Posted on 10/13/2008 11:30:50 PM PDT by americanophile
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two huge wildfires driven by strong Santa Ana winds burned into neighborhoods near Los Angeles on Monday, forcing frantic evacuations on smoke- and traffic-choked highways, destroying homes and causing at least two deaths. Around sunset, residents were warned to stay on alert during the night and winds more than 60 mph were forecast. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. More than 1,000 firefighters and nine water-dropping aircraft battled the 4,700-acre Marek Fire at the northeast end of the San Fernando Valley, and the 5,000-acre Sesnon Fire at the west end. Winds blew up to 45 mph with gusts reaching 70 mph at midday. They were forecast to diminish in the evening before roaring over 60 mph after 11 p.m. "This fire has the real potential of moving from where it is now ... as far as Pacific Coast (Highway)," said Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman. Residents downwind were warned to remain alert into the night. "It can go from here to the ocean in a matter of two to three hours," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. Authorities confirmed more than three-dozen mobile homes burned at the Marek Fire, and 19 structures — some of them homes — were either damaged or destroyed by the Sesnon Fire. Commercial sites burned in both fires. "It is a blowtorch we can't get in front of," said Los Angeles County fire Inspector Frank Garrido...Freeman warned people not to stay home after evacuation orders had been given. "You may not be able to even outrun this fire," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at ap.google.com ...
Wow, that’s quite a shot they picked up there.
We’re sort of behind on our Southern California fire season, but quickly catching up now. I knew that this would be a bad day when it was so dry and the winds were up this morning.
Hadn’t watched any television all day, and just catching up now. For those in the Los Angeles area, the only station presently covering it live is KCOP 13, sort of surprised that KNBC doesn’t have it on digital 4.4 - what a night to run a bike race.
Feels like wind started picking up again in my neck of the woods. May be quite a night ahead. If Sensen fire croses 118 again, it’ll likely be in Malibu by Morning...
Prayers for all! My husband and I had to evacuate from our home in a hurry right at dark and fleed with little more than our pets and a few important items. It is a scary time and one filled with great emotion for the things in life that really matter. The winds control so much in these fires. They have the capacity for great destruction—pretty much leaving the firefighter nearly helpless in its strength (although they fight it like crazy anyway!) or it dies down and allows the firefighters to control the beast. FIre is a beast. You can see it in the picture and as much as I love fire, I learned to respect its power this summer when we had to leave our home. God bless all of the firefighters. They risk so much to save these homes and people.
we have big bugger blazing away in North san Diego County too. On Camp Pendleton ...
Dear Lord. I hope not. Many prayers. Hope you are not too close. Be safe.
I forgot to mention in my post that my husband and I evacuated in the Santa Barbara GAP Fire this June. It sounded in my post like we just did. Nope. We are happy in bed tonight feeling great empathy for all in the LA area.
CAMP PENDLETON Marine Base - Northern San Diego County
– The second wildfire in a week on the Marine Corps base forced more than 4,000 people on and off the base to flee their homes Monday as flames threatened Oceanside neighborhoods.
By nightfall, the Juliet fire had scorched some 1,500 acres on the base and was still uncontained.
Meanwhile, a 500-acre fire near Fallbrook, which has merged with the larger Juliet fire farther south, had burned to within 200 yards of homes there, and residents there were packed and poised to evacuate.
For Camp Pendleton, it was its second major fire in less than a week. Another 1,500-acre blaze roared across the southern end of the base Thursday.
The Juliet fire also broke out at the southern end of Pendleton, near the base’s San Luis Rey Gate east of Vandegrift Boulevard. It quickly jumped the roadway and was burning on both side of Vandegrift. At the same time, flames threatened to jump off the base and into Oceanside.
In all, more than 2,000 Pendleton residents were evacuated, according to base officials. In Oceanside, meanwhile, police reported 1,240 homes evacuated.
Thanks but no thanks, I’ll stay here and deal with the hurricane season. They can keep their fires and earthquakes.
{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}
Prayers going up for you and your family and home, and for all of those who are in the path of these wildfires!! :*(
Oh, I am glad to hear that. Whew!
Prayers going up for all the firefighters and police, etc. having to work in these frightful areas! May God place a hedge of protection around all of those who might be in harm’s way!!
Compared to what Hurricane Ike did to Texas, our brush fires are nothing.
Google Ike's damage reports. It's brutal...700,000 Texan households in the 29-county disaster zone sought state or federal emergency relief. This is just the beginning of the damage.
Early hurricane damage estimates topped $31 billion, making Ike the third costliest hurricane in United States history.
36 dead, over 134 still missing, with thousands still without power. This storm was bad enough to cause 550 million in damage all the way up in Ohio. The Columbus Dispatch reported last week that damage totals from Ike's gusty winds may top $1 billion, making it the costliest storm in Ohio history.
In your region, this has the potential of occurring every season.
Good luck.
Looks like L.A. might suffer hundreds of dollars in property damage.
The good thing that came out of surviving this without lose of life or home was the knowledge that important items and documents need to be placed in such a way that they can be grabbed in a matter of seconds and that includes pets and kids. Also one should have radios, batteries, flashlights, water, and any first aid items available at the home.
In Santa Barbara when it was most critical to know if we had to quickly evacuate the electrical was out and the sheriffs had to come to our doors and order us out NOW! The winds brought it to our a block away within an hour! Most people aren't so lucky to have loads of sherriffs and police on every block as we did. The smoke got in the electrical lines shutting it down all the way up and down the coast into Ventura. We had to rely on that radio day and night unexpectedly. These fires move fast out here! Blessings to all.
Thanks!! and great prayer! AMEN to that!
This is horrific to see. Last year we lost our business to the Fallbrook fires and then our home to foreclosure because of it. My thoughts are with all of those who are enduring this now. We will be watching and hoping for you.
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