my prayers go out to all-
below is the link to where Furluvcats lives -
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?co ... a&state=CA
The latest about the California wildfires
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azskyman
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Re: Breaking News-Thousands flee massive California wildfires
Here's a noon update as I hear and know it.
Winds coming across the desert and Imperial Valley are not nearly so potent thus far today with gusts to 30-40 mph in the passes. Since winds are primarly moving from NE to SW, the mountains have been breaking some of that force along the way. Much of the populated area around San Diego where fires burned ferociously yesterday have more calm conditions today.
Not so on the north flank between San Diego and Temecula where Furluvcats lives. There are more than just "hot spots" in some of those locations. Uncontrolled burning is more the reality as there are many hills and mountains in that area.
There is a lot of air support in the form of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft near the Harris Fire to the SE of San Diego. With the lighter winds, it has been much less aggressive today. Still, the fire is right on the fringe of heavily populated areas and afternoon gusts will pump up, especially in and near the fires themselves.
These fires will have a major impact on the area from San Diego to LA for seasons to come as nature does its balancing act once again.
Fingers crossed still for my son's home...but looking better today than yesterday.
Winds coming across the desert and Imperial Valley are not nearly so potent thus far today with gusts to 30-40 mph in the passes. Since winds are primarly moving from NE to SW, the mountains have been breaking some of that force along the way. Much of the populated area around San Diego where fires burned ferociously yesterday have more calm conditions today.
Not so on the north flank between San Diego and Temecula where Furluvcats lives. There are more than just "hot spots" in some of those locations. Uncontrolled burning is more the reality as there are many hills and mountains in that area.
There is a lot of air support in the form of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft near the Harris Fire to the SE of San Diego. With the lighter winds, it has been much less aggressive today. Still, the fire is right on the fringe of heavily populated areas and afternoon gusts will pump up, especially in and near the fires themselves.
These fires will have a major impact on the area from San Diego to LA for seasons to come as nature does its balancing act once again.
Fingers crossed still for my son's home...but looking better today than yesterday.
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Hybridstorm_November2001
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azskyman
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Just got a short message from Furluvcats. She is not in immediate danger, but tonight will be tricky for them. They are east of the Fallbrook Fire and north of the original Witch Fire. Tough open country and a lot of vineyards around. But for the moment, she seems to be hanging in there.
Would be really tough to evacuate the entire metro San Diego area as most roads go north-south and would add to the Los Angeles traffic and evacuation woes. I-8 goes out of San Diego to the east, but there is literally not enough places to stay, enough gas stations to take care of, or enough food stops to handle, such a mass evacuation.
There are hundreds of thousands of acres in the high country followed by about 100 miles of desert and sand dunes once you leave the city. And one main E/W road out.
As long as new fires don't erupt or conditions get windier again on Wednesday, they will find a way to "weather the storm" near home.
Would be really tough to evacuate the entire metro San Diego area as most roads go north-south and would add to the Los Angeles traffic and evacuation woes. I-8 goes out of San Diego to the east, but there is literally not enough places to stay, enough gas stations to take care of, or enough food stops to handle, such a mass evacuation.
There are hundreds of thousands of acres in the high country followed by about 100 miles of desert and sand dunes once you leave the city. And one main E/W road out.
As long as new fires don't erupt or conditions get windier again on Wednesday, they will find a way to "weather the storm" near home.
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From the sports side of things, San Diego Padres and San Diego Chargers are apparently both affected. Qualcomm Stadium's now a shelter, and the Padres have offered to use PETCO Park as a shelter as well.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071023&content_id=2276985&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb wrote:The Padres have been in contact with the mayor's office and other local officials since Monday, and have extended an offer to make PETCO Park available if needed as a temporary shelter, utilizing the service level as a "sleeping area" with 400 cots.
The Padres sent a group of front office staff to Qualcomm Stadium, which is being used as an evacuation site, to assist the Salvation Army efforts there.
Players Kevin Kouzmanoff and Adrian Gonzalez joined the group. The main volunteer effort will include serving food and beverages to evacuees.
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angelwing
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Re: Breaking News-Thousands flee massive California wildfires
1 Million forced to flee:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hzNK ... s4-ePFG2FA
Raging Calif. Wildfires Force 1M to Flee
By GILLIAN FLACCUS – 1 hour ago
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Faced with unrelenting winds whipping wildfires into a frenzy across Southern California, firefighters all but conceded defeat Tuesday to an unstoppable force that has already chased nearly a million people away.
Unless the shrieking Santa Ana winds subside, and that's not expected for at least another day, fire crews say they can do little more than try to wait it out and react — tamping out spot fires and chasing ribbons of airborne embers to keep new fires from flaring.
