Big Fires in Southern California

[BBOvenGuy]

Here's a thread to talk about the big fires currently raging across Southern California - from Fontana in the east to Simi Valley in the west and Camp Pendleton in the south. If you're in the fire zone, check in and let us know you're okay, and share a fire story or two if you've got one. If you're not in the fire zone, here's your chance to lend some support.



It's been smoky here in Moorpark since I got home from work yesterday afternoon. One of the fires started up in the Piru/Santa Clarita area, and the wind was blowing our way. All day long today, the air smelled like leaf-burning time back in the Midwest, and the smoke was turning the sunlight all sorts of different colors. Then this evening the news reported that the fire had jumped the 118 freeway. I suddenly realized that it was a lot closer than I thought it was. I got in my car and planned to drive up a nearby hill to see if I could see anything.



As it turned out, I didn't need the hill. The fire had come all the way up to the 23 freeway, right across from the shopping center where my local Target is, only a mile from my apartment. If the fire had jumped the 23 freeway, we would have been in trouble - but fortunately the winds died down and the fire eventually circled around on itself and burned out.



I got some pics, both from the parking lot and from a park up on the nearby hillside. Check them out:















We could still be in trouble if the wind picks up again tomorrow, but I think we've seen the worst of it here. I hope everyone else is all right.

"The first task of anyone, lest you get canceled, is to entertain people, because they ain't there for message." - Dick Wolf

[pacou]

Hey, I just wanted to say that those big fires look pretty... bad I hope that everyone who is in the fire zone right now is alright... like BBOvenGuy said, please leave a message that you're alright when you are in that zone... I'm with all those people who might lose their homes, I hope everything turns out well in the end... Well anyway, just thought I'd share that I'm really scared about it... although I'm living in Germany and I'm not directly affected... those fires still so suck!!!

I'm with anyone who is there right now...



I'm glad that you escaped BBOvenGuy



-Viv-

"Love is an irresistable desire to be irresistably desired."
Robert Frost

[urnofosiris]

It was on the news here last night. It looks pretty scary. This summer big parts of Southern Europe have had to deal with devastating fires as well. It has been a very dry and very hot summer all around the northern hemisfeer it seems. I hope everyone will be ok, you too Bob, man you just moved there right? Ick.

The last mosquito that bit me had to check into the Betty Ford Clinic.

--Patsy Stone

[Moon to the Tide]

My thoughts are with the people in those areas.

Keep safe.

"Arriving quickly--you, Blessed One,with a smile on your unaging face,asking again what have I suffered and why am I calling again... "

[angelofinsanity]

shit the fire looks very intense (good pics though!)............damn- hopes and well wishes to all those affected by the fires.



STacy

[mscheckmate]

I live on the coast in Los Angeles County, an area many miles away from the fires. But the air here smells of smoke, and our cars have ashes on them. It's nearly as bad as it was in 1993, when Malibu, Laguna Beach, and Altadena were burning.

My heart goes out to those who have lost their homes; the one consolation is that many people were home when the fires turned toward their homes, and were able to gather up their animals, and perhaps a few possessions, before they had to evacuate.



My gf and my sister live in areas at high risk for brush fires, so our family is always on-edge this time of year. GF lives in a rural area of Orange County, and the residents have a fire-watch program. Last year, she and I spent July 4th driving through the Santa Ana Mountains patrolling for fires, and, not far from the Ortega Highway, we came across an illegal campfire set in a road-side turnout. Get this: the wind was blowing, the campers were no more than ten feet from brush that hadn't burned in years, they'd passed several signs on the way to their campsite that stated that fires were prohibited outside of campgrounds, yet they'd decided that having a romantic, fire-lit dinner was more important than keeping themselves and others safe. Of course, they put it out right away when we explained to them that they were about to light the whole mountain range on fire, and that they'd be liable for the millions of dollars in fire-fighting expenses.



This year, GF's fire-watch colleagues found two incendiary devices in their canyon, which, thank God, didn't ignite. Unfortunately, this weather brings out not only the idiots, but the arsonists.

I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves.—G.W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003

Edited by: mscheckmate at: 10/26/03 9:46 am

[Grimaldi]

watching the news reports about the fires and seeing people's homes being destroyed was really sad



i don't live in the fire zone, but living in Orange County i can smell the fires, and it was weird going out to my car and seeing ash on it.

