"Firestorm" Surrounds Southern California

[Decker]

Checked the Front and Backroom for a thread about this and no luck so here's the BIG news!

Unrelenting fires char S. California, at least half a million flee

SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Relentless wildfires roared through Southern California for a third day Tuesday, sending more than half a million residents fleeing with family members, pets and whatever prize possessions they could fit in their vehicles. The blazes have charred 400,000 acres and reduced 1,300 homes -- 1,000 in San Diego County -- to ash.

The fires have killed one person and injured more than 50. Earlier Tuesday, officials erroneously reported that a second person had died.

Earlier Tuesday, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, said the number of evacuees "could very well approach 500,000 by the end of the day."

By Tuesday night, officials had evacuated nearly 350,000 homes in San Diego County. Using U.S. Census Bureau numbers from the 2000 census, that could mean as many as 950,000 were affected by the fires.

In San Diego County, at least 513,000 residents had been ordered to find refuge in shelters, schools and stadiums as fires pushed into new areas.

Twelve thousand more people were advised but not ordered to evacuate.Video Watch a fire official describe "utter devastation" President Bush will visit the area Thursday, the White House said. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff arrived in San Diego on Tuesday afternoon.

Chertoff promised a different federal reaction from the one in New Orleans in 2005.

"We have been preparing and planning and training together for the last 2½ years," he said.

And the scene at Qualcomm Stadium on Tuesday did seem to live up to Chertoff's expectations as volunteers cheerily handed out chairs, food and water.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency delivered 25,000 cots early Tuesday. Video Watch report of a man who fled fire in Chula Vista »

Free newspapers were available, National Guard troops kept watch, ventriloquists and balloon artists entertained kids, and even massage therapists were trying to help the 12,000 to 15,000 evacuees relax as they fretted about the fate of their homes.

Click for rest of article
CNN Report on the Fires in Souther California

Check out this link. Has a good view of the smoke over LA(but you couldn't see the LA area for beans the smoke was soo thick:
The 150-Foot Solar Tower
Current Towercam Image

There are 13 major fires including 3 BIG ones, there are 7000+ firefighters and 3000+ military personnel, 1M have been evacuated(the largest movement of people in the country's history!).
1known death and about 50 seriously injured.


Crazy Low Level Air-Tanker Drop!

[Fragony]

Holy crap, it's a small miracle there is only one comfirmed kill. Hope it stays like that. Great organisation you have going there.

[naut]

I guess having fires here makes me slightly less impressed. But I hope the wind dies down and the rain picks up, that'll help stop it.

[CountArach]

My condolences to anyone who has lost anything andbest wishes to any Orgahs in the vicinity.

And the Death toll is actually 5 now:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...24/2069205.htm

Towering wildfires burning out of control across southern California have claimed the lives of at least five people, three of them elderly evacuees from the San Diego area.

[Beirut]

My sister is out there. She said her home isn't close to the fires but her work is.

Quite the scene. Hope all our California friends here are safe.

[Papewaio]

Kukrikhan is out there too. Prayers with him and his family.

I hope he takes the toilet paper off his head... its rather flammable.

[Fragony]

My sister is out there. She said her home isn't close to the fires but her work is.

Quite the scene. Hope all our California friends here are safe.

good luck

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Kukrikhan is out there too. Prayers with him and his family.

I hope he takes the toilet paper off his head... its rather flammable.

toilet paper is flammable?! *Takes it off Warman8
s head*


Yea, Good luck to you guys. Yucky Fires

[TinCow]

Google has a very good map of the fires around San Diego. If you read the various information spots, you will notice that all interstate highways are closed except those leading south into Mexico. The city itself is essentially surrounded. It is a very, very bad situation.

[drone]

Good luck to all SoCal Orgahs.

I would imagine Divinus Arma is involved in fighting this, if I remember correctly he lives that way. Hope he's well. I bet he will have some intense pics if he's in the fire.

[Fragony]

Had a major fire 50 meters from my place this week, it is the most terrifying thing I have ever seen. Good luck to all and especially Div.

[Geoffrey S]

Good luck to anyone near there, I hope it gets sorted soon.

[Gregoshi]

I hope that Kukri, Div, Beirut's sister and all others are well. May their houses be spared if threatened.

