Posted on 10/26/2006 11:48:53 AM PDT by kellynla
CABAZON, Calif. -- A fast-moving fire killed at least three firefighters, prompted mandatory evacuations and burned more than 4,000 acres in Riverside County this morning, officials said.
The Esperanza fire in Cabazon, some 90 miles east of Los Angeles and about 20 miles northwest of Palm Springs, was reported at 1:12 a.m., Becky Luther, a spokeswoman for the Riverside County Fire Department, said in a telephone interview.
"It's a very serious fire," Luther said. "There are Santa Ana conditions and the fire is fast moving."
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told reporters that three firefighters were killed fighting the blaze. The U.S. Forest Service confirmed the deaths, adding that two firefighters were critically injured.
The exact dimensions of the fire were hard to determine because of the thick smoke and the relative lack of access, according to Capt. Julie Hutchinson of the Riverside County Fire Department and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Television images showed houses and other structures burning, but the exact number could not be confirmed.
Wind speed and heat are the twin dangers at the fire scene. Winds were running 18 to 25 mph with steady gusts of 30 mph, Luther said. Temperatures are expected to be around 80 degrees.
More than 300 firefighters were battling the blaze, though that number was increasing, fire officials said. More than 27 crews were at the scene along with 68 engines, six air tankers and seven helicopters.
There were reports that at least one firefighter and some residents required medical treatment. But fire officials stressed the reports were unconfirmed.
A mandatory evacuation was ordered for the Twin Pines and Poppet Flats areas, Luther said.
About 150 homes were threatened in the areas with the majority, about 100 homes, in Twin Pines.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Hey,Dita,,,,Ya'll got smoke,,?
what a mess this is.. Prayers for the CDF guys
Oh, thanks for asking. No, I am way west of the fire. But it becomes big news for all of SoCal. Especially the tragic loss of firefighters. And the one survivor, who got burned, has to be in bad shape now.
:(
Roger-That,,,Ya'll got smoke,,,Wind,,?
Is this anywhere near Pioneertown?
They don't expect him to live, from what I understand...90 percent burns....God bless him.
If they were in/next to their engine when they got burned over, they had not much chance...fire burns hot around engines...extra hot.
Inciweb must be having problems. I just refreshed, and the most recent entry was from 9/29....
Wind still 40-50 mph,,FOX-NEWS
No way to stop this.
Must be attacked from the rear...
In the valley where the fire was burning, the ground cover is mostly grass and chaparral that burns fast and hot.
I am still remembering the fires of Fall 2003, covering all of southern California..
I just drove past this on the way home west on the 10 FWY from Palm Desert. Man, what a monster...
This fire was fiendishly, deliberately set, taking into consideration wind direction, fuel, etcetera. Truly evil.
He said the Forest Service pulled all its personnel off the fire after the deaths so they could "gather their thoughts, say their prayers."
direct attacking a fire like this is the most dangerous of things.
These guys know what they are doing.
I suspect it's in fuel model 10, chapparal with lots of dead fuel, which burns really, really hot and with wind, fast. And it's getting late, and starting to burn downhill which adds extra problems, with hot stuff rolling downhill.
I was in CA last week - Palmdale and then Santa Barbara/Montecito. Had a blast wine tasting! Truly God's country and painful to see burn.
Apple Valley is quite a ways north of the fire area. No worry.
Sounds like a nice trip. SB wines are the best, IMO.
Did you happen to drive Camino Cielo above Montecito?
FOX-NEWS showing the force of the winds,,,It's blowing the fire Down-Hill,,Looks like a BlastFurnace,,,
Found "GAS-CAN" at it's origin...
Hmmm I'm not sure! My guess is no - I did go to the Santa Ynez (sp) wine country - did the 'Sideways' tour -(Jeff Bridges came into the Hitching Post while we were there!) My friend's wedding was at the 4 Season's Biltomore in SB.
Biltomore=Biltmore
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