"If it's this big and blowing with as much wind as it's got, it'll go all the way to the ocean before it stops," said San Diego Fire Capt. Kirk Humphries. "We can save some stuff but we can't stop it."
Tentacles of unpredictable, shifting flame have burned across nearly 600 square miles, killing two people, destroying more than 1,300 homes and prompting one of the biggest evacuations in California history, from north of Los Angeles, through San Diego to the Mexican border.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the flames were threatening 68,000 more homes.
"We have had an unfortunate situation that we've had three things come together: very dry areas, very hot weather and then a lot of wind," Schwarzenegger said. "And so this makes the perfect storm for a fire."
In Rancho Santa Fe, a suburb north of San Diego, houses burned just yards from where fire crews fought to contain flames engulfing other properties. In the mountain community of Lake Arrowhead, cabins and vacation homes went up in flames with no fire crews in sight.
"These winds are so strong, we're not trying to fight this fire," said firefighter Jim Gelrud, an engineer from Vista, Calif. "We're just trying to save the buildings."
More than a dozen wildfires blowing across Southern California since Sunday have killed two people and forced the evacuation of more than 350,000 houses, encompassing nearly 950,000 people based on average household size. More than 40 people have been injured, including 16 firefighters.
President Bush, who planned to visit the region Thursday, declared a federal emergency for seven counties, a move that will speed disaster-relief efforts.
The sweeping devastation was reminiscent of blazes that tore through Southern California four years ago, killing 22 and destroying 3,640 homes.
The ferocity of the Santa Ana winds in 2003 forced crews to discard their traditional strategy and focus on keeping up with the fire and putting out spot blazes that threatened homes.
Fire crews were especially concerned about dense eucalyptus groves in Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe, fearing the highly flammable trees could turn neighborhoods prized for their secluded serenity into potential tinderboxes.
The usual tactic is to surround a fire on two sides and try to choke it off. But with fires whipped by gusts that have surpassed 100 mph, that strategy doesn't work because embers can be swept miles ahead of the fire's front line. In those cases, crews must keep 10 to 30 feet back from the flames or risk their own lives, Los Angeles County firefighter Daryl Parish said.
Any flame longer than 8 feet is considered unstoppable, and even water and fire retardant will evaporate before they reach the ground, said Gordon Schmidt, a retired U.S. Forest Service deputy director of fire management.
"In these situations, the strategy generally is to fall back," he said. "You pick and choose your priorities in terms of what you can protect. Instead of trying to stop the fire, you try to prevent it from burning resources."
In the suburbs north of San Diego, firefighters did just that as fingers of flame pulsed across a 10-lane freeway and raced up a hill on the opposite side in just seconds. The fire engulfed white-washed homes at the top of the ridge.
Groves of eucalyptus trees exploded in the heat in one ritzy cul-de-sac in Rancho Santa Fe, sending off a scattered popping that sounded like machine gun fire.
Firefighters parked their rigs in the driveways of the most threatened homes and hosed down fences and open space around homes as a blood-red sun set over a sky choked with smoke and falling ash.
Firefighters battling two fast-moving blazes in Lake Arrowhead, in the San Bernardino Mountains about 130 miles east of Los Angeles, were also taxed by steep terrain, winding roads and a forest packed with dead or dying trees.
More than 200 homes burned in Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs, fire officials said.
At least three times in the past two days, fire crews have been forced to "pull off, and wait for things to calm down" because of danger, said San Bernardino National Forest Ranger Kurt Winchester.
"In a lot of places, you just have to back off and let the fire go," he said. "There's nothing we can do."
In Rancho Santa Fe, neighbors tried to protect a friend's home with a garden hose Monday night as flames raced up a ridge directly behind the house. Yards away, an engine crew kept watch as another home, already fully engulfed, burned to the ground.
"We told the firemen about (this house) and we put out a few hot spots," said friend Gary Rich. "They told us once they put out that house, they'd come over here."
But, Rich said, encroaching flames were making him nervous and he might leave before then.
Fighting a gusty blaze also puts the firefighters in harm's way. At least twice in the last two days, firefighters have had to unfurl their emergency fire shelters — small fire-resistant tents to shield them when they can't escape a fire.
Weather conditions only grew worse, with temperatures across Southern California about 10 degrees above average. Temperatures were in the 90s by mid-afternoon and wind gusts up to 60 mph were expected in mountains and canyons.
In the San Diego suburb of Del Dios, fire completely destroyed one home but seemed to touch other items at random. Two lawn chairs and an umbrella were left in a burnt, melted heap on the patio. But behind the house, near a murky brown swimming pool, two chaise lounges and a four-foot-tall decorative fountain survived unscathed.
