EOP's (emergency operations plans), and the procedures they have in effect for use during a large scale disaster situation.

Holy Cow! Chose your poison. 

  All of the expected/unexpected (we expect something to happen, we just don't know what, when or how), can be life altering, a person's residence being destroyed can be ruinous. Part of the planning is to identify the disaster's that are possible to occur at your location. I looked around my semi-rural home site and see the potential for a wild fire, I don't know how inclusive it could be, I put it in my plan. When it comes to flooding, many people do not realize they live in a flood zone, check with your county planning department. Earthquakes happen in every state of the union, write it in your emergency preparedness plans.
 Hurricanes, I lived in Memphis Tennessee for a year when a hurricane visited the Mississippi delta. It was fairly spent by the time it reached Memphis however it was still strong enough to shatter a window causing a serious cut to my upper leg. (Click here for the National Weather Services paper on Hurricanes.) Although not in the path of the storm, I was in the affected area, we can plan for that as well. Tornado's occur in a fairly predictable area, but they have occurred in the central valley of California as well. We had in the California Delta a wind storm in excess of 80 mph, so I plan for a wind storm. I have been in tornado's, hurricanes and typhoons, they are all super wind conditions. It doesn't hurt to add every possible occurrence to your planning, evacuation muster points may change depending on the type of disaster. That's the reason for establishing a contact telephone number out of the area to leave messages. A remote contact is best due to the local lines will be choked up with people calling down the street, when a "busy" signal is received people immediately re-dial causing more congestion.

They are all almost back in the barn, it was a long journey
but the long explanation gave them time to get here. 

  After I brought the cows all around the pasture to get them in the barn I will conclude. Make a comprehensive plan, have your family involved in the planning they must have ownership, practice your evacuation plan, establish an out of area contact for messages and have on hand a 3 day survival kit either pre-packaged or packaged by you and your family. The sooner we get set up for disaster response's the more secure will be in our quest to become as Self Reliant as we possibly can be.  Thanks for reading, leave a comment, suggestion or observation tell me what you think.

jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com

Hot, Cold Composting, what? Free mulch and fertilizer, add worms? What the heck are you talking about..

  Most of us have heard of "composting", some of us are familiar with what the results are of piling up a bunch of organic material and letting it do it's thing. There are actually three types of

One of my bins is identical to this one with the exception
I installed "hog wire" across this side and re-used
a glass shower door for a lid. 

composting, I will describe each in this blog. Each of the three methods of composting depend on active live organism's rendering down organic material to it's basic nutrients usable by plants and other organism's. Bacteria is the most common com-poster's at work in the pile. Anaerobic organism's survive in an oxygen free environment, these are the guy's you don't want and are responsible for the compost emitting an offensive odor, they emit methane, ammonia and other nasty smelling odors. Other's are Aerobic, these guy's thrive in an oxygen rich environment, these are the good guy's. In addition to bacteria the other organism's active include:  Nematodes, Anthropoids, fungi, protozoa, molds and many others, all Aerobic organism's.
 
     Home composting are in three categories:
 
1)  "Cold" (outdoor) composting, by far the least labor intensive of the three it is based on piling organic material in a neat pile and merely adding material to it over the course of it's life. Cold composting can be accomplished in a "pile" in the yard, rake the leaves and throw them in the pile, the same with grass, weeds and garden waste. This style of composting is dependent on organism's that live in temperatures below 115 degrees F. This style mimics how composting is accomplished in nature, it takes a considerable amount of time, depending on the size of the pile, expect a minimum of 365 days until the compost is finished. The resulting compost is coarser, however there is a high carbon content which feeds the living organism's in the soil as it decomposes. No Oxygen is added to the pile manually, normally air is introduced by "turning" the pile, cold composting doe's not require humans to supply labor to the pile except at a minimum. Newspaper, cardboard, kitchen waste and all organic material make up a cold composter. Some compost piles are structured, that is a wire fence cylinder with a diameter of 3-5 feet and 4 feet high or higher is made to contain the pile. Some are wooden bins, some are commercially available bins it's up to the imagination as to a containment vessel. All composting piles need to be kept moist, add water weekly depending on the size of the bin. Oregon State has a good paper on cold composting, click here.

