SoCal Fires Live Thread 10/28

10/28/03 | Myself

[spectr17]

FF calling for help at 7 oaks dam, fire threatening to move eastward.

Ops says they can only support one end of the fire with air attack

[Travis McGee]

Nice looking jet, but we HAVE 100 Seahawks just SITTING IDLE TODAY ten minutes from the fires.

[lainie]

Where is 7 oaks anyway?

[PhiKapMom]

The problem here they are explaining is the sheer drop that is on the south side of Rt 18 and their flying into that smoke -- we are not talking about a flat area at all. They need to come in from the south to north to drop their load that would throw it against the mountainside. They cannot come in from the south. Coming in from the north makes their loads overshoot the flames.

Have you been on Rim of the World drive? One side it is populated with small towns and the High School. On the south side, it goes almost straight down with very little shoulder on the side of HW 18 on the south.

They are able to drop fire retardent on the repeaters and area north of HW 18 which they are doing. The backfires seem to be taking care of the fires for now south of HW 18 at Rim of the World High School.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Bttt... and placemarker...

[spectr17]

Where is 7 oaks anyway?

Just east of Highland, this is just below hwy 18, LAke Arrowhead

[Fitzcarraldo]

maybe you remember the rescue I am refering to...two guys were at the top of an ice chute near the summit of gorgonio...both fell into the chute, one managed to stop his fall about 300 feet down, but the other kept going, hit rocks and was killed. The copter rescued the live guy directly, but the other required a ground team to recover the body and place it where a copter could pick it up. The guy who survived went on to become a CHP officer, I recall.

[PhiKapMom]

Remember the helo crash in Oak Glen. How do you get the nerve to fly in choppers in these mountains?

[Conservative4Ever]

Nope...haven't heard anything. Just logged in myself. Just stepped outside and we now have a haze in Cherry Valley and the smell of smoke is strong now. This is the first day where we are noticing this. Haven't logged in to the scanner yet...hope I can get on. But, it sounds like they have held the line so far in Arrowhead. God Bless um.

[CJ Wolf]

'If this is going to be a new face of warfare, where your enemies (foreign Al Qaeda or domestic ELF) are going to set fires in a coordinated way, we had better have contingency plans involving rapid response by the military assets already available in SoCal and elsewhere.'

Is this speculation? Was it terror set?

[Travis McGee]

I realize it's tough to land a chopper on a mountainside in heavy winds. But how hard is it to fly several hundred feet above a fire and drop water?

Navy Seahawk pilots who land on pitching destroyers in high winds should be able to drop water from 200 feet up, don't you think?

There are 100 idle Seahawks sitting idle ten minutes from the fires!

[PhiKapMom]

You can make rescues -- I lived out there and know all about San Gorgonio -- could see it very well from my backyard. They are talking about not being able to take on the amount of pounds that are necessary to fight the fires in the higher altitudes. That means that they would not be dropping a full load -- thus the fixed winged aircraft used in the mountains.

Big difference between a rescue and loading up a chopper to make it heavier until you can make a drop.

Reporting what a professional chopper pilot was saying -- I have no idea myself!

[lainie]

website says "Seven Oaks Dam"

[spectr17]

maybe you remember the rescue I am refering to...two guys were at the top of an ice chute near the summit of gorgonio...both fell into the chute, one managed to stop his fall about 300 feet down, but the other kept going, hit rocks and was killed. The copter rescued the live guy directly, but the other required a ground team to recover the body and place it where a copter could pick it up. The guy who survived went on to become a CHP officer, I recall.

Been several rescues up there

We lost 3 guys in 1984 and 1983 on Little San GOrgonio, One guy went to pee and slide off in an ice chute. The other 2 died a year later, same thing, ice chute.

[PhiKapMom]

Looks like the backfires along with the south winds are working and the communications stations will be saved as well as the High School.

If you are getting smoke there, Yucaipa must be getting it even more.

[spectr17]

I realize it's tough to land a chopper on a mountainside in heavy winds. But how hard is it to fly several hundred feet above a fire and drop water? Navy Seahawk pilots who land on pitching destroyers in high winds should be able to drop water from 200 feet up, don't you think?

It's tricky flying but certain pilots have the sand to do it. It can be done.

[PhiKapMom]

Since you are in Redlands, is the fire going around those canyons heading to 38 and reason they have voluntary evacuations going on from Angeles Oaks?

[maggief]

CHP shutting down I15, north and southbound. (Scanner)

[Fitzcarraldo]

"...devore closed for evacuations..."

[spectr17]

yes, the fire is spreading toward 7 oaks.

Fire changing directions over in Cajon Pass . I-15 now closed