J.C. Playford, an evacuee from the nearby community of Ramona, surveyed the damage and wondered whether his own home was still standing.
"I've got two reports, one person told me it's gone, and one person said it's still there," he said, "So I have no idea."
Associated Press writers Allison Hoffman contributed to this story from San Diego; Martha Mendoza reported from Lake Arrowhead; and Jacob Adelman contributed from Santa Clarita.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hzNK ... s4-ePFG2FA
Raging Calif. Wildfires Force 1M to Flee
By GILLIAN FLACCUS – 1 hour ago
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Faced with unrelenting winds whipping wildfires into a frenzy across Southern California, firefighters all but conceded defeat Tuesday to an unstoppable force that has already chased nearly a million people away.
Unless the shrieking Santa Ana winds subside, and that's not expected for at least another day, fire crews say they can do little more than try to wait it out and react — tamping out spot fires and chasing ribbons of airborne embers to keep new fires from flaring.
"If it's this big and blowing with as much wind as it's got, it'll go all the way to the ocean before it stops," said San Diego Fire Capt. Kirk Humphries. "We can save some stuff but we can't stop it."
Tentacles of unpredictable, shifting flame have burned across nearly 600 square miles, killing two people, destroying more than 1,300 homes and prompting one of the biggest evacuations in California history, from north of Los Angeles, through San Diego to the Mexican border.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the flames were threatening 68,000 more homes.
"We have had an unfortunate situation that we've had three things come together: very dry areas, very hot weather and then a lot of wind," Schwarzenegger said. "And so this makes the perfect storm for a fire."
In Rancho Santa Fe, a suburb north of San Diego, houses burned just yards from where fire crews fought to contain flames engulfing other properties. In the mountain community of Lake Arrowhead, cabins and vacation homes went up in flames with no fire crews in sight.
"These winds are so strong, we're not trying to fight this fire," said firefighter Jim Gelrud, an engineer from Vista, Calif. "We're just trying to save the buildings."
More than a dozen wildfires blowing across Southern California since Sunday have killed two people and forced the evacuation of more than 350,000 houses, encompassing nearly 950,000 people based on average household size. More than 40 people have been injured, including 16 firefighters.
President Bush, who planned to visit the region Thursday, declared a federal emergency for seven counties, a move that will speed disaster-relief efforts.
The sweeping devastation was reminiscent of blazes that tore through Southern California four years ago, killing 22 and destroying 3,640 homes.
The ferocity of the Santa Ana winds in 2003 forced crews to discard their traditional strategy and focus on keeping up with the fire and putting out spot blazes that threatened homes.
Fire crews were especially concerned about dense eucalyptus groves in Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe, fearing the highly flammable trees could turn neighborhoods prized for their secluded serenity into potential tinderboxes.
The usual tactic is to surround a fire on two sides and try to choke it off. But with fires whipped by gusts that have surpassed 100 mph, that strategy doesn't work because embers can be swept miles ahead of the fire's front line. In those cases, crews must keep 10 to 30 feet back from the flames or risk their own lives, Los Angeles County firefighter Daryl Parish said.
Any flame longer than 8 feet is considered unstoppable, and even water and fire retardant will evaporate before they reach the ground, said Gordon Schmidt, a retired U.S. Forest Service deputy director of fire management.
"In these situations, the strategy generally is to fall back," he said. "You pick and choose your priorities in terms of what you can protect. Instead of trying to stop the fire, you try to prevent it from burning resources."
In the suburbs north of San Diego, firefighters did just that as fingers of flame pulsed across a 10-lane freeway and raced up a hill on the opposite side in just seconds. The fire engulfed white-washed homes at the top of the ridge.
Groves of eucalyptus trees exploded in the heat in one ritzy cul-de-sac in Rancho Santa Fe, sending off a scattered popping that sounded like machine gun fire.
Firefighters parked their rigs in the driveways of the most threatened homes and hosed down fences and open space around homes as a blood-red sun set over a sky choked with smoke and falling ash.
Firefighters battling two fast-moving blazes in Lake Arrowhead, in the San Bernardino Mountains about 130 miles east of Los Angeles, were also taxed by steep terrain, winding roads and a forest packed with dead or dying trees.
More than 200 homes burned in Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs, fire officials said.
At least three times in the past two days, fire crews have been forced to "pull off, and wait for things to calm down" because of danger, said San Bernardino National Forest Ranger Kurt Winchester.
"In a lot of places, you just have to back off and let the fire go," he said. "There's nothing we can do."
In Rancho Santa Fe, neighbors tried to protect a friend's home with a garden hose Monday night as flames raced up a ridge directly behind the house. Yards away, an engine crew kept watch as another home, already fully engulfed, burned to the ground.