I'm not stealing, I'm just taking things without paying for them. In what twisted dictionary is that stealing?
Oh man, I hate pornos that try to tell a story

[BBOvenGuy]

Sunday morning and I'm still here. The fire has circled around north of me. My local freeways, the 118 and the 23, are still closed, and the highway going north up to Fillmore is also closed. The sunlight is back to its usual brightness, although it still smells like smoke outside.



I have some work to catch up on this morning, but I think this afternoon I'll go out and take a look around. I've got an evacuation priority list in my head in case the fire comes back our way. Cats, computer and cameras are at the top.



Meanwhile, the San Bernardino fire has spread all the way to Claremont and LaVerne now. I know people who live there. I hope they're all right.

"The first task of anyone, lest you get canceled, is to entertain people, because they ain't there for message." - Dick Wolf

Edited by: BBOvenGuy  at: 10/26/03 9:51 am

[xita]

Bob, take care of yourself, try to get as much clean air as possible. It's pretty bad around here, never seen this. Although, I've been very lucky. I am surrounded by fire but none near enough to drop ash or even get smoke overhead. We can see it off in the distance though. Good luck to everyone.

- - - - - - - - - - -
"Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose."

-Me & Bobby
McGee

[katydid0317]

I went to bed last night thinking the fires were a bit north of us...and woke up this morning with my roommate telling me to watch the news. I live in the Mira Mesa part of San Diego, and the fires have pretty much gone all around us. The part we really worry about is the fire at Miramar and I 15, which would be our escape route. So, right now all we do is smell lots of smoke, see lots of ash, but we are all fine right now. The four of us are huddled here until we are told to leave. Hopefully, it won't head this direction. As of last count...the fires were about a mile and a half from my home.



I will keep you all informed if something happens.



Katie

--------
She practically had genuine molded plastic stamped on her ass.

[technopagan78]

I'm located within a few miles of one of the fires, but outside of falling ash and soot and smoke, my neighborhood is sufficiently south or west of the conflagration and therefore in no real danger. There is, however, a semi-circle of smoke surrounding us and the light is so choked back that it has seemed since nine o'clock this morning as if it were dusk.



Directly overhead, the sky is red in color. Yesterday, someone imagined to me that this must be what it looks like on Mars. Homes, sidewalks and plants are spotted with debris. My pale blue car appears to be gray. Inside my house, it smells like the world's biggest bon fire is burning one or two blocks away. For the first time since March, I have closed all of my windows.



The oddest thing about the past few days has been the absence of people around my neighborhood. The smoke is too thick to do outside things, hence no one cutting his or her lawn or holding a yard sale. Kids are being kept inside. And last night, on my evening walk, I saw only one cat, when normally I would see a dozen or so, and I did not see any skunks, raccoons, or possums. I have not heard any birds singing since Friday. It's as if everything and everyone is in hiding.



On the other hand, yesterday, while driving past the local Ralph's Grocery, I noticed some of the striking workers were wearing surgical masks.



The one piece of good news is that the Santa Ana winds are not yet blowing. Yesterday, by the time of this posting we were seeing considerable gusts, which no doubt helped to ensure the burning of some 200 homes in San Bernardino.



This is by far the worst I've seen in terms of fire. There are wild fires yearly, but never this bad. Usually, only homes and structures in the foothills and mountains have been brought down. This year that has not been the case. Communities that probably imagined that they were beyond the reach of wild fires have been hurt this year.



Good luck to everyone caught up in this calamity.

[BBOvenGuy]

I went back out this afternoon and returned to the park where I was last night. The fire that was burning was out, and the hillside was brown and black. The smoke was turning the sun all sorts of colors, from yellow to red.



Moorpark is surrounded by fires on three sides, but fortunately it's still mostly confined to the hillsides and grasslands, a few miles out of town. The big problem is that all the roads have been cut off. I don't know how I'll get to work in the morning.



Here are some more pics:











The big concern now is that the eastern end of the fire has gone over the Santa Susana Pass and is starting down into the San Fernando Valley. Let's hope it doesn't get much farther.

