Dear Family and Friends:

Thank you for your e-mails and messages on my cell phone expressing your concern and prayers

for us. I am sorry that I have not responded very well, but have had limited access to internet, and

the cell phone range has been spotty as my husband and I and our daughter were evacuated and

have gone to various places since leaving our home. I did send out a brief message Monday,

October 9, the morning after we were evacuated that we found out from a friend that our home did

survive - absolutely miraculously, since our neighbors' properties behind us, at the side of us, and

across the street were all destroyed. There was one other home at the top of the cul-de-sac that was

also totally burned and two other homes down the street. So of the 14 families that all share a well

and are part of our homeowners' association, five homes were destroyed. (The neighbor behind us

was not part of the association.)

When we were told by a fireman to evacuate at 2:30 a.m. earlier that Monday morning, October 9,

and we looked out our bedroom balcony in the back of the house and saw a wall of fire coming up

over the ridge of the hills behind us, it looked like it was headed directly for us. And with the 65-

75 mph winds, we did not think there was much hope that any of our homes could survive, but

before we evacuated we had a family prayer and my husband gave our home a special blessing. I

am sure that helped. It has also helped that so many of you were praying for us.

It also helped that Kurt had always kept our high grass and weeds mowed really low and in the

back of the home we had gravel next to the home instead of grass or any plants. We also had a row

of redwood trees all along the fence in the back of the home that helped since redwoods are really

resilient to fire. One could see where they had had some fire damage, but they are still standing

and are, for the most part still green and alive and well. I'm sure they must have received the brunt

of the sparks that were flying from the raging fire. One can also see patches of grass that had

burned but all far away from our home. There does not seem to be any sign of any spark reaching

our wooden deck or roof, again we think it was the combination of all the factors above - but

definitely the protection of God. We are feeling very blessed and fortunate especially when you

hear of all the devastation of other parts of Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Napa and Calistoga, and the fires

are still raging.

Statistics: As of October 19, eleven days after the fires started, these are the statistics: Originally

there were 19 various fires burning in 8 counties; the worst hit were Sonoma and Napa, especially

Santa Rosa. Twenty thousand people had to be evacuated. There are now 42 people dead. (The

breakdown by county is Sonoma County - 23 deaths, all from the Tubbs fire; Mendocino County - 8, Napa

County - 7 and Yuba County - 4.) There are 5,700 homes and buildings destroyed; 250,000 acres burned;

50 people remain missing (originally it was over 2,000).

Homes in Santa Rosa Destroyed: In total there were close to 3,000 homes destroyed. The hardest

hit area were 1300 homes in Coffee Park; 500 in Fountain Grove area; and 500 in the Larkfield-

Wikiup area. As the New York Times stated, almost all homes were “totally destroyed”: “A ground

survey of the neighborhood [of Coffee Park] found almost no homes that sustained partial damage.

The homes were either seemingly untouched or completely burned to the ground.”

(https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/14/us/california-fire-building-damage.html.) One of the famous

homes that was destroyed belonged to Jean Schulz, wife of the late, great Peanuts' Creator, Charles

Schulz.

Apartments and Assisted Living Buildings and Mobile Parks Destroyed: There were several:

Overlook Apartments, one of 8 building was destroyed; Vintage Circle – 50 homes destroyed,

Villa Capri Assisted Living Facility totally destroyed. Journeys End behind Kaiser Hospital was

totally destroyed.

Schools that were totally or partially destroyed were: the 7th Day Adventist Redwood Academy;

the Cardinal Newman High School (partially destroyed); the Satellite School, part of Hidden

Valley Elementary School; and the Anova School for autistic children, part of the Luther Burbank

Center which was almost totally destroyed

Hotels destroyed were: the Hilton – 250 room hotel, and the Round Barn Inn and the Fountain

Grove Inn.

Stores, Restaurants and other Businesses: Kmart, McDonalds,’ Traders Joe, Keysight

Technologies, Lash Co, Loft Salon, Mountain Mike’s Pizza, Nature’s Grove Market, Omni Golf,

Paradise Ridge Winery, Puerto Vallarta Mexican Restaurant burned to the ground, Sweet T's

Southern Restaurant & Bar totally destroyed, Fountaingrove Golf and Athletic Clubhouse

destroyed, Northtown Animal Hospital burned to the ground, but the animals inside were rescued.

Containment: The Tubbs fire is now 91% contained. It is the one that got started down in the

valley of Calistoga and came up over the mountain with the 65 – 85 mph winds and was responsible

for all of the destruction to the homes and building in Santa Rosa. The Nuns fire that has combined

with the Oakmont fire (burning close to the Oakmont Retirement Community and on Sugar Loaf

Mountain) is 80% contained. The Atlas fire burning in Napa and Solono county is 84% contained.

