Giant Chunks Of Ash Fall In Santa Rosa As Glass Fire Rages Nearby
(CNN) -- Residents in northern California are dealing with more than just smoke from deadly wildfires in the area, with pictures showing shockingly large chunks of ash that have fallen.
Santa Rosa resident Morgan Balaei told CNN Monday she has seen at least two large pieces of ash fall from the sky over her neighborhood in California.
The Glass Fire has exploded to more than 36,000 acres in less than 48 hours, forcing thousands of people to evacuate.
Balaei shared her photos with CNN, one showing a giant piece of ash found outside her home Sunday.
"It was laying in the street in front of my house," Balaei told CNN of the large ash chunk. "At first it looked like someone's toupee."
Balaei said the ash that's been falling since the Glass Fire started on Sunday has mostly been burnt leaves and white ash.
"I could hear it landing on my car," she said. A second photo taken by Balaei from inside her car shows ash covering the windshield.
She also found another big piece of ash Monday afternoon in her blood orange tree.
While Balaei lives in an area that has not yet been evacuated, she told CNN the fire is still too close for comfort. She and her family have dealt with the threat of fires before and she knows it's best to prepare.
"We, fortunately, learned from previous fires and had all of our important documents and family memorabilia packed and in an easily accessible place, and started loading our cars last night around midnight after all the alerts started," Balaei told CNN. "We have decided to wait for the mandatory evacuation notice, if it comes, before we leave."
Balaei said that her family did evacuate in 2017 for the Tubbs Fire and it was "really hard."
"As a family we decided that we would rather be at home for as long as we could and would leave when told to do so," she said, adding that the ash she's seeing is concerning.
"I find this fire different with regards to the amount of ash and the fact that you see a lot of burnt leaves among it."
The-CNN-Wire
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