SoCal Fires Live Thread 10/28

10/28/03 | Myself

[spectr17]

SoCal Fires Live Thread 10/28

[jjbrouwer]

don't know what is more sad, all these photos and stories of loss during these fires, or your pimping for Radio FR on this thread.

To be fair to Bob, I don't think he bothers to actually read the threads before he disrupts them with his Radio FR spam. Sorry to hear about your brother.

[Brad’s Gramma]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1010251/posts?page=1


New thread. We're all over there.

[CedarDave]

Yeh -- Koppel wasn't host tonight.

[It's me]

oh wow! You are that far from arrowhead and cna smell the fire?

[farmer18th]

Scanner: Fire is in Miller Canyon Picnic area heading for the back side of Crestline.

[St.Chuck]

Is El Cajon being threatened? I have an uncle there. Are you and yours OK?

[Ladypixel]

I'm one of the LA area freepers, but honestly, the constant news barrage of the last few nights has taken its toll on me. I've been remarkably slow about posting anything.

Will try to dig up info on Arrowhead area for you, though. Last I heard, though, all mountain communities were on mandantory evac status, people were /still/ trying to get out of the mountain communities. Arrowhead is in severe danger, and I've seen reports of a few homes burning in that city on TV, although firefighters are putting up a concerted effort.

Most local TV is focused on the Simi fire now, unfortunately. But the mountain communities are still in severe danger, and fire's spreading quickly up there.

[MSCASEY]

I could not get into your link. Please tell me what is happening in the Big Bear area!

Thanks

MCD

[Free Trapper]

Around 2000 homes were lost to tornados in the Ok.City area in 99.I don't remember how many more in outlying areas.The loss of so many homes was terrible.

The stress being stretched over no telling how many days by these fires can be devastating to some.

[Bellflower]

From my vantage point in Wisconsin and reading about these fires mainly off of Freerepublic I can't help but wonder if l.there are really a lot more than 1200 homes burned 2. the fire departments have done an unbelieveable job saving many more homes than can be imagined. The reason I say that is because the descriptions of the fires sound as though many more than 1200 homes should have burnt. Don't get me wrong 1200 homes is an enormous loss. But in my mind it would seem like there could almost be 12,000 homes lost. I can hardly believe that there isn't much greater loss of homes.

[Ladypixel]

Previous thread ping. (Still vaguely active.)

[Queen Jadis]

I am from California, I can see why you think that more than 1200 homes have been lost. I think the reason it would be around 1200 and not 12,000 is that there are vast hilly brushy areas that do not contain housing. So there are enclaves with homes that get burned but the majority of the fire is consuming unpopulated brushy areas. JMO.

[Bellflower]

That makes sense. Thank God more homes haven't been loss. Hopefully the rest of the fires will burn out real soon. It's too bad more can't be done to clear brush. Guess it is hard for me to visualize. I suppose it is too hot and dry for much else to grow unless you water your yard area.

[wolficatZ]

There's scanner activity in Big Bear but hard to tell what's going on; I've been listening to some of the KOGO coverage at the same time, If I or anyone else listening hear specifics will definitely post.

[Chief_Joe]

My guess is that there are fires, but as the forests may be picked over for wood to be used as fuel in homes, etc., there is not enough of that dead undergrowth that really helps fires along?

No knowledge of that area, DO they ever have big fires in that region?

Your guess is wrong. Northern Baja is adjacent to San Diego county, and the conditions for fire there are similar to those in San Diego county, but the potential for damage is actually far worse. The boarder area with San Diego is even more prone to fire because it has less natural barriers and more available fuel to feed fires. It's flatter, which allows the winds to more easily pick up, and all the high-density, low-quality dwellings would burn much more rapidly. Yet, I can not recall any Santa Ana driven fires striking this area.

[PhilipFreneau]

>> Experts say California needs way more regulation and housing expenses aren't nearly high enough.

I did not write that statement, but that was essentially the theme of the Nightline broadcast -- that California homes need to be much more fire resistant (at significantly greater cost, of course). There was no mention of the contribution of out-of-control environmental regulations to the current firestorms, though there was a minor mention near the end of the broadcast of the need to remove some of the fuel.

[amom]

This just in.

Fire jumped the 18 just now. Is moving toward Running Springs. Flames est 100 ft high.

[doug from upland]

YOUR COMMENT --- I don't know what is more sad, all these photos and stories of loss during these fires, or your pimping for Radio FR on this thread.
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MY COMMENT --- You don't know? That says something pretty sad about you.
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YOUR COMMENT: People are losing homes, fire is spreading, my brother and his family nearly lost their entire home, its serious stuff, but we have to be subjected to some crass add thrown into the thread?
Sure thing Doug, you keep thinking that fundraising and radio programs are more important than real suffering and breaking news. That is pretty sad about you.
BTW, I expressed an opinon, those are still tolerated here, aren't they?

==============================================

This is not the time for a war. If you read again what I posted, I made no comment about the propriety of the FR Radio mention or any comparison of its importance relative to this incredible tragedy. To tell FReepers that I think FR Radio is more important than real suffering is extremely insulting to me. Let's end it here. I'm now sorry that I even took the time to comment on what I thought was a foolish post. If you said that the FR Radio post was not appropriate on the thread, you would not have heard me make a comment. (Best wishes to your brother and his family making it through this.)

[jmstein7]

Mullholland is nuts; I wouldn't put something like this past him.

[OldFriend]

Somehow Wes Clark will find a way to blame all this on President Bush.