A "hog wire" hot compost bin, allows in a lot of Oxygen
a little cumbersome to turn over.

2) Hot (outdoor) composting, the second type of composting. Very much like the cold composting method with the exception of air being introduced to the pile by "turning" the compost over to allow oxygen infiltration. One advantage of hot composting is the speed of which the compost is made, it is possible to have completely composted material in 90 days, when done correctly. The organism's working in a hot compost bin live in temperatures of 130-160 F. This is considered high heat, it is needed to kill pathogens and weed seeds, sanitizing the compost in a way, the heat will accomplish the task of clearing the pathogens when the temperature is maintained for 3-4 days. However high levels of oxygen must be introduced to the material by turning, fluffing and rotating the top to bottom and bottom to top. Hot compost bins can be made of wire fencing material, pallets, reclaimed wood or a commercially available compost bin. One compost bin available is a rotating cement mixer type design, this style of composter is handy, simply rotate the drum with the hoop handle every other day. Hot composting takes dedication and consistency to accomplish composting in 90 days, ending up with a deep black fine organic compost makes the labor worth it. This compost pile needs moisture as well, water the pile once a week, depending on the size how much water is needed to keep it moist. Oregon State has a good description of hot composting, click here.

3) Vermicomposting (indoor), "Vermi" means worm, that's exactly what this implies, worm composting, sometimes referred to as "worm farming". Very common to both "hot" and "cold" methods with the exception of adding what sounds like a great quantity of worms to the bed. The carbon/nitrogen level must be maintained, carbon is organic material that has dried (browns), think autumn leaves. Nitrogen rich material (greens). Browns include: cardboard, paper, leaves and straw. Greens include: vegetables, fruits, peelings and cores. The pile is similar to other composting methods, however this one must be contained and kept in a cool, moist spot out of the sunlight. The bin must be covered and not allowed to exceed 80 degrees F, or below 40 degrees F. Insects, bacteria and organism's break down the materials making it edible for the army of worms. Some people start a worm farm to achieve zero household waste, instead of tossing garbage in a landfill, worms eat it allowing us at home to produce organic fertilizer while cutting down on landfill waste. Fertilizer and compost are the two main reasons for Vemiculture, very rich in nitrogen the casting's (compost in this bin is worm manure) can be made into a tea and

Worm farm arraignment, this is a bathtub, imagine it's a plastic bin they can be stacked
making it easier to move the worms.

sprayed liberally on your garden and lawn. Worm farms are available commercially, or can be easily made with buckets or plastic storage bins, however worms must be bought from a commercial worm farmer. The worms in your garden (dew worms) are no good for composting, "red wrigglers" are the Olympic champs of composting, "European night crawlers" are second by a substantial margin in my opinion. A word of caution, worms will produce what is fed to them, do not feed them meat, poultry or feces if the manure is intended to be used on vegetable's, pathogens are created and will make people sick when ingested. Earthworms are not native to North America, they were all killed during the last ice age, some worms may be illegal to introduce to the state you live in. Check requirements for invasive species before purchasing worm bin worms. (Honey bees are not native to North America as well, this has nothing to do with this blog but it is interesting.)
The water in a worm bin com poster must be maintained closer than the other two methods, worms need moisture to breath, eat, move and re-produce.

  I employ all three methods of composting, my preferred is Vermiculture, it's very interactive which I enjoy, educational and unbelievably interesting. It's said a touch of eccentricy is a much shared trait amongst worm farmers. I hope you found this interesting and enlightening, a step away from my survival niche. However it is related in the desire to become as self reliant as we can be. Make your own compost, design your own fertilizer (yes it's not hard to make), it is competitive with commercial brands with one exception. Worm tea and castings can not "burn" your plants due to it is 100% organic nitrogen, it's not synthetic as in the commercial "stuff". To read more about worm tea click here.
  Thanks for reading, this subject is near and dear to my heart I'd like to talk more about with you. Thanks.

jauquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com

In our isolated little bubbles on a road trip we do want to be as self reliant as we can be, make these checks before departing

  While on a road trip we often enter a world of "false security", the cars are built like isolated

We're Off and running, we'll be there in
Six days! Oh Boy. 

bubbles. Air conditioning, good sound systems, comfortable seats and more, yes we get pretty comfortable in our little traveling units. There are tasks and inspections we should be performing on our vehicles regularly. I am suggesting three, prior to leaving on a road trip or once a week perform the following three check's:

1) To check your tires you will need a Lincoln head penny, and perform 3 steps. * Hold the penny between your thumb and forefinger. * Look at the treads on your tire, find which appears to be the lowest amount of tread. * Hold the penny inside one of the grooves, if any part of Lincoln's head is covered your tire is legal and you have a safe amount of tread. If your tread is not covering any part of his head, about 2/32" deep, the ability of your tire gripping the road is compromised, new tire decision time. Read more tire information click here.
  Tires lose pressure monthly and should be checked regularly either by you or the company you bought the tires from. *Check your tires when they are cold, they have not been driven on for several hours. Next. * Connect the pressure gauge to the valve stem, normally they are held by hand. A tire pressure gauge is a good investment. Then. * Check the pressure level with the required psi listed in your owners manual or on a tag on the inside of the drivers side door, do not use the air pressure stamped on the tire's sidewall. If the pressure is high release air until it is correct, if it is deflated add air. Some tire company's have started to use nitrogen instead of air, nitrogen and air can be mixed if needed.

Learn to use your vehicle jack before you leave the house,
practice with it before you may need it.

2) Check the Fluid levels, * Window washer solution fill to the "full" line with commercial solution or make your own with two drops of liquid soap in a gallon of water. * Oil level, check it when it is warm, it can be checked when the engine is cold however the level of oil will be higher than the full mark. Remove the dip stick, the owners manual will have a section on this, wipe the oil off with a paper towel, it's lint-less. Insert the dip stick, bottom it out and withdraw it. Hold the dip stick horizontally with the towel under it to catch drips. There is a notch or a line on the stick approx. 1-1/2" from the end, if the oil level reaches the full mark, (it too is in the owners manual) the oil level is correct, if it is low add until it meets the full line. If you are close to an oil change, now is the time to do have it done. A good write up on general engine inspection may be read here.
* Check your Transmission fluid level, it is checked in the same manner as the engine oil with one exception, the transmission oil must always be checked warmed up. The interval for automatic transmission oil changes is far longer than for the engine, some manufacturers suggest 50,000 mile or more. It is important to check your manual for the interval, the most common cause of transmission failure is not changing the oil. It is easiest to have it serviced in a mechanics shop. While the fluids being changed have them grease all the fittings under the vehicle. * Engine coolant is designed to be effective for up to 150,000 miles, if your car is four years old and it's never been changed, it will be prudent to do it now. To add coolant merely add it to the reservoir on the side of the radiator, it's normally a white plastic box with a small hose from the radiator to the cap which will have "engine coolant" stamped on it. On the side of the reservoir are lines marking the "full" level, that's where you need to fill it to. If your coolant is murky or rust colored, change it, you've taken it's entire life from it. Don't mix the orange and green, in a pinch it will work, but strive not to do it due to different additives in each which may not be compatible.
    On a Safety Note: Never Ever remove the radiator cap while the engine is hot or warm, the coolant will geyser out of the fill cap and it will cause extremely serious burns to the face. It's ambulance calling time if it occurs. If you are alone and in the middle of nowhere you are then in a serious survival situation.

Never Ever remove the radiator cap from an overheating engine, it will burn your face and hands to the 3rd degree. 

