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Posted on 10/21/2007 9:48:36 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
UPDATE: The city of Malibu is advising residents in Puerco Canyon to begin evacuating due to a wildfire driven by powerful winds. This area is north of Pacific Coast Highway and about 1 mile west of Pepperdine University. Residents along the beach on Malibu Road may soon be evacuated. Pacific Coast Highway is closed between Kanan-Dume Road and Topanga Canyon. Residents are advised to head to the west. Evacuation centers are being set up in the Zuma Beach area.
A wildfire driven by powerful winds in the Malibu Hills this morning threatened a university, destroyed at least one home and forced the evacuation of hundreds more, authorities said.
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| - | Wildfire burns 500 acres near Interstate 5 |
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| - | Santa Ana winds are sweeping the region |
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
My 10 minutes I spent doing 5-6 dashes or whatever I did into the house and out with stuff and you can hear it in my voice from the smoke. I’m already coughing and can’t breath deeply. It’s nuts.
My dad went down to bring a few things up to his house from his car and said it smelled horribly and he couldn’t believe it.
For those of you who are locals, Larry Himmel on KFMB (anchor/sports/weather guy) lost his house in 4S/RB area.
I just spoke to a friend in the National Guard and they have been mobilized to assist as well.
Oh yes...you reminded me...those brave men and women should be included also. Prayers up for them as well.
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We’re in downtown Oceanside, west of the 5. Some smoke in the south end of town, probably coming west on Hwy 78 corridor from San Marcos fire.
Massive Evacuation Ordered West Of I-15
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Qualcomm Stadium Opened For Evacuees
LIVE COVERAGE
Monday Morning Fire BriefingRB Homes Burn"This is the worst fire this county has ever seen -- worse than the Cedar Fire [of 2003]," Sheriff Bill Kolender said.
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At a news conference shortly after 6 a.m., officials said fires had spread dramatically overnight, whipped by fierce Santa Ana winds. They said fire had jumped Interstate 15 at Lake Hodges and was burning in parts of Rancho Bernardo. Because of the explosive and unpredictable nature of the blazes, all residents living between Interstate 15 and Interstate 5 from Del Dios Highway in the north to Highway 56 in the south were told to begin evacuating.
"This fire is moving very quickly," San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said. "Watch TV, listen to the radio and have your car prepared to leave."
Among the communities in the evacuation area are Rancho Sante Fe, Carmel Highlands, Rancho Bernardo, Del Mar Heights and Fairbanks Ranch and parts of Rancho Penasquitos.
Officials have opened Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley to handle the large number of evacuees.
Sanders asked everyone in San Diego County to minimize the use of cell phones to leave the airways free for the use of emergency personnel.
The Witch Fire spread into Ramona overnight, Metcalf said. It now has two fronts: one in the San Pasqual Valley and a southern front that is threatening the Barona Indian Reservation and Lakeside, he said. In San Pasqual Valley, it has combined with a smaller fire called the Guajito Fire, which is threatening the San Diego Wild Animal Park, he said. The fire crossed Interstate 15 early Monday morning at Lake Hodges and is burning in parts of Rancho Bernardo, he said.
The Harris Fire, which is burning near the San Diego-Mexico border, spread dramatically to the west overnight, Metcalf said. A significant number of structures have burned in Tecate, Barrett Junction and Dulzura, he said. That fire is moving toward the Otay Lakes area.
A smaller fire is burning in San Marcos, Metcalf said. The Coronado Hills Fire has burned up to 300 acres, but firefighters are battling it with limited resources and have no containment yet.
A fire is buring in Rice Canyon, east of Interstate 15 near the Pala Indian Reservation. Officials had little information about its size or the conditions in the area.
'It's been a long night, a very dangerous night," Metcalf said. "Everyone in the fire community is putting out 100 percent and more to deal with the situation."
All available resources in the county have been committed to fight the fires, Metcalf said. But many firefighters are occupied with rescuing people who ignored evacuation orders. "Those folks are stripping resources from fighting the fire," Metcalf said.
Metcalf said people should leave when asked to evacuate.
"This is an extraordinarily serious fire event, an extraordinarily dangerous fire event," he said.
Copyright 2007 by NBCSandiego.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
See my updates just above...
Bump!
12 more homes lost 33000 block of Bouquet Cyn., S of the Resevoir
Los Angeles Times 10-22-07 Fires
Map of the Southern California fires
www.latimes.com
Bumping the links! Thanks, Ernest
Can you get ahold of a mask or tie a dampened bandana around your face from nose down...?
Thank you for the ping, Ernest. Some SD FReepers have evacuated, others at the ready to do so.
Literally EVERYTHING from 1-5 to 1-5 from 1-56 on the South to 1-78 on the North is now under MANDATORY evacuation.
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