"We told the firemen about (this house) and we put out a few hot spots," said friend Gary Rich. "They told us once they put out that house, they'd come over here."
But, Rich said, encroaching flames were making him nervous and he might leave before then.
Fighting a gusty blaze also puts the firefighters in harm's way. At least twice in the last two days, firefighters have had to unfurl their emergency fire shelters — small fire-resistant tents to shield them when they can't escape a fire.
Weather conditions only grew worse, with temperatures across Southern California about 10 degrees above average. Temperatures were in the 90s by mid-afternoon and wind gusts up to 60 mph were expected in mountains and canyons.
In the San Diego suburb of Del Dios, fire completely destroyed one home but seemed to touch other items at random. Two lawn chairs and an umbrella were left in a burnt, melted heap on the patio. But behind the house, near a murky brown swimming pool, two chaise lounges and a four-foot-tall decorative fountain survived unscathed.
J.C. Playford, an evacuee from the nearby community of Ramona, surveyed the damage and wondered whether his own home was still standing.
"I've got two reports, one person told me it's gone, and one person said it's still there," he said, "So I have no idea."
Associated Press writers Allison Hoffman contributed to this story from San Diego; Martha Mendoza reported from Lake Arrowhead; and Jacob Adelman contributed from Santa Clarita.
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azskyman
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Re: Breaking News-Thousands flee massive California wildfires
A personal update. Son Jarrod and his wife were able to return to their home today. Fire remains about 3 miles away but because of massive firefighting efforts from planes and choppers, the fire seems to be under control for the night. Winds are calm near the Harris Fire.
Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. No one is out of trouble just yet as tomorrow will likely be a hot day to 90 degrees with low humidity.
And there are some crazies out there who might try to set another fire for their own entertainment. Sick, really sick, if they do.
Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. No one is out of trouble just yet as tomorrow will likely be a hot day to 90 degrees with low humidity.
And there are some crazies out there who might try to set another fire for their own entertainment. Sick, really sick, if they do.
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Stephanie
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Re: Breaking News-Thousands flee massive California wildfires
I remembered that Furry lived in Temecula after looking at Map Quest for the area affected by the fire.
I'm glad that your son and Furry are both safe for now. The winds are SLOWLY subsiding and will continue to do so over the next several days.
I'm glad that your son and Furry are both safe for now. The winds are SLOWLY subsiding and will continue to do so over the next several days.
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Derek Ortt
Re: Breaking News-Thousands flee massive California wildfires
http://www.knbc.com/news/14392969/detail.html
ARSON.
Try and execute those responsible for treason is all I can say. Why would one want to deliberately burn their own country and kill their fellow citizens?
ARSON.
Try and execute those responsible for treason is all I can say. Why would one want to deliberately burn their own country and kill their fellow citizens?
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CrazyC83
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Re: Breaking News-Thousands flee massive California wildfires
azskyman wrote:A personal update. Son Jarrod and his wife were able to return to their home today. Fire remains about 3 miles away but because of massive firefighting efforts from planes and choppers, the fire seems to be under control for the night. Winds are calm near the Harris Fire.
Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. No one is out of trouble just yet as tomorrow will likely be a hot day to 90 degrees with low humidity.
And there are some crazies out there who might try to set another fire for their own entertainment. Sick, really sick, if they do.
There should be a super-strict fire restriction. Anyone who starts an uncontrolled fire, even unintentionally, should be immediately charged with arson in these circumstances.
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Aslkahuna
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Re: Breaking News-Thousands flee massive California wildfires
They are and if someone is killed in the fire they set they are charged with Murder One and face the Death Penalty.
Steve
Steve
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Matt-hurricanewatcher
Re: Breaking News-Thousands flee massive California wildfires
I agree with Derek, this garbage should not be allowed to live for this.
In other news the Witch fire is almost 200,000 acres in size. Making it the third largest in the history of California, but the Cinder fire of 2003 is near 284,000 acres, it might not get there. We will see.
In other news the Witch fire is almost 200,000 acres in size. Making it the third largest in the history of California, but the Cinder fire of 2003 is near 284,000 acres, it might not get there. We will see.
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HurricaneBill
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Re: Breaking News-Thousands flee massive California wildfires
6 deaths have been linked to the fires.
At least 45 people, including 21 firefighters, have been injured.
Damages have topped $1 billion.
At least 45 people, including 21 firefighters, have been injured.
Damages have topped $1 billion.
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Cryomaniac
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Well, it's a form of terrorism, but not the kind of terrorism you are talking about. When terrorist attack, they usually do it at a major scale, not brush fires.Who is online
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