3) Hose's would last forever if they never conveyed and liquids, especially at the pressure's and temperature a vehicle engine operates under. A car's cooling system runs it's best at 212 degrees F, boiling water under pressure not allowing the water to turn to steam and vaporize. Squeeze the hose, (while cold), if it is hard as a piece of plastic, or soft and squishy it is prudent to replace it. A hard hose is susceptible to cracking, a soft hose can burst or pop a hole in it. Check each end of the hose where the clamps are, if there are splits, tears or a bulge appears on the pressure side of the clamp, change the hose. If none of these condition exist your hose is fine.
Check your Belts simply by turning them sideways so it's possible to see the contact side, some contact on both sides. Look for ragged, cracked, torn, missing cogs or fiber cording showing. If any of those is the case, change the belt, it's just simply not worth the gamble. Some vehicle's have a single "serpentine" belt that drives the air conditioner, steering pump and alternator as a minimum. Most older cars and trucks have more than one hose to run accessories. A loud screech, I believe we've all heard them, is the sound of a loose or glazed over belt. If when you push down with a finger in the center span of the hose and it deflects more than 1/2-3/4" the belt needs to be tightened, if within a week the deflection is back the belt has stretched and needs replacement. No one wants a belt to break on a two mile long bridge or tunnel, nightmare time.

4) Have your battery checked at a service center, if it's over two years old plan on buying a new one. If it's heading into winter and your battery is two years or older, change the battery, cold weather will sap it. Triple A's busiest days are also the coldest days on record. Don't mess with a battery just change it every two to three years, do go over three. See how to inspect a battery here.

OK! The car's been checked out and
we are free to get started, let's go!

 Four very basic checks that may be the most important checks of your life, the good thing is if you stay up on the inspections and repairs successful road trips are much more likely. You can perform the checks your self, or have it done at a garage where the advantage is they can fix it all immediately.
  Thanks for reading I hope you found this helpful in our quest to be as self reliant as we possibly can be. Leave a comment, suggestion or correction I appreciated the input.

JacquesandKate  emergencykitsplus.com

Dealing with a Utility shutoff during, here's three essential tasks to master,

 Dealing with a Utility shutoff doe's not have to be panic inducing, here are three skills that are essential to know prior to entering your home after an event forcing you and your family to vacate. These are by no means the only skills to learn, but they are three very important ones. In any event the first item to have on hand is an emergency preparedness kit containing supplies to satisfy you and your family for the first 72 hour period.
  Ready.gov has written a very good guide for shutting off utilities, click here.

Following are the three skills essential to learn:

  1)  Gas supply shutoff: Earthquakes, Floods, Wildfires and Wind storms cause a lot of damage in the world every year. They are able to shift the ground, collapse buildings and destroy infrastructure.

The only style of gas meter I've ever seen, the valve is
circled in the "open" position. 1/2 turn either direction
will turn it off.

Natural Gas piping can separate, break or leak becoming a real fire hazard which is a common result after and during an event. Learn exactly where your gas meter is located, it could be under your house, underground, on the side of your house or in a cabinet. You will need a 12" or larger adjustable wrench (crescent wrench), keep it in your kit or next to the valve. If you choose to store the wrench next to the valve you should use an open end wrench that fits the stem of the valve perfectly. Leaving the adjustable wrench in the weather will open it up to rusting, if it rust to the point of being nonadjustable it is useless. One way to store the wrench is to keep it in a zip lock bag, in your kit with a spray of WD40 in the sealed bad, that will keep it usable. If you do not smell natural gas or hear it leaking do not turn off the gas, leave it on. The shut off valve is located on the inlet side of the regulator, the flat often round steel assembly before the meter. The valve can be turned either direction, you can practice opening and closing it, turn the valve 1/4 turn and it is closed. To turn the gas back on turn it another 1/4 turn, perpendicular to the pipe it is off, parallel to the pipe it is open. Take caution when dealing with the gas meter after an event, faulty wiring or appliances may have been compromised during the storm causing it to energize the meter with electricity. Using meters to connect electrical grounds to is not allowed by utilities, the accidental introduction to the meter may cause a spark causing a fire or explosion. You may also get a jolt of current when you touch it, wear leather gloves.
Don't use any electrical devices until you are certain the gas is not leaking.
  Propane tanks where I live are now required to have an "automatic" shut off valve installed at the sale of every home whether new or used. Have your delivery person check that system out to make sure there is one installed and that it functions properly. Click here for FEMA's propane tank safety.

