SoCal fires continue thread 2

[JBean]

What are the winds like, and which way are they blowing?? Hopefully not towards you from the fire.

It's actually not that windy Buzz. It has been kind of calm by my house today. Even when I went up on the ridgeline before the cop tried to arrest me, I noticed it was pretty calm up there.
I had hiked up there Sunday morning and the winds were incredible.

 

[JBean]

Me and Sheriff Joe don't put up with any crap. It's shoot first and ask questions later. Some of our prisoners occasionally get killed trying to escape. After we show the other prisoners how easily that happens, we hardly even need to lock their cells.

I'll be good Buzz. Just don't shoot me.

They are covering the Pendleton fire now and again they say it is raging and it is windy. No ground or aerial fire fights.Staying on the northern portion of the base.
They are concerned about shutting down the 5 because that will completely cut off any connection between OC and San Diego county

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Those photos are incredible!! And the people look so calm standing around with the huge flames licking at the edge of the ballfield! OMG! I would have been LONG gone by then. How very scary!

 

[reb]

yeah,, i guess folks are either used to it, have a false sense of protection, or are just plumb crazy. i would have been running AWAY from it, not just standing there.. with as fast as that fire is moving?? are they not afraid of being trapped before they can get out? don't people end up stuck in huge traffic jams while trying to get away, and end up in more danger?

major kudos to the 'firepeople'... i hope they don't have to endure a lot of criticism and second-guessing after this is over. they are risking everything to be out there... as firepeople usually do!

is it true there is a nuclear plant near the fire..? so, what happens then if..........? did they (the builders/owners) have an emergency plan for when a wildfire reached it,, or were they just in denial that it could ever happen? god,, i can't even imagine...

anyway,, stay safe you guys, and i agree with everyone else who says get your stuff together now, just in case!

 

[CaliKid]

Those pictures are scary and worse than what's at our house.

Yes, the winds are calm, and the news says the humidity is up a bit. But the worries are that, once the Santa Anas are over, winds blowing in from the ocean will turn the fire around towards the east and fresh vegetation.

I heard on the news tonight that the Witch Fire alone has burned 196,000 acres and the Harris Fire another 70,000. The Rice Fire is on Camp Pendleton now and headed northwest. The Poomacha Fire on Palomar Mountain is out of control, and firefighters are trying to prevent it from meeting up with the Witch Fire- a real disaster, especially if winds turn it around and begin to blow from the west.

 

[Details]

When the flames are that huge, I think you look a lot closer to them than you really are. And it depends on how close that flame is to your escape route. Fire moves fast, when propelled by Santa Ana winds, but still not that fast.

Looters - it's not right to shoot them. Let's just put them to work, on the frontlines of the fire, for a week or two. They went there voluntarily to loot, they can stay there.

And for the few looters, there's all the people that have donated so much that the Q is now saying not to bring any more, they've got all they need for now.

 

[CaliKid]

There are other evacuee centers that need donations. Many high schools and churches in the area have opened up to take those displaced by the fires. If you don't know where or what, all of the news casts have streaming info at the bottom of the screens.

 

[CaliKid]

Updates for San Diego County:

FALLBROOK EVACUATION: Fallbrook is again undergoing mandatory evacuation, because fires that have started at Camp Pendleton have doubled back and are heading east toward the city, according to the sheriff's department.

JULIAN EVACUATED: Sheriff’s officials report the town of Julian has been evacuated. The town has no more power or water, and mandatory evacuations will be in effect through Thursday due to possibility of winds shifting back into town.

MANDATORY EVACUATIONS FOR CUYAMACA & EAGLE PEAK: A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for Cuyamaca just north of SR 79 and for Eagle Peak in the Engineers Road area.

EL CAPITAN FIRE: California Department of Forestry officials report that a fire that started near El Capitan tonight has burned itself out.

BOIL WATER ORDER FOR RAMONA: Although Ramona is under mandatory evacuation orders, those residents remaining in the city are being advised to boil tap water or use bottled water for drinking and cooking until further notice.

EVACUATIONS LIFTED FOR PORTION OF ENCINITAS: The evacuation order for the Olivenhein area of Encinitas has been lifted. It is open to residents only. The National Guard is checking ID's at access points.

EVACUATIONS LIFTED FOR CHULA VISTA, SOLANA BEACH AND CARLSBAD SOUTH OF PALOMAR AIRPORT ROAD: The City of Chula Vista has lifted all evacuations for its residents. Solana Beach residents are being told they can return to their homes. Voluntary evacuations have been canceled for Carlsbad south of Palomar Airport Road.