The Pocket fire burning in Geyserville is 63% contained. The Redwood Valley fire in Mendocino

County is 75% contained. Overall containment has been postponed until Tuesday, October 24th.

Shelters and Housing: Shelters are still housing the many homeless people. Since there are so

few rentals available for those people who need a place to stay while they rebuild, there is talk of

bringing in massive numbers of FEMA trailers for the thousands of people who will need

temporary housing.

Personal Experience Losing a Home to Fire: Having lost our home to a fire back in 1984, when

we had just been in Santa Rosa two years, we know what suddenly being homeless because of a

fire is like and know the sadness and despair that thousands of people in these cities are now

feeling. It is so sad to hear that many of the firemen who are involved fighting these blazes have

also lost their homes and a new fire station was also destroyed. Many of the police helping have

also lost their homes. Many of the city and county officials trying to give aid and comfort to others

have also lost their homes. Our hearts and prayers go out to all of them.

Even though we are so fortunate to still have a home, we will not be able to return to it for perhaps

weeks. The entrance to Wallace Road is closed with a police blockade and no one is allowed to go

back because of downed power lines and no electricity and no water and to prevent looting.

I and my husband are now in our vacation home in Heber City Utah. We arrived early Saturday

morning, October 14. We decided that would be the best thing for us to do. We did not want to be

a burden to others in having to stay at a shelter or friend’s homes (which we did for two days.) We

tried spending the night in a hotel, but when we arrived, we were told that all people in the hotel

had to be evacuated because of the possibility of approaching fire. (Two hotels had already been

burned to the ground.)

Since Kurt and I are so fortunate to have a second home, we decided to drive to it. We also have a

son and his family close by in Midway Utah and celebrated his 47th birthday with him yesterday.

We also celebrated that we are all alive and well and our Santa Rosa home was saved. [Our

daughter Hanni chose to stay in Santa Rosa since she is a teacher and hopes to soon be back to her

school teaching (though the schools will all be closed for another week). A friend from Hanni's

high school days, Jennifer, has asked her to stay with her. They had to evacuate to Jennifer's

parents’ home, but were told last night they can finally return to Jennifer's home. We are still

waiting to receive word when we can return.

Thank you again for your e-mails, phone calls, prayers and concerns. I hope you are well. For

those of you who are Eagle Forum members, you will be happy to know that all of our Sonoma

County Board are alive and well and still have their homes (with the exception of one – Dorothy

De Mare, who passed away Oct. 17, due to an automobile accident – please read what is written

about her after this article). All of our state board are also well and have their homes. There are

still fires raging in Orange County in Southern California, where many of our State Board officers

live, and fires have just broken out recently in the Santa Cruz mountains. We still need lots of

prayers for the entire state. We need prayers for the thousands who are now homeless and in

despair. Pray for them that they will be comforted and have hope and faith to go on. Pray for the

protection of the thousands of firemen and police. And please pray for rain, lots of it, so these

fires can finally be stopped and be put out.

Blessings to all of you,

With Love and Gratitude,

Orlean and Kurt Koehle

Here are a few pictures so you can see what has happened to a once beautiful Santa Rosa.

Map showing the Coffee Park Fires – 1300 homes destroyed in red – 8,000 people now homeless

Coffee Park area before the fire

Coffee park after the fire - a video shows close ups of the burned lots – almost all with nothing left but inches of fine dust. Firemen and former homeowners described it as a “war zone.”

https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K3HDicBEqk

Amazing how the fire just suddenly stops at one street in the Coffee Park area, so everything on the

other side is perfectly fine.

An aerial picture of Fountain Grove showing 500 homes already burned -l the ashen-white spots

A man watches his home burn in the Fountain Grove area

Seniors Mobile Home Park “Journey's End” Totally Destroyed

The Hilton Hotel on fire - later burned to the ground

Fountain Grove Inn Burning showing a burned-out car - all glass melted, tires melted, aluminum dripping

off the tire rims – Trees still standing with leaves on it – What kind of a fire is this?

A police officer showing a ribbon of aluminum that has melted from the rims of tires

The newest built Fire Station, part of Fountain Grove, partially destroyed. Notice no glass in the

windows and the twisted metal

The Koehle home that survived while several homes on the hillside behind us, the home immediately behind us and our neighbors at the left and across the street were all destroyed. Notice our trees are still standing, and even where the homes are destroyed, trees are standing. A very strange fire that burns homes to the ground and leaves trees? One can see the haze of smoke that has been hanging on for more than a week.

Suggested videos and you tube clips that answer questions and elaborate on what a strange fire this is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQy5CDDzhoc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMfCj4LswwA

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2017/10/proof-ca-fires-started-by-haarp-deep-state-insanity-

3562611.html

How and Why CA Fires Were DEW Created