"The first task of anyone, lest you get canceled, is to entertain people, because they ain't there for message." - Dick Wolf

[sprhrgrl]

My mother's in San Diego. . . The fire there is pretty near to her house, if it hops I-805 she'll have to evacuate - along with two baby kittens, who are already antisocial. (sigh) Scary times. It's so strange to think that just two months ago - before I left for school - I would have been there, facing it with them. From where I am now it harkens back to two years ago, the fifth or so day of school in eleventh grade, when a international event brought the class together so much more quickly. . . But there's nobody to come together with now, because nobody else here knows what's going on - or cares. Very eerie.

everyone's a super kid

Sweetie, I'm a fag. I been there. - Tara (Dead Things shooting script)

A muscle cramp? in your. . . pants? - Tara (Older & Far Away)

[Gatito Grande]

Stay safe SoCal Kittens



GG F*cking Dubya and the f*cking Global Warming which is contributing to this: Global Warming = drought = tinder-dry forests and brushland = FIRE! And have you heard? Now Dubya has signed up his good buddy Putin against the Kyoto GW Protocols too! Out

[SJ]

It's been on the news a lot here in England.

To all those affected,stay safe.

[Amymlc]

I'm in orange county...kind of far from the "old" and "Grand Prix" fire, but it has been raining ash here for three days. I feel so bad for those people who have lost their homes. Something like 300 homes in Orange county alone have burned. Have they declared SoCal a national disaster area yet? I hope they catch those guys who started the fire(s).

Edited by: Amymlc at: 10/27/03 2:42 pm

[WillowzHeartbreak]

Hey all...we are in the south bay area of SoCal...It's so smoky here...seems better today than it was yesterday thank goodness. Last night I was bbq-ing (i know, ironic) and there was ash falling like snow everywhere. There are fires here every October, but this is the worst in the states' history. Oh, and I read a report saying one of the fires was started by a hunter who got lost and lit a signal fire...



Hope everyone is staying safe...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I'm your friend. I would call you repulsive in a second."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

[katydid0317]

The fire has pretty much backed off from where I am. I found out it is most likely because I live very close to the FAA Southern Cal control tower, and they made that a priority to save. The smoke is still horrible around my house, but it does show some signs of backing off. There is ash everywhere. I decided to take the day off of work, mainly because as far as I knew, all the major highways were still closed this morning.



I took a bunch of pictures over the span of yesterday, but really shows nothing but the smoke and ash.



I hope everyone is okay.



Katie

--------
She practically had genuine molded plastic stamped on her ass.

[jixer]

Hello Kittens-



My prayers are with all the Kittens and the firefighters in SoCal. I've lived through some nasty fire seasons in the Northwest but nothing like what you're facing now. Stay careful and keep us posted.





Jixer

[BBOvenGuy]

Things are getting back to normal in Ventura County. It didn't even smell very much like smoke when I got home tonight.



The fires are still out of control in San Bernardino and San Diego counties, though, and the Simi Valley fire has crossed the Santa Susanna Mountains and is moving into LA County. Fortunately, the weather is finally changing, so maybe we'll all be in the clear before long.



Thanks to everyone for all your good wishes!

"The first task of anyone, lest you get canceled, is to entertain people, because they ain't there for message." - Dick Wolf

[xita]

Yeah last night the simi valley fire got within 8 miles of where I live but thankfully the firefighters and the weather kept it away and it's heading back out again. I don't live on a hill so I wasn't worried at all but the smoke got bad today. With the wind change the entire san fernando valley got covered in it. Lovely red sun setting in the sky tonight. It's getting to me now, eyes are burning.. bleh.

Edited by: xita  at: 10/28/03 9:46 pm

[Spikeizmine87]

hey all. I love near victorville ca which is about an hour from the nearest fire us, its pretty much all of em at once, sittin here right now i can smell the smoke, im really concerned for the few friends who live near the fire area, one of my friends almost had a bloody seizure b/c of the fumes and im terrified that it will come here. but hopefully, the worst will be gone soon enough. for any one that lives near, here, please please please STAY SAFE! hugs to all!

(side note- it looks like the bleedin appocolapyse!)

-Rose



I loves me AMber!

Edited by: Spikeizmine87 at: 10/28/03 9:46 pm

[Lamashtu]

It's scary. A few of my friends have had to evacuate their homes, and it's been raining ash. Everything smells like smoke, and my allergies are killing me. I've never seen the fires this bad. I really hope things calm down soon; too many people have died.



One more reason not to move to Southern California.

-Mina

Everything is miraculous. It is miraculous that one does not melt in one's bath. -Pablo Picasso

[Warduke]

Just read this over at Yahoo...

Quote:

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First Firefighter Dies in Calif. Blazes



LAKE ARROWHEAD, Calif. - Firefighters struggled desperately Wednesday to save emptied-out resort towns in Southern California's San Bernardino Mountains as 200-foot walls of flame engulfed dead and dried-out trees.



