So-Cal Fire Thread -- BYOP*

[Gold]

Re: Malibu burning


Containment is a tricky term. The firefighters can get around a fire, but with the winds, an ember can be blown a couple of miles and another fire can start up.

 

[Angola!]

Re: Malibu burning

This link that google has is pretty interesting. It has maps with information on all of the fires burning.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=117631292961056724014.00043d0e9ca465cefeeed&ll=35.960223,-117.443848&spn=4.827737,8.876953&z=7


Also, this note in the LA Times breaking news blog is crazy. A whole lot of houses are about to burn in this area:

Foothill Ranch's last stand is broken
Firefighters battling the arson blaze racing toward thousands of homes in Foothill Ranch were forced to abandon a mountain peak where they had hoped to make a last stand.

Thirty-foot-tall flames and smoldering embers were bearing down on a Lake Forest neighborhood and residents were evacuating, after fire officials’ pleas for water-dropping helicopters went unanswered.

-- Mike Anton

 

[MileHigh]

Re: Malibu burning

My former paper is doing a great job on updates on the fires in the San Bernardino Mountains (Green Valley Lake/Lake Arrowhead).
They just posted this:

Fire officials estimate that as of 3 p.m., a total of 113 homes have burned in the Grass Valley Fire and 15 in the Slide Fire, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman John Miller.
He emphasized that the numbers are rough estimates.

http://www.insidesocal.com/sb/fire/

 

[Angola!]

Re: Malibu burning

My former paper is doing a great blog on the fires in the San Bernardino Mountains (Green Valley Lake/Lake Arrowhead).
They just posted this:

Fire officials estimate that as of 3 p.m., a total of 113 homes have burned in the Grass Valley Fire and 15 in the Slide Fire, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman John Miller.
He emphasized that the numbers are rough estimates.

http://www.insidesocal.com/sb/fire/

That's a lot of homes. I'm used to the fires in Washington where they just chew up thousands of acres, but rarely burn homes. It is crazy how these fires are burning right in the middle of towns.

 

[buckweaver]

Re: Malibu burning

Air support, as much as they need it, is impossible with the winds as strong as they are. A chopper would stand no chance. Makes it much harder to fight the fires.

 

[Dirk Legume]

Re: Malibu burning

This link that google has is pretty interesting. It has maps with information on all of the fires burning.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=117631292961056724014.00043d0e9ca465cefeeed&ll=35.960223,-117.443848&spn=4.827737,8.876953&z=7


Also, this note in the LA Times breaking news blog is crazy. A whole lot of houses are about to burn in this area:

Foothill Ranch's last stand is broken
Firefighters battling the arson blaze racing toward thousands of homes in Foothill Ranch were forced to abandon a mountain peak where they had hoped to make a last stand.

Thirty-foot-tall flames and smoldering embers were bearing down on a Lake Forest neighborhood and residents were evacuating, after fire officials’ pleas for water-dropping helicopters went unanswered.

-- Mike Anton

Gola,

I was watching the live stream from one of the Socal stations earlier (2 families on my Norcal block have kids going to school in the fire area) They said the reason there were no water drops is because of how strong the winds were down low near the fire. The guy flying the news helicopter was at about 8000 feet and said that even up there the winds were blowing at about 50 knots. Said it was just too dangerous for the fire pilots to go up. Also said the fire pilots weren't happy about it. Which figures since they are part of the group that runs toward trouble while everyone else is running away.


Edit: as usual Buck is there first.

 

[MileHigh]

Re: Malibu burning

The 2003 Old Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains wiped out 91,000 acres and damaged more than 3,400 homes. Nearly 1,000 were destroyed.

 

[Claws for Concern]

Re: Malibu burning

Buck and all, I'm doing OK. I live in San Diego and where I live the smoky air is about the only real danger. It's definitely a crazy situation. My work gave us all today and tomorrow off as I've got co-workers who were evacuated early this morning and another friend of mine when I called him this morning was packing some things together because he was told there was a chance of a fire jumping toward his area. That really sucks.