 

[Peter Hamilton]

Incredible--The largest Evacuation in United States history since the Civil War--mind-boggling--880,000 people

 

[CaliKid]

Poomacha Fire (La Jolla Indian Reservation)

Acreage burned: 20,000 acres

Active in: Palomar Mountain

Destroyed: 50 homes

Containment: 0%, no estimates given for containment

Casualties: 10 injuries to firefighters

Rice Fire

Acreage burned: 7,500 acres

Active in: Rainbow/De Luz areas of Fallbrook, Camp Pendleton

Destroyed: 200 homes, 2 commercial buildings, 40 outbuildings, 91 vehicles and 20,000 avocado trees

Containment: 10%, full containment expected by 10/28, full control by 11/5

Casualties: 1 injury to a firefighter

Witch Fire

Acreage burned: almost 200,000 acres

Active in: Lakeside, Rancho Santa Fe, Julian, Pine Hills, Ramona, Valley Center, Poway, Escondido, San Marcos

Destroyed: Unknown amount of homes, given that fire danger is still too high to assess, at least 300 feared

Containment: 1%, no estimates given for containment

Casualties: 12 injuries to firefighters out of 1,500 fighting the blaze

Harris Fire

Acreage burned: 72,000 acres

Active in: El Cajon, Alpine, Jamul, Campo

Destroyed: 200-500 homes

Containment: 10%, full containment expected by 10/31

Casualties: 1 civilian death, 21 civilian injuries, 4 firefighters in critical or serious condition

Cost of fighting the Harris Fire alone tops $2 million

 

[arielilane]

This is just so devastating, praying for all involved.
Someone might have already posted this link, but I wanted to post it just in case.
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_312_7172,00.html

The Red Cross needs our donations.

 

[Camper]

Reading every scrap of information on this thread. Prayers for all!!

On Tuesday this week one of our best and accurate local TV weathermen said that the weather conditions that cause the winds would still be in a lasting mode until Friday!!

Last night Charles Gibson had a special immediately following DWS. Many local bits of CA info.

Film was shown about Fire tornados. This was a new bit of information for me, had never heard of this before.

When the wind hits intense heat and flames from the 'side', it can turn into a tornado funnel of flame and fire that can go for incredible - incredible distance, and - and can work itself into a 'sideways' funnel.

This would explain the reaching and traveling ability of such intensity = carrying the flame so quickly sideways across highways etc.!!

I like so many others across America sit with our mouths agape at the vastness of this horror, and wonder HOW to help??????

Also wonder what changes and remifications will transpire AFTER the fire is gone for now.

Anxious to hear more about the NUCLEAR plant?????

Chertoff seems to be on top of this.

:blowkiss: to all in CA!!!!!!!!!!!

.

 

[CaliKid]

Hi Camper,

After San Diego County was ravaged by brushfires 4 years ago, our local government learned a lot from them. One of the biggest improvements was deploying military firefighters and equipment immediately and putting them under the authority of civilian captains. Acknowledging ahead of time the probability of a huge brushfire and sending fire teams in from the get-go also was a priority. Also the reverse 911 system of alerting people by telephone to evacuate their homes has probably saved countless lives.

 

[Trino]

These aren't the kind of fires you jump into Trino. They would need to bring the firetrucks, It's a matter of trying to save a home at a time.

Not really. There is a national networking of firefighters. They bring relief to local firefighters.

Strange that 2300 inmates (untrained) are fighting the fires, yet trained fire fighters have not been asked. (About 7,000 firefighters were battling the blazes, including 2,300 inmates from California's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, according to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.)

 

[JBean]

Wildfire: The latest on the Santiago fire

<LI class=style6>A new fire overnight at Camp Pendleton has shut down the I-5 freeway in both directions from Cristianitos Road to Harbor Drive, according to California Highway Patrol. Train service has been shut down between San Clemente and Oceanside.- 6:14 a.m.


This what we were seeing last night. We went down to Cristianitos to look at the Pendleton fire.WE cannot even get to where we went last night.
This will shut down all connections between SD County and Orange County.
I am going to be watching this fire.


6000 acres burned and they say it jumped the 5... good gravy!

 

[JBean]

Does anyone know what would happen if the fire hit the Nuclear facility of San Onofre?

 

[JBean]

winds should be gone by Thursday. Temps will drop from 95 today to 75 by Friday.

 

[Lesleegp]

So JBean, are you in jeopardy? I haven't read every single word of these threads, just can't keep up. What posters of ours are in harms way?

 

[JBean]

So JBean, are you in jeopardy? I haven't read every single word of these threads, just can't keep up. What posters of ours are in harms way?

Since the winds have died down I do not think the Pendleton fire can make it all the way to me. So I feel pretty good about that.
I do not think anyone here is currently in danger, they have evacuated or are holding tight.
mesnowmom has evacuated as have a couple posters that have not posted everything here. The rest of us that are in the vicinty are tracking the fire info and will leave if necessary but we probably will not need to.

 

[Lesleegp]

Since the winds have died down I do not think the Pendleton fire can make it all the way to me. So I feel pretty good about that.
I do not think anyone here is currently in danger, they have evacuated or are holding tight.
mesnowmom has evacuated as have a couple posters that have not posted everything here. The rest of us that are in the vicinty are tracking the fire info and will leave if necessary but we probably will not need to.

Thanks for the update. Scary stuff to say the least. I hope things continue to calm down.