YIKES! We're on Fire...Again!

[3113]

Red Flag Warning. Meaning very bad fire conditions--low humidity, high temperatures and high winds. Welcome to fire season.



Merek Fire is raging. That L.A. area, Sylmar in particular. It's a dry, valley area surrounded by hills. Only 5% contained, 3500 acres burned, including some homes. Rolling evacuations are happening (12,000 people already evacuated); 5 major freeways are closed down for miles. Smoke and ash in the air. This is bad. We're talking about hills of dry brush and old growth trees/palms, and Santa Ana Winds (those are fierce, fast, hot and dry!) coming and going.

Firefighters were prepared and are aggressively fighting this (there's something like 200 fire engines on the scene), but if it spreads, there is the possibility of it going all the way to Pasadena.

My sister-in-law (husband's sister) has been evacuated.

Stella! Are you okay?

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I saw this when I was at lunch (though I couldn't see exact details, I was too far away from the TV). I hope everyone stays safe out there.

 

[Belegon]

Nothing down here yet. Hope that all our friends in the L.A. area are alright and that the fire can be contained.

 

[Safe_Bet]

I saw this when I was at lunch (though I couldn't see exact details, I was too far away from the TV). I hope everyone stays safe out there.

You can see California from New Jersey???


Do you have a sister named Sarah?

 

[TheeGoatPig]

You can see California from New Jersey???


Do you have a sister named Sarah?

Sometimes there is just the right atmospheric conditions that we get a brilliant reflection off the sky, and yes, I can see straight out to the Californian coast

 

[English Lady]

take care everyone!

 

[Safe_Bet]

take care everyone!

Don't tell me you can see California TOO!

 

[3113]

Latest:

5,300 Acres burned and...0% contained.

19 Structure destroyed. Terrible day for fire fighters. 1000 crews are working on them. Camp Pendleton has a fire going there and residents evacuated, also San Bernadino and the Inland Empire. The fires have gotten close to Newport Beach and Orange County. Air quality is terrible.

And we're going to have 80 mph winds blowing from Santa Barbara to San Diego for 6-7 hours tonight.

The Governator has declared a state of emergency.

Have we heard from Stella? And VM? Check in guys!

 

[Sandy_Fox]

From my patio, I've got just a dandy view of the big ol' flames of the Camp Pendleton fire. Just opened a new bottle of rum and enjoying the view.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

From my patio, I've got just a dandy view of the big ol' flames of the Camp Pendleton fire. Just opened a new bottle of rum and enjoying the view.

All I'm getting down this way is sirens as every unit in Southern California answers the call. It reminds me of that scene in The Lord of the Rings where one of the Riders of the Rittermark comes running up to the king and stutters out "Gondor calls for aid!" and the king turns to him and snarls "And Rohan will answer. Summon the Rittermark! We ride at dawn."

 

[Guest]

Latest:

5,300 Acres burned and...0% contained.

19 Structure destroyed. Terrible day for fire fighters. 1000 crews are working on them. Camp Pendleton has a fire going there and residents evacuated, also San Bernadino and the Inland Empire. The fires have gotten close to Newport Beach and Orange County. Air quality is terrible.

And we're going to have 80 mph winds blowing from Santa Barbara to San Diego for 6-7 hours tonight.

The Governator has declared a state of emergency.

Have we heard from Stella? And VM? Check in guys!

VM is around. And Stella posted earlier.

Everyone stay safe.

 

[amicus]

You went through this just last year as I recall...still have one daughter in San Diego, other is in Dacca, Bangladesh, so only half the worries...keep alert and be prepared youse guys...

ami...

 

[DesertPirate]

Wife has parents and 3 brothers around Temecula.
Be safe all.

I may not like some peoples politics but I would never wish this on anyone.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Wife has parents and 3 brothers around Temecula.
Be safe all.

I may not like some peoples politics but I would never wish this on anyone.

Us native type Californians are actually used to this. We tell everyone that where they have spring, summer, autumn and winter, we have wet, flood, dry, fire and quake. Just another normal year in Paradise.

 

[DesertPirate]

Us native type Californians are actually used to this. We tell everyone that where they have spring, summer, autumn and winter, we have wet, flood, dry, fire and quake. Just another normal year in Paradise.

Fall and winter brushfires followed by spring mudslides
Got it

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Fall and winter brushfires followed by spring mudslides
Got it

And then every once in a while all the pots and pans slide out onto the kitchen floor. Verrrrrrrrrry innnnnnnnnnnnteresting!