  2) Learn where your Water Shutoff valve is located, trying to find it during a pipe rupture is not the time for discovery. It is very important all house hold members know where the shutoff valve is,

Most water supply piping to the house looks a lot
like this, be certain to exercise that shut off valve.

and how to turn the water off. Prior to a catastrophic event find the shutoff valve, it will be located where the water pipe enters the home, it could be any where. Generally there are two valves, one is out by the road, mine is 3 feet deep in a covered box, this valve is extremely hard to close most of the time, it also requires the use of a special tool which may be worth purchasing. It does not have to be closed if there is not a leak between that valve and the house. The second valve is located where the pipe enters the house, they are designed to be operated by hand, be sure to exercise this valve regularly, if it is unable to be turned replace it. After the valve is located tag it, a medal, or plastic tag will work, show the family members where it is. Exercise the valve, open and close it several times if it is hard to operate or can not be operated have the valve repaired or replaced.

  3) Turn off the electric power, locate your electrical meter, outside, in the garage, basement or the side of the house, if you have electricity to your house you have a meter. If you have difficulty locating it your provider will send someone out to help you find it and tutor you to shut the power off. Do not arbitrarily walk up to the meter and "throw" the main breaker, 99 of 100 times it would work. However now you will be dealing with a completely unknown situation, with 480 volts entering the back of the box and following or during an outage precautions must be taken. If the power is out or on the procedure is the same, place each breaker switch into the "off" position first, they are each 110 volts some are dual they are 220 volts. The final step is to turn the main breaker off, your box is now secure when the power is resumed, have your utility company switch it back on unless you have absolute confidence it is safe to do. In the event the power is out for 3 days or longer definitely have your provider re-energize your home.

Your breaker box and meter most likely are similar to this
photo, this is the time for caution. 

Even if the event is short lived, and expected to last for a short while of several hours, be certain to turn all of your appliances off. The power sometimes cycles on and off or will come back on with more or less than 110 volts, it could cause damage to any equipment left on. 220 volt three phase can "single phase" causing failure of an expensive motor.
  These are three simple yet important tasks to perform after the event has run it's course, the gas and electric are capable of starting fires and explosions. Water flooding will make your life misery, rain is bad enough. Three basic tasks that are worthwhile to know and show your neighbors, after all we will all be in these disasters together.
  Thanks for reading, leave a comment or suggestion,

jacquesandkate     emergencykitsplus.com

Becoming self reliant and being as self reliant as you possibly can be, it's not what you think it is, but then again maybe it is

  While sitting on my chair in my garden watering the roses, I had just completed deep watering

Deep green, beautiful pink, what more is there in life?

everything else, I do that every other day. I still don't seem to get enough water to the plants, but it's been really hot here the last week or two. I checked the worm farm, everyone appears to still be content and moist. As I was sitting there in the garden I started to put some thought into this blog, becoming self reliant and my next article for ezine. All of the blogs and articles I write deal with self reliance and making strides in our lives that support that, my intent is not so much to sell a whole bunch of "stuff" to people but to raise their awareness. It's a huge niche involving a universe full of different levels and understanding's of what it is to be "self reliant". I am going to define what it means to me, I have found it's one of those sentences that takes on many definitions. The Rutherford report has a really good paper on what self reliance is click here.
  The term "self reliance" means exactly what you think it does, being able to depend on your skills and knowledge to survive everyday life, that to me is it. I would like to add to the phrase the words, "as you possibly can be." Strive to "be as self reliant as I can possibly be." The more self reliant you become in day to day life the more it will prepare you to be self reliant in the event of a disaster that disrupts your life for a few days or weeks.
 

This is it, self reliance, lots of tomato's let's make a
sandwich, I see three meals in that plant. 

