SoCal Fires Live Thread 10/28

10/28/03 | Myself

[spectr17]

SoCal Fires Live Thread 10/28

[lainie]

Haven't lost Lake Arrowhead yet...

[wolficatZ]

Woah...Clint Eastwood talking to Savage..he called in.
And he was ripping Mystic River earlier..

[Merdoug]

Not to make light of your troubles, but if Yellowstone blows, those fires will look like a marshmellow roast compared to it.

[lainie]

awwwwww darn.

Don't worry, someone else will have it -- and if not, he'll do something utterly stupid tomorrow.

[ArmstedFragg]

Insurance contracts usually contain lots of outs

Ah yes..... the old helmet hair stupidity clause....

[Merovingian]

thinking of the song, the fire next time...next time being after the flood and Noah's ark.

[ridesthemiles]

It's not about using PUBLIC funds for the clearing, it's about allowing anyone to clear public lands to the point of fire safety.)

It is also about letting private property owners clear their own private property. See my prior posts.

[calawah98]

All the fires starting has me worried.
Up here we have had a big wind storm,big wave knocked windows out of Ivars, resturant in Seattle, damaged the ferry dock, and power out every where. It has not hit here yet, but the wind is picking up. We just got over a big flood, a week ago Monday. I guess I can be thankful it is to wet to burn.

[Johnny Gage]

Unblieveable..... I just cannot fathom all this.


Anyone got a list of working video/scan links.

Both MSNBC and CBS are not streaming at this time.

Mega prayers for everyone out there.

[lainie]

What's Clint have to say? We just need to clear our homes and communities of brush further?

[viaveritasvita]

I'm preparing an email to my friends using info from this thread and some personal info. If anyone cares to (has the time to) review it and make suggestions/corrections/additions/deletions, I'd appreciate it.....



My online friends from KA tell me that the news reports (so-called!) are not reporting the extent of the devastation of the fires. These fires are not the usual, seasonal brush fires. It’s an absolute tragedy what’s happening there. They’re asking for people to send emails telling of the scope of the fires and asking for PRAYERS.

It’s hard to imagine the kind of fire and the speed with which it travels when it’s burning up dry brush and dead trees. The environmentalist wackos should be ashamed of themselves (then they should be hung) for preventing controlled fires to thin out (reasonable forest management as the fire/forestry experts have been begging the KA gov’t to do for years now!) the brush, etc. in order to save spotted owls, beetles, and trees, but I digress.

Firefighters (FF) from San Diego (SD) were sent up north to Los Angeles (LA) area -- San Bernardino (San Berdu) -- late last week to assist there. When the fires started in SD, they didn’t have a full capacity of FF.

Blocks and blocks of homes in Scripps Ranch (SD) are burned to the ground. I used to live right across the freeway from these homes.

My friend in Valley Center (SD) was evacuated at a moment’s notice; when they were allowed to return, their neighbor’s home was burned to the ground. Domesticated animals (including horses) were running wild – owners on evac orders let them out of barns so they wouldn’t be trapped.

Santee, Lakeside, El Cajon (all SD) on fire. Friends evac’d out of Santee, but I think they were allowed back home as of this morning.

Huge sections – 16 miles out-of-control -- burning in Alpine (SD). Ruth’s daughter believes her home in Alpine is gone – they were evac’d a few days ago. Alpine fire now (8:30 PM 10/28/03) moving into the beautiful, little town of Julian. The last time I saw Pam (before she died), we visited Julian. Recently, the people of Julian fought the good fight and kept McDonald’s out of their idyllic area. Pine Valley is on fire. SD east county is in dire straits.

Lake Arrowhead area (not the town yet) is on fire; the skyline looks like a mushroom cloud. Big Bear is being evac’d – Hwy 18, aka Rim of The World, is on fire. Some in this area are reporting firestorm activity (which means, I think, a special weather pattern created by an out-of-control fire – a very bad thing for FF).

Nearly the entire town of Cuyamaca -- over 100 homes/businesses – is gone. Cuyamaca was a little piece of Americana – 1950’s architecture and values to match. It cannot be replaced.

San Berdu fire still burning. Simi Valley on fire. Otay Mesa and into Mexico on fire.

It is raining ash at March Air Force Base. Friends in Clairemont Mesa area said several inches of ash on ground. Sky dark all over (except coastal areas). They’re choking on smoke.

Homes not burned are smoke damaged – one friend said his home smelled like burnt BBQ.

Smaller, spot fires EVERYWHERE. Thousands without power. Smoke can be seen as far away as Palm Springs.

Air choppers not able to drop water/fire retardant after dark and are not able to fly in some areas due to smoke and high Santa Ana winds. FF and forestry personnel are utterly exhausted!

At least one fire (and probably several more) started by arsonist/terrorist. Police are looking for two suspects seen leaving the area. SD fires started on the first day of Islamic Ramadan – one cannot dismiss this piece of info in this day and age. One was reportedly started by a hunter who shot off a flare when he got lost from his group.

Don’t know about today, but on Sunday, ALL MAJOR FREEWAYS IN SD WERE SHUT DOWN (except I-5)! You have no idea what kind of gridlock this caused. Just imagine all the cars stopped for miles coming into SD from Arizona – a stretch of freeway that is desert. One of the most beautiful freeways I’ve ever driven – 163 going toward the world famous SD zoo – was closed and on fire.

Looting is taking place in the evac’d areas. Citizens are staying behind to stand guard, but then getting trapped or getting in the way of FF who have more important things to do than go back into an area that was supposed to be evac’d to deal with both looters and citizens.

Last I heard: 600,000 acres consumed. Over 1500 homes. 17 dead. FF and forestry personnel saying this is the worst fire devastation they’ve ever seen.

People 30 miles from fires said it was “pitch black” at 3:00 in the afternoon.

The grief is going to be very, very deep for many people – lost lives, lost homes, lost pets, photos, family heirlooms.

The President responding appropriately.

PLEASE PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FELLOW AMERICANS!!

[see attached map from SD Union/Tribune yesterday morning – it’s gotten worse since then]....

END EMAIL and thanks for any help.

<><

[FITZ]

"One of the difficulties in this fire is it's in steep areas and it's going to be hard to access," Duemling said. "We're going to have to fight the hot spots with hand tools and hike in water."

On the New Mexico fires ---- set by an arsonist(s) and where it's going to be tough to get them out. Hike in with water?

[Conservative4Ever]

the report Mr. C4E was reading didn't give a time...will convey this message to him...thanks.

[CedarDave]

Lost the MSNBC feed. Tried your NBC URL's -- both only color bars. Any other tricks up your sleeve. ;>)

[nicmarlo]

Sounds like someone is going down I-10 trying to start fires -- CHP needs to be in that area. Now at Cabazon after being in the Beaumont area.

Agreed....they need to get out the National Guard, maybe, to patrol.

[Timesink]

Scroll down to first link under CBS 2 Video titled News Van Trapped Near Skyforest, Overtaken By Roaring Flames

Odd. The audio was fine, but the video was just a mess of random colors. Thanks for the link though.

[nicmarlo]

Fire on the INDIO DISPATCH has been removed!!!!

[viaveritasvita]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the town of Arrowhead is not on fire, but that the whole area around it is -- Rim of the World on fire -- fire out-of-control.

<><

[Brad’s Gramma]

I've got a scanner running from Big Bear.

http://xgen.caliberstreams.com/mcasx.asx?media=4005&package=2207

[wolficatZ]

I''m looking Dave; lots of audio scanner activity on Big Bear and Simi scanners