Fires October 22

[Wyoming53]

I've just checked with my brother to see where and how the fires are going. Can't trust the news all they show is the stars homes that are burning.

Fires range from Dulzura (close to the Mexico Border) clear to LA.

They've just, in the last hour, called for evacuation of everybody around 15 and 56. Big fire in there has jumped 15 and is now in Scrips Ranch area, Escondido, Poway area in the canyons. Northwest of there is getting hammered.

[Wyoming53]

They have fires west of Dulzura headed to East Lake across Otay Lakes.

Fires from east of Ramona was split. South One is headed toward Sycamore Canyon, North one headed west and has jumped 15 at the north end of Poway. Went right out thorough a canyon. Burning on both sides which included Escondido and Scripts Ranch. They just sent the word out to evacuate the area from Miramar north to 56 west of 15 and east of 5. Area north/west of is catching hell

[PDXnative]

That is some amazing video they have been showing on the news. A lot of people are goiong to lose their homes.

[Wyoming53]

The latest. (My brother lives in Santee. Suburb East of San Diego)

We have fire to the north, east and south of us. Closest one being the witch creek fire southern spur (Wild Cat Canyon) which is still 10 – 15 miles out north-east of us.



We are all fine

[Wyoming53]

Originally Posted by PDXnative

That is some amazing video they have been showing on the news. A lot of people are goiong to lose their homes.

The biggest of the fires was arson.

I don't know if you've ever been down there during a Santa Anna, but the wind comes down off the desert just a whistling. And then to have a fire during the same weather is nasty.

[PDXnative]

I have never been down there, but have heard those winds can be wicked. Especially for sailors.

[Wyoming53]

Interstate 5 is closed both North and South between Main gate of Pendleton and Alien Check Point. Seems the Marines started a backfire on Pendleton and it backfired and went West and crossed the interstate. This is now being called the "DelMar" fire.

Fallbrook and Deluz were evacuated during the night. They were moved through Pendleton over to the camping area at the beach. Well the fire that came the wrong direction drove them out and now they are camped out at San An Ofree nuc power plant parking lot.

Pendleton is completely shut down, no entry or exit. Commissary is currently under seige from the fire, the people on Pendleton were housed in the Commissary so they're in an all out effort to save that building because it's full of people.

Julian was evacuated because of the fire down there. They are expecting that fire to merge with one further north. Bacca and Witch Creek fires.

Other evacuations: San Louis Ray and San Ann Ofree Military housing area.

[Sekretgardengal]

I couldn't watch last night on the special they had on ABC. It brought back too many memories of Hurricane Charley with all the destroyed homes in my old town.
I pray for all that have family out that way.

[PDXnative]

Hey Sekretgardengal, long time no see. Good to see you.

It is amazing how widespread this fire is. Hope they get it contained quickly and hope there are no big rainstorms that happen after the fire. Fire makes soil hydrophobic, which means it will not absorb water. Hydrophobic soil and rain is a bad mix and causes massive flooding and erosion.

[Wyoming53]

As of this morning, 10-25, the Santa Anna winds have really subsided and that's a great help to the firefighters. Now they can set backfires and they won't get away from them. They've made great progress yesterday and last night.

[MyAzi]

I was looking on the maps and notice that most of the fires were started just upwind of really nice areas... I am guessing arson in most.

I finally got through to one friend and she says the lines are clearing up to call in and out. For the most part I can't get ahold of too many. Been trying to call my cousin all week.

Inland the skies and the heat are making for difficult breathing... The effects will be felt for a very long time.

[Wyoming53]

Two items.

1) For those of you that use Google Earth. Log onto www.earth.google.com and it will show you a banner at the top so that you can load the templates for what is going on in California. Then your Google Earth will show you evacuation routes, safe shelters, animal shelters, first aid stations, evacuation areas, evacuation prep areas, area that the evacuation has been lifted, everything you can think of about the disaster. Google is updating this template every 2 hours.

2) San Diego has set up a website for emergency service and gives short little news clips (2 or 3 sentences) about the fires, progress made, etc. Great site to be able to catch up on what's going on in just a few minutes. Here's the site. http://www.sdcountyemergency.com/

Hope these two things help.

[MyAzi]

Thanks for the link Wy...

[catfish]

a Mexican group has claimed responsibility for starting at least some of
> the
> fires:
>
> ORANGE COUNTY, California (CNN) -- Radical Hispanic separatist
> organization
> MEChA ("Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan") is taking
> responsibility for
> setting the wildfires in California, confimed Governor Arnold
> Schwarzenegger.
>
> http://www.cnnheadlienews.com/2007/U...cha/index.html

[Wyoming53]

I hope they are legal, and I hope they get caught. That way we can prosecute and lock them up.

If they're illegal, about all that can be done is to deport them.

But some how, I don't think they are illegal. The reason I say that is all the illegal's I've known, kept a very low profile and didn't cause any trouble. It was the ones born here that always seemed to want to make a point.