"As you possibly can be." A person living down town San Francisco in a one room apartment is able to reach a level of self reliance. It's possible to grow one tomato plant in a pot on your porch or in a window, supplying tomato's for the summer or possibly longer. The apartment dweller could have a small worm farm under the sink in buckets in an effort to achieve zero garbage. A person could raise a chicken or two in the kitchen, one egg a day guaranteed, most days two. An inner city dweller can establish a 72 hour kit, for blackouts or other incidents that force us to stay in our homes. A flashlight, matches, candles and a case of water for each person, a good basic 72 hour kit, available at the dollar store with the exception of the water. Learn an important skill, become a knot tying expert, rig up a small solar light system, understand how to purify water or dealing with plumbing when the utilities are out. Learn where to shut off the gas, water and electrical supplies, learn first aid. It's all very important in becoming self reliant, and our quest to become as "self reliant as I can possibly be." Pick a skill, master it, pick one that will be to the benefit of everyone you run into, pick one of interest and become passionate about it. A disabled person in the city could become quite self reliant, many have.
  If you live in the suburbs there are many more ways to become "as self reliant as I possibly can be." A person doe's not have to be the supplier of all goods for all people in the times of upheaval in our day to day lives, just some basic items to ease the stress of trying to do without for several days or weeks. Collect rain water in drums, have a small garden, stock up on water, develop skills and passion. An explanation of rain water collection may be read by clicking here.
  I am disabled, I think that is an advantage in becoming self reliant. Confined to a wheel chair, recliner, canes and crutches we, if others are like me, are constantly dreaming up ways to accomplish tasks without asking for help. We are able to become very self reliant and take enormous pride in it. Raised bed gardens, raise earthworms, raise a few chickens, set up 72 hour kits, we are all able to achieve the level of self dependence we desire.

Notice the chicken in the bottom
center? A kitchen coop at one time
was a "must have" kitchen convenience

  We don't have to prepare to evacuate, fight, or any of the stage four disaster preparations that seem to capture the imagination of many people. Most of us have no interest in stockpiling ammunition, firearms or to build a bunker, we want our lives to return to normal as quickly as possible. That's what my business is built on, help people to prepare for that first 3-5 days after a catastrophic event occurs. Having enough on hand to survive 3 days in our homes during a loss of utilities is a noble task, having enough to live for years in isolation is a life style choice. There is a big difference, few people have a desire to live their lives preparing for it to end in a disastrous way.
  Achieving self reliance to any degree is a lot of fun, it's interesting and challenging, there is no cut and dried instruction on what we should each do, it's totally up to the individual. I sat in my scooter helping my grandson rebuild the motor in a truck his mom gave him. Take it to grandpa's house, he will help you fix it, one of my skills is I am a very good mechanic. I sat there telling him what to do, he did all of the work, he succeeded in repairing the truck. I passed some skills on to him, he will pass some of those on to his little brother and so it will continue. They are becoming self reliant by the day. Any skill you master, no matter what it is, is huge in becoming self reliant. My grandson is extremely proud of the fact he repaired that truck, no one can ever take that away from him. Develop passion.
  My wife and I years ago when the kids were small came up with a saying, indeed it's become our motto "complete one positive step every day, no matter what." It can be as small as replacing a light bulb in a hard to get place or as big as painting a fence, just do something, at the end of the year there are 365 tasks completed that may not have gotten done if it wasn't a daily goal. Learn how to build a survival plan, click here.
  In our desire to become as self reliant as we possibly can be, if we decide in a disaster there is no way I can survive without coffee in the morning, make it a priority. If I decide I need that hat with the pony tail sticking out the back in order to survive 3 days, well, that's just the way things are.
  Thank you for reading, please comment, add something, ask a question or criticize I appreciate it all.

jimandkate emergencykitsplus.com

Anderson dam in San Jose spilled over, have you looked at the Fema flood maps? Maybe we all should

  On February 18, 2017 the Anderson dam in San Jose spilled over the top flooding many homes downstream. The previous spill over was in 2006, 9 years earlier during our last deluge. There was confusion prior to and during the overflow, Federal and State regulators had directed the Santa Clara Valley Water District to cap storage at 68 percent to avoid a catastrophic disaster in the event Anderson's dam were to fail due to the very real threat of an earthquake. District officials disagreed saying the chances of that happening were extremely low, then we had the wettest winter in 20 years. The residence went to the dam to take pictures and watch the 70 foot man made waterfall, which was soon to become an uncontrollable situation. In all fairness the District wanted to hold on to the water as long as possible due to the long drought that had preceded it. However it appears they were focused on a one two punch, earthquake, dam collapse finally flood, they planned their odds on a dam failure not an overflow. I wonder if they looked at the FEMA flood maps.