 

[DesertPirate]

And then every once in a while all the pots and pans slide out onto the kitchen floor. Verrrrrrrrrry innnnnnnnnnnnteresting!

The turn the sand into pudding trick, yes

 

[voluptuary_manque]

The turn the sand into pudding trick, yes

Yup, never a dull moment on the Left Coast!

 

[Belegon]

Wife has parents and 3 brothers around Temecula.
Be safe all.

I may not like some peoples politics but I would never wish this on anyone.

Far as I know the Fallbrook fire is headed the opposite direction... they should be ok, DP.

 

[Safe_Bet]

Far as I know the Fallbrook fire is headed the opposite direction... they should be ok, DP.

Shouldn't be a biggie DP. I have some friends up in Temecula and last years fores burned just about everything all around Temecula, so most of the brush is gone = not much fuel.

I talked to Sandy Fox last night and he can see that fire from his house. It is mostly contained on Camp Pendleton and they have a LOT of firefighters including a BUNCH of Marines fighting the blaze. All these people, hardly any wind, previously constructed fire breaks and air water drop support should get that fire under control pretty fast. I'm much more concerned about the LA & Ventura fires.

 

[English Lady]

Don't tell me you can see California TOO!

*L* Not quite, love.

Latest:

5,300 Acres burned and...0% contained.

19 Structure destroyed. Terrible day for fire fighters. 1000 crews are working on them. Camp Pendleton has a fire going there and residents evacuated, also San Bernadino and the Inland Empire. The fires have gotten close to Newport Beach and Orange County. Air quality is terrible.

And we're going to have 80 mph winds blowing from Santa Barbara to San Diego for 6-7 hours tonight.

The Governator has declared a state of emergency.

Have we heard from Stella? And VM? Check in guys!

praying for everyone over there, especially the fire fighters.

 

[rgraham666]

Stay safe, everyone.

 

[DesertPirate]

Thanks all.
I was looking a different fire maps and it does look good for now.
The wife panics everytime there is a fire within 100 miles of Temecula.

 

[christabelll]

One of my sisters lives in Napa Valley she and her family were evacuated this weekend. With all the economic horror already occuring at her restuarant it would be disastrous if her home burned down too. No word yet on that.
Stay safe every one and always have a get-away kit assembled or at least easy to assemble....


kisses

 

[3113]

Here's an overview of the latest:

Slackening winds helped firefighters beat back several wildfires in Southern California on Tuesday, though flare-ups and dense smoke still caused trouble for drivers and homeowners. On Monday night, the authorities had braced for the worst, as gale-force winds were expected to ignite firestorms in areas like the largely residential San Fernando Valley. Though winds did pick up on Tuesday morning, they were not nearly as strong as feared, allowing firefighters to make progress and lift most evacuation orders.

“I want to thank God and Mother Nature,” Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles said at a news conference on Tuesday. “Last night could have been a horrendous evening.”

Still, small fires erupted across the region, with most put down quickly. Billowing smoke from one forced the temporary closing of a stretch of Interstate 5, the major north-south artery, in San Diego County. In a scene shown live on television, a flare-up from one of two major fires burning in the San Fernando Valley marched toward homes near the Granada Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, but water-dropping helicopters and firefighters saved the structures. All together, several fires in recent days have burned some 27,000 acres statewide and destroyed 64 structures, including a number of homes.

The blazes signaled the start of the most intense period of the fall fire season, when hot winds from the east blast through canyons and mountain passes. Firefighters had one of the two major fires in the San Fernando Valley nearly surrounded after it burned 4,800 acres and destroyed several mobile homes and other buildings. The other fire, at the western end of the valley, however, has burned 10,000 acres and was still largely out of control.

Firefighters were trying to prevent it from approaching Highway 101 and roaring on to coastal Malibu, the celebrity colony often in the path of wildfires.

The fires have been blamed for the deaths of two people. A homeless man and his dog were killed Monday when their encampment along a freeway was engulfed in flames, and another person was killed in a collision on a freeway ramp shrouded in thick smoke. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said that despite the state’s budget problems — its newly adopted budget is already developing a hole of at least $3 billion, and the state is seeking to borrow $7 billion in cash — no expense would be spared to extinguish the fires.

“We always get the money somehow to fight the fires,” Mr. Schwarzenegger said, pointing to an emergency reserve of $1.5 billion. “This is the last thing I am concerned about.”

Weather today (Tuesday) was hot and dry, but there were almost no winds (yes!). Unfortunately, this damn, ultra dry heatwave is going to continue all week. All we can hope is that the winds quiet down, which will make it easier to contain and put out whatever fires flare up.

Fire season continues.