In San Diego County, the state's largest fire claimed another victim when a firefighting crew was overcome by flames, killing one and injuring three. It marked the first firefighter death since the series of blazes began last week.



"It just swept right over them. They probably didn't have time to get out of the way," San Diego County Sheriff's Sgt. Conrad Grayson said.



The death toll later reached 20 after authorities said two people were found dead Wednesday on an Indian reservation as the result of the same San Diego County fire.



In the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles, the hot, dry Santa Ana winds from the desert that had been whipping the fires into raging infernos eased Wednesday. But they gave way to stiff breezes off the ocean that pushed the flames up the canyon walls around evacuated mountain enclaves like Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear — towns that are among Southern California's most popular mountain playgrounds.



By early afternoon, homes were burning in the mountain community of CedarPines Park. The flames were expected to hit the town of Running Springs after crews weren't able to set backfires along a highway to protect the town. The fires also swept over mountain tops, forcing evacuations in parts of the high desert town of Hesperia.



"There's fire on so many fronts, it's not even manageable at this point," said Chris Cade, a fire prevention technician with the U.S. Forest Service, as he watched a pillar of smoke he estimated at 9,000 feet rise into a hazy sky thick with ash. "I am at a loss what you can do about it."



The fires have burned more than 620,000 acres and destroyed 2,100 homes. More than 12,000 firefighters and support crew were fighting what Gov. Gray Davis said may be the worst and costliest disaster California has ever faced. He estimated the cost at $2 billion so far.



The fires burned in a broken arc across Southern California, from Ventura County east to Los Angeles County and the San Bernardino Mountains and south to San Diego County.



About 100 fire engines encircled the historic mining town of Julian in the mountains of eastern San Diego County, hoping to save the popular weekend getaway community renowned for its vineyards and apple orchards.



However, some two dozen engines and water tenders that were headed to Julian were forced to turn back when flames swept over a highway. And as the winds picked up, floating embers sparked spot fires near the town of 3,500, forcing some crews to retreat.



South of Julian, about 90 percent of the homes had been destroyed in Cuyamaca, a lakeside town of about 160 residents. Charred cows lay by the side of the road and houses were reduced to little more than stone entryways.



"Everything's kind of happening all at once. These fires are trying really hard to tie in with each other," said Bill Bourbeau, a forest safety officer for the Cleveland National Forest. "It's tremendous."



San Diego County fire officials feared a 233,000-acre fire and the 50,000-acre blaze would merge into a huge, single blaze that would make it nearly impossible to keep it from reaching Julian. The firefighting death and injuries occurred in the larger of the two blazes.



Officials in San Diego County — where most of the deaths took place — predicted the death toll would rise after investigators began scouring devastated neighborhoods.



A crew of U.S. Forest Service Hot Shots outside Julian was given an ominous warning by their team leader: If they came across any human remains, they were to cordon off the area until a medical examiner could get in.



"If we find somebody in the brush who took off running or whatever," Capt. Fred Brewster told his 19-member team. "Who knows what you're going to find up there? It's a giant mess."



In the San Bernardinos, the cool, moist ocean breezes confounded firefighters, just as the desert winds did over the weekend. Heavy winds kept aircraft grounded in the area, and winds gusting to 60 mph pushed flames up from the mountain slopes into the dense forest.



"They turned around with the wind and the fuel and basically overran us," San Bernardino County Fire Division Chief Mike Conrad said.



Firefighters feared that the narrow roads and sheer number of dead trees, ravaged by drought and a bark beetle infestation, could make it impossible to protect some of the smaller communities in the area.



"It would be suicide to put anyone in there," Conrad said.



Some 80,000 full-time residents of the San Bernardinos have cleared out since the weekend, thousands of them winding their way in bumper-to-bumper traffic out a narrow highway.



A steady stream of vehicles loaded with couches, televisions and other household items inched down the mountain Wednesday.



Others defied the warnings of firefighters and decided to stay to protect their homes.



"I'm afraid, but I've got a lot of faith," said Chrisann Maurer, as she watered down her yard and home amid smoke-filled winds. "I just think there is enough people praying that we might be safe."



Mark Peterson, a firefighter with the Big Bear Lake Fire Department, said the fire was moving toward Big Bear rapidly and called those who refused to leave "crazy."