Anderson dam just prior to the overflow, when would you call
for an evacuation?

  The Anderson dam feeds Coyote Creek which flows through numerous residential neighbor hoods as well as mobile home parks. The residence are demanding to know why the authorities did not send an alarm until the water was at their window sills and rising. Some civilians that experienced the flood in 2006 went door to alerting residence it was about to happen again, few took the warning seriously. San Jose's leaders did appear to leave the resident's unprepared for the the worst flooding in 20 years, there was no evacuation alarm sent. 14,000 residents were ordered to evacuate after the floodwaters had filled most homes. Rice University has a web site outlining a well planned out alarm system here.
  In contrast, the Oroville dam (the tallest dam in the U.S.) evacuation was criticized for being early and other issues, but the evacuation was needed and was called at the correct time and situation. Happily Oroville dam is still intact, it does have repairs to be made and political patchwork to do. The people making the calls did not fail in their leadership decisions to evacuate the town, in fact Walmart shoppers were instructed to leave their baskets and evacuate. Oroville did confide in the FEMA flood maps it appears.
  On another hand, (I don't live in San Jose) the Mayor of San Jose Sam Liccardo stepped up to the plate and accepted responsibility on behalf of the City of San Jose. It kind of surprised me because politicians normally take zero responsibility for anything.

Who ends up being the adult in the room?

  It is now four month's later, and the big question is asked "who's to blame?"
  The affected people are suing the City of San Jose, Santa Clara county and the Santa Clara water district to recover their losses from the flood. People were granted $3,000.00 from a private donated fund. That amount was not nearly enough to cover most losses. There appears to be enough blame to be spread around, the real issue is being overlooked.
  I live next to a river, not far from San Jose, 75 miles or so. I have to have flood insurance, I like the people in San Jose live in a "flood zone". We pay to maintain our own levee's, although the entire state benefits from it and will suffer if there is a breach. Our houses must be built above the flood 100 year occurrence level, 14 feet. My second deck is at 13'6", I have to pay more for flood insurance. I'm not complaining, I love living on the California Delta so I will pay mandatory flood, earthquake and homeowners insurance. Everyone on our island is in the same boat, we pay our own way, State, county and city regulated.
  The issue that is being lost in all of this is "Why didn't the people have flood or renter's insurance? One man was on TV the day of the flood saying "I cancelled my flood insurance a few years ago, I'm going to call my agent to see if I can get it re-instated." Unfortunately for him that's not how insurance works, no pay no play, it's important to have if a person want's to return to a somewhat normal life after the disaster. Their levee's were in need of repair, who's responsible for that, we have a special levee district to perform all levee maintenance and repairs. Landlords, the owners of the buildings in many cases did not have flood insurance, they lived within a mile of a dam that was built for flood control. Where was FEMA, every where in the U.S. residents in a flood plain have to buy flood insurance through FEMA. Flood insurance explained click here.  I bet San Jose and the district look at the FEMA flood maps from now on.
 

A breached levee, if you live in a flood zone, there is most likely a levee
involved at some point. This breach affected the entire state of California.

If the people succeed with the lawsuits to recover claims, why am I, my neighbors and other people mandated to buy insurance? Why do we have to maintain our own levee's? Why do we have to build our houses on stilts and live above the high water mark? Apparently the people do not realize what the words "flood zone" means, it's a very serious statement, it's not a joke. There are people in L.A. living on the top a flood control levee and did not know it until FEMA re-wrote the flood rates and notified people. Some live in the water flow, in other words they are living in the river bed that flooded until the flow was diverted by a flood control dam. The residents and landlords should all have had insurance.
  Not only was the water flood a disaster, the entire episode was a disaster. It sounds like Mayor Sam Liccardo is on track to spearhead the efforts to build regulations and procedures to make sure that an event such as this (when it happens again, it will) the City of San Jose, County of Santa Clara, the people and the District will perform in an orderly and sensible way.
  I'd really like to hear your comments, do you think I'm all wet? Do you think flood insurance should be mandatory in a flood zone? Do you live downstream from a flood control dam?