Qualcomm Stadium is, indeed, an evacuation center. I drove over there already and dropped off an air mattress, pillows, a blanket, playing cards and yes, suntan lotion, as well as some extra water bottles as they had a disaster relief station and they were accepting stuff. One report earlier today said that more than 3,000 people were already there in the parking lots.

The governator has been on TV already as he's visited Malibu and is now in the San Diego area.

Here's hoping everyone stays safe.

 

[MileHigh]

Re: Malibu burning

AP just moved that the Chargers are talking with the Cardinals about moving their practices to Tempe. And Tony Gwynn has been evacuated.

 

[Claws for Concern]

Re: Malibu burning

It's almost to the day from a few years ago when the Chargers-Dolphins Monday night game had to be moved to Arizona.

 

[Firstime Caller]

Re: Malibu burning

Thanks for the well wishes, everybody.

Fortunately, I'm not really experienced at firestorms, but I've been through my fair share of natural disasters.

I'm still relatively new to the area, so my info might be a little sketchy about the areas.

But it seems pretty bad here in the SD area. The I-15 corridor - Escondido, Rancho Bernardo, and I think parts of Poway and Scripps Ranch - is I think under a mandatory evacuation. That's some nice middle-upper class homes as well as a few really nice homes in Poway. (I think Poway is where Tony Gwynn lives as well as a few NFL players.) The area between I-15 to I-5 and between CA-56 and I think CA-78 is under a mandatory evacuation. That area includes super toney Rancho Santa Fe and Carmel Valley. That's where we went to the grocery one time and saw this big crate of carrots and wondered aloud what they were for and a women came up to us and whispered horses, because that's where people have estates with horses and horse properties. There are also evacuations I think Ramona, Lakeside and areas in south and east San Diego county. There are voluntary evacuations in Solana Beach and DelMar.

All over the news, which is on continuously right now, people are saying because of the super dry conditions, wind and high temps, this is the worst firestorm in San Diego and/or CA history. I had a couple of medical appointments - one today and one tomorrow- that have already been canceled. Schools are closed. And people are walking around with breathing masks.

I don't have to evacuate yet. But the evacuation area is close enough that it probably warrants me at least thinking of the stuff that I want to take and maybe gathering it together. Because it's getting close on the north and east of me.

Question to those maybe more experienced with this - if there are fires in LA, where do you evacuate to in SD? Other parts of SD? I'm more used to hurricanes where you get out of dodge in advance.

Claws, is there a place that you know of around SD to drop of pet stuff? I have some pet food samples from when we go to fairs with the dog and they give away food and treats.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

Re: Malibu burning

Claws,
Here's hoping you and everyone else in the area stay safe.

Prayers are coming man.

 

[MileHigh]

Re: Malibu burning

Del Mar race track and the parking lot at Qualcolmm Stadium are serving as evacuation centers in the San Diego area.

 

[Claws for Concern]

Re: Malibu burning

Claws, is there a place that you know of around SD to drop of pet stuff? I have some pet food samples from when we go to fairs with the dog and they give away food and treats.

Qualcomm is as good as any place as I did see lots of people walking their dogs in the parking lot. Lots of schools or churches might also be good places to drop off stuff.

 

[Claws for Concern]

Re: Malibu burning

Claws,
Here's hoping you and everyone else in the area stay safe.

Prayers are coming man.

Thanks. I'm hoping the winds can die down enough that the rescue people and the water dropping planes can help contain the fires.

 

[Angola!]

Re: Malibu burning

Are they bringing stuff in from other states or is there not enough time? I remember firefighters from all over the place descending on Idaho, Washington and Oregon during some really nasty fires growing up.

 

[Claws for Concern]

Re: Malibu burning

I haven't heard anything about outside firefighters coming in, but I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[buckweaver]

Re: Malibu burning

I haven't heard anything about outside firefighters coming in, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Haven't heard anything yet, either. Last year's Esperanza Fire brought in firefighters from at least five different states, and that's definitely S.O.P. for these things.

 

[Claws for Concern]

Re: Malibu burning

Arnold is going to visit Qualcomm Stadium folks tonight, the San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders just said in a live press conference.

 

[Claws for Concern]

Re: Malibu burning

1,200 National Guard troops are on the way to help all efforts, Sanders said.