California Forestry Department incident commander John Hawkins told exhausted firefighters not to give up.



"We hear losses," he said. "But the bottom line is we don't hear how many were saved, how many of you put your name, your body, your heart on the line to save the houses."



Across the border in Mexico, wildfires kept students home from school Wednesday in Baja California, but officials said the threat from fires appeared to be easing. The Mexico fires earlier killed two people and destroyed several homes.

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Firebird: One Browser To Rule Them All.

[mscheckmate]

I was very saddened to hear that we’d lost a firefighter today. He was from Northern California, and left a wife and two young children. Several of his comrades were injured, one critically. They are in my thoughts and prayers, as are all those affected by this disaster. It’s truly a nightmare.



I can’t say enough about the courage and professionalism of the firefighters. My sister lives in the Santa Clarita area; the Simi Valley fire has moved east toward her community, but the firefighters made a heroic stand today in the Stevenson Ranch development, saving homes and preventing the fire from jumping Interstate 5 into a more heavily populated area. Her neighborhood is well east of I-5 and is not threatened at this time, but she’s gathered up important documents and other essentials, in case conditions change and she and her family have to evacuate. Fortunately, some of the brush in her neighborhood burned within the last year or two, and there isn’t a lot of fuel left around her home should a fire come her way.



Several friends and relatives of mine are waiting to find out if their vacation homes in Crestline and Lake Arrowhead have survived the fire in the San Bernardino Mountains. They don't hold out a lot of hope. If that fire continues up the mountain and reaches Big Bear Lake, my parents may lose their vacation cabin; it’s small and rickety, but holds a lot of happy memories. Big Bear and other nearby communities have already been evacuated, and if the fire comes that way, firefighters will make a stand at the dam, in an effort to keep the fire from spreading into town. My parents have been careful about brush clearance around their property, but that only eliminates fuel on the ground. If the tall pine trees on the premises catch fire, the fire will likely spread to the cabin. And if the fire reaches my parents’ property, it will have first cut a wide swath through a thriving community of homes and businesses. My concern is for the people who live and work year-round in these mountain communities; those of us who have vacation property have very little to lose in comparison.

I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves.—G.W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003

[jixer]

Hello Kittens-



The death of the firefighter is a brutal reminder of just how unpredictable wildfires can be. Until the fires are out to the last ember there is the danger they could change direction again and move with a voracious speed in any direction. Stay careful SoCal Kittens!



Thank God there are people out there those who face walls of flame and those who volunteer to help when someone is in need. Thousands of unsung people have rescued animals, given blood, set up ham communications links, or donated their time or money in some other fashion. Perhaps there is a spark of the divine in these funny two legged animals after all.



Jixer

[intricate mirage]

Hello Kittens, although I do not live in the States, I read an article in my local newspapers with regards to the fires in California. However, the focus this time was on the bravery of the firefighters. As stated in the newspaper, when firefighters were asked whether they're fearful, tired, anxious, hot, hungry or sweaty, they keep telling people it's what they do. I quote "Every single guy here wants to be here. The guy we replaced today didn't want to leave. This is what it's all about. We don't take joy in it, but we do take pride in practising." - Firefighter Jim Gilbert. I cannot say enough abou the courage and professionalism of these fine young men and women, who are ready to face nature's wrath right in the eye. To the firefighter who loss his life and his comrades who were injured in a fight to put out the wildfire, may they constantly be in our thoughts and prayer. To those who live near, stay safe.

~ Cassie

---

My fountain of strength that never runs dry

You are the shooting star across the midnight sky

[xita]

I cannot say enough about the firefighters. It's inspiring, if I was younger, I'd go try to get in shape to join!

- - - - - - - - - - -
"Hard work often pays off after time but laziness always pays off now!"

[BBOvenGuy]

When I was standing up on the hill watching the fire Saturday night, it was like being in front of a giant blow-dryer. I don't know how the firefighters manage to go in there and face that for days at a time, but I'm awfully glad they do.



An old C&S friend of mine has posted her pics of the fire in the Santa Clarita area. You can find them here.

"The first task of anyone, lest you get canceled, is to entertain people, because they ain't there for message." - Dick Wolf

[xita]

Well thank god it's raining, even snowing in the mountains. It's just so odd, I can't even recall when it rained here last. We needed it. I wish it had come earlier.

- - - - - - - - - - -
"Hard work often pays off after time but laziness always pays off now!"