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 ...
Short mention of the fire and KCAL9 is covering angelidis.
Dumb Donk trying to make political hay of the fire, claiming Arnold took benefits away from firefighter widows and orphans.
VOTE ON NOVEMBER 7!!! VOTE REPUBLICAN UP AND DOWN!!!!
GRRRRRRR......
Prayers, heartfelt sympathies and deepest condolences to all those who lost loved ones in the fire today and to all those families who lost all their worldly possessions.
I think he's glad he's not going there on assignment....he knows Santa Ana fires are dangerous...
Thank you!
In other breaking news, Snoop Dogg was arrested at Burbank Airport this afternoon.
OH NO.
I was wondering when someone would bring that up..
I'm not a big aRnie fan but if the Rs can win 5 state offices, I may light a victory cigar myself on the beach in Hawaii (if it's legal to do so, that is)
Snoop needs to be impounded for a while..
I'm calling it moving WestSouthWest from the looks of your map,,,Heading toward Hemet/San Jacinto Area,,,Depending
on the wind,,,Lots of Ridges in that country before it breaks into the flats.............Prayers Up...
I will smoke a cigarette on Santa Monica Beach ... and get arrested!!
LOL.
Wait a minute. Hawaii? You there now...?
I drove past this on the 10FWY today. It's west of the wind farms, with the north edge just across the freeway from the Cabazon outlet stores. The Morongo hotel/casino has quite a view.
We are hear in Fountain Valley, about 70 miles away.
Smoke smell and obvious smoke in the air.
I am VERY familiar with that area, having spent the last 10
years camping and hiking a lot of it.
If the fire either crosses the ridge at Black Mountain,
or creeps around the south side of 243 and then back up
to Idylwild, that will be a real problem. There are still
a few million dead trees on the southern exposure along 243.
I read a report that the firefighters are from Idylwild. Are they frome the CDF near Twin Pine, the CDF at Stone Creek,
the station at Pine Cove, or the station in "downtown"? We have spent a lot of time at Stone Creek, and I know a few of the guys there just by having stopped in a dozen times.
For those that do not know the terrain out there, it is very
dry, there are just a few dirt roads, and it is very steep.
The mountains go up to 11K feet, with most peaks in the 8K
foot range. IIRC, those mountains are the third steepest terrain in the whole US. Only Ranier and Telescope Peak in
Death Valley NP are steeper. Other places are higher, but the surrounding land is higher too. The valley floor at Palm Springs is at about sea level, and a 11K peak is a few miles away. The upshot is it is almost impossible to fight a fire on the ground there, and dangerous in the air.
That is news???
No, we head out in a week or so,, need to unwind after a long year...
The Morongo's a high rise, right?
Snoop Dogg is a dope...sounds like he was just picking someone up....
Ahlooooooha.
Commie dicktator of Nicaragua once upon a time. He's 61 now and running again.
It is heading away from Hemet Southwest. Last update from CDF stated they do not expect Hemet to be in Danger.
San Jacinto abuts Hemet, and I think it will go south of there as well, as it picks up steam tomorrow. You have to think wind direction on that side of the hill.
Totally different than the Palm Springs side.
I do a lot of hiking out of Humber Park into Saddle Junction and up to Mt. San Jacinto, and Tahquitz Peak.
I've loaded my GPS with almost all of it.
It was also kind of odd looking at the google earth location of the house that took the firefighters lives up on Gorgonia View Road.
I wonder if they tried to get to the pool or not.
Definitely prayers up...
Oh yes. Thank you!
Total brainfa&t here. :)
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