Thanks for reading!

jimandkate  emergencykitsplus.com

1,345,500 fires in 2015, 3200 died and 13,000 civilian injuries the big apartment fire in Oakland this morning was huge

  I woke up this morning sat in my chair and opened up the news paper (yes I'm one of the last news paper readers), I read it on line, the first sight was a stunner. On the front page was a huge photo of another structure fire, this one in Oakland. San Francisco and Oakland have their share of huge fires, it makes a guy realize just how professional the fire fighters are. I'm sure that trait is shared by every fire fighter in the country, most likely the world. I turned the TV on the local news to catch up on the inferno, this fire appeared to be much more intense than the last two or three. Looking from the

It looked a lot like a volcano from above. 

overhead a few blocks away the reporting helicopter (drone perhaps) was looking as straight down into the fire as possible. That fire appeared to be the inside of the Calderon of a volcano, the entire structure was involved. There were 80 fire fighters on the scene, with a uncontrollable tower crane spinning around on it's own, that was an intense scene. The structure that burned down was due to open in 2018, 200 apartments and 31,000 feet of retail space, by 5:45 this morning part of the building had already collapsed, at 8:00 am it was a smoldering pile of unrecognizable building materials. This fire appeared to be identical to the structure fire that erupted October 2016, the similarities are amazing. Learn what according to the Red Cross we should do after a fire click here.
  Across the street is an apartment complex of which was evacuated, an estimated 700 residents were evacuated from nearby buildings. The Red Cross set up a relief center and most of the evacuated people took advantage of it. In one situation an elderly lady was asleep in her bed, she was wearing earplugs. She did not hear the alarms, didn't hear the pounding on her door a policeman busted the door down and hustled her out of the building. How could it have turned out different? Any thing she does to alert people at the door she sleeps with ear plugs in will invite bad actors. The only answer is don't wear earplugs to bed. Waking up people in the middle of the night from the front door is tough, when my neighbors house's burned down a man driving by (we are in a very rural area) beat on her door. She nor her husband woke up immediately and they were not wearing earplugs, it's tough to wake people up.
  I've been wondering all day about the frequency of apartment fires throughout the United States. I would have liked to know how many per week, and per day, however that's a lot of data it does exist someplace I'm sure. What I did find is the statistics for the year 2015 presented by the National Fire Protection Association (click here for more historical information):
There were 1,345,500 fires reported in this country, causing 3,280 civilian deaths, 13,000 civilian injuries, and $10.3 billion in property damage.

Yep, cars burn as well as buildings. 

204,500 were vehicle fires which caused 500 civilian deaths, 1,875 civilian injuries and $1.8 billion in property damage.
639,500 were outside and other fires of which caused 95 civilian deaths, 825 civilian injuries and $252 million in property damage.
  In 2015 a fire department responds to a fire (all fires combined) every 23 seconds, A structure fire occurs every 63 seconds.
One home structure occurs every 86 seconds, a civilian is injured every 34 minutes and a civilian death occurs every 2 hours and 40 minutes.
A highway vehicle fire reported every 3 minutes and 1 second.
  Fire is tragic, it's amazing how quickly a fire can travel through a 7 story building, it was under

construction so there was a lot of air space. Fire officials have not had time to address a cause, I certainly have no idea, there were security guards in the building when it started. Guards in the building underline how hard it must be to cover every part of the building, they did discover it. The best any of us can do in a situation like this is get up and get the heck out. Most of the affected people didn't live in the building, so there wasn't much they could have done proactively, It's wonderful no one was killed. Civilian, firefighter or police.
  Thanks for reading, leave a comment or suggestion, thanks

jimandkate   EmergencyKitsPlus.com