[Decker]

So apparently the winds have died down some what and thanks to about 50 helicopters and air-tankers are working over the fires atm. I think the Witches and Harris fires are still the larger fires that are still difficult to handle. There is about $1b worth of damage overall and probably more.

Bush declares major fire disaster
George W Bush has declared California a major disaster zone after four days of wildfires sparked the biggest US evacuation since Hurricane Katrina.

The fires have killed three people, injured 40 and burned 1,500 homes, causing an estimated $1bn in damage.

More than 500,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as fierce winds fan fast-moving fires that have ravaged land from Santa Barbara to Mexico.

Forecasters say winds are weakening, easing conditions for firefighters.

In some areas, wind speeds were down to 21-36 mph (34-58km/h), from highs of 100mph earlier in the week.

Federal aid

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger praised the "great co-ordination" and "immediate response" of federal, state and local government agencies to the fires.

He also thanked President Bush for signing the disaster declaration, which will free federal funds to help governments, families and individuals recover from the devastation wrought by the blazes - at least 16 of which are still burning.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Bush declared a state of emergency in seven California counties. He will visit the state on Thursday.

"I will continue to make sure that our efforts are co-ordinated, and that we are responsive to the needs of people... we offer our prayers and hopes that all will turn out fine in the end," Mr Bush said.

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (Fema), David Paulison, said the government had learnt its lesson after it was accused of a sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast two years ago.

"What we see now that we did not see during Hurricane Katrina is a very good team effort from the local, the state and the federal government and across the federal agencies," Mr Paulison said.

More than 400,000 acres (162,000 hectares) of land have been scorched - an area bigger than New York City - and 25,000 buildings are threatened.

Forestry officials say the seasonal Santa Ana winds are hampering their efforts to contain fires raging across the state, and high wind warnings are in effect for most of the region until Wednesday afternoon.
In San Diego County, which has been hardest hit and where five blazes are still burning, the bill just from damage to homes will top $1bn (£500m), said San Diego County emergency services director Ron Lane.

Firefighters there have been working around the clock in difficult conditions.

"We've been faced with embers from that fire floating in the air a half-a-mile to three-quarters of a mile away from the fire, underneath people's roofs, on to their back yards, starting those things on fire," spokesman Maurice Luque told the BBC.

One San Diego firefighter, Mitch Mendler, said: "It was like Armageddon. It looked like the end of the world."

Mr Schwarzenegger thanked the firefighters for their tireless efforts.

"They are working 24 hours a day around the clock - and when I say 24 hours around the clock I mean the day only has 24 hours - but in fact many of them that I have met actually work 36 hours and 48 hours without stopping," he said.
Major evacuation

County officials placed evacuation calls to 346,000 homes, ordering about 560,000 people to leave - although some 50,000 were allowed to return late on Tuesday. In Orange County, officials said the number of fires had stretched resources to breaking point.

More than 10,000 evacuees stayed overnight at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, while other residents sought shelter in schools, community centres and fairgrounds.

"I'm worried for my baby, my house, my kids, everything," Ana Ramirez, a 30-year-old pregnant woman who was taking shelter in the stadium with her four-year-old daughter, told Reuters news agency.

Ambulances and school buses moved hundreds of people from hospitals, nursing homes and prisons.

The blazes are the worst to hit California since 2003 wildfires that killed 22 people.
Bush declares major fire disaster

I'd post more pictures, but somehow I got banned from my own photobucket account lol.

[Ayachuco]

I love the story of the man who prevented the firestorm from getting his house burned down. His villa was a victim of the 2003 firestorm and so he was determined never to let that happened ever again. He bought 5 firehoses and 3 pumps to prepare for any other fires. When the firestorm happened again, he and a friend proceeded to pump the water from his swimming pool and sprayed down his mansion and the surrounding shrubs and trees. After a two day fight against the fire; he ran out of water and then gave his property a final soak down. He is now staying at Qualcomm Stadium and hopefully his house won't become dry enough to light up. I can imagine him on his hill, looking at the ensuing blaze and shout "You want to burn down my house! Well, BURN THIS!!!" and let out a battle cry at the top of his lungs and spray water at the crowning flames.