Posted on 06/06/2002 4:36:30 PM PDT by DCBurgess58
As I sit here in the High Desert of southern California, in the town of Palmdale, a pall of white smoke is blocking the sun. My wife called me about twenty minutes ago to ask about the smoke over our house. I went outside and saw that the whole northern horizon was filled with greyish white smoke, from as far as the eye can see. The smoke has now continued expanding and is overhead here. A co-workers wife called to say that the town of Apple Valley some 50 miles east of here is being evacuated. I will post more when I know more of what's going on
I noticed it was hazy here in LA.
I think something's burning.
Is that a weather report or a mental condition endemic to LA?
BTU's.
Concerns the air.
Not too bright are you?
For those in the North L.A. County area, the area is near Lake Elizabeth, Lake Hughes, Leona Valley Area. That puts it North of Castaic Lake and East of I-5.
For those in the North L.A. County area, the area is near Lake Elizabeth, Lake Hughes, Leona Valley Area. That puts it North of Castaic Lake and East of I-5.
Don't be alarmed. It's just Billy the Mountain and his stunning wife Ethell (a tree) cashing in on his royalties and heading off to Las Vegas to check out the lounges, pull a few handles, and drink a few beers...
-- KotS
Billy The Mountain -- the libretto
Windy. Afternoon southwest wind 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph. Mostly sunny and not as hot. Highs around 115.
Yikes! Who would want to live anyplace where 115 degrees is regarded as "not as hot."
I lived out there for a year on the Marine Corps base in 29 Palms. Thank God for swamp coolers, that's all I can tell you.
P.S. Tell her to buy a swamp cooler
POSTED: 2:47 p.m. PDT June 6, 2002
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. -- A 10,000-acre raging in the Saugus area forced rural residents to begin evacuating Thursday and threatened to trigger rolling blackouts as it burned under transmission lines supplying Southern California.
The fire is being called a "two-headed monster" because it is burning out of control in two different areas. At least four homes and several outbuildings have been destroyed and a thousand more are threatened.
The utility had plans at the ready to first interrupt power to agricultural customers if that happened, and then to institute rolling blackouts affecting general customers. The utility urged customers to conserve power through the evening.
Dozens of people left Green Valley, 10 miles north of Santa Clarita, and more were expected to follow as 15 mph winds spread the blaze, among the largest of wildland fires that have burned across more than 21,000 acres in California since last week.
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"It's an inferno right now," said California Highway Patrol Officer Doug Sweeney, who was escorting residents out of Green Valley to the Lake Elizabeth Golf Course. "It's quite difficult for everyone concerned, they're panicking."
U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Kathy Peterson said it was a voluntary evacuation, but Sweeney estimated that a few hundred people were expected to evacuate.
The American Red Cross set up evacuation centers in Saugus and Palmdale. One evacuation center is being set up at Saugus High School in Saugus, and another in Highland High School in Palmdale to assist the residents fleeing from Green Valley.
Residents of a rehabilitation center in Warm Springs and state inmates who were working as volunteer firefighters evacuated from their camps, said Los Angeles County fire Inspector Kurt Schaefer.
The blaze, dubbed the Copper fire, was only 20 percent contained Thursday after destroying a home and seven outbuildings since Wednesday. Authorities considered the fire's origin suspicious.
Five firefighters have been injured. One firefighter was hospitalized with heat exhaustion, another suffered a hand injury and two were hurt when a bulldozer rolled over, authorities said.
The blaze in the Saugus area was reported at 2:40 p.m. Wednesday, forcing firefighters to battle it in 100-degree temperatures until darkness fell.
The fire appeared to be of suspicious origin, said Inspector Kurt Schaefer of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. He would not elaborate.
To the northwest in neighboring Ventura County, the state's largest fire grew to 11,738 acres. More than 1,700 firefighters and nearly two-dozen aircraft battled the flames crackling through Los Padres National Forest north of Ojai, a community of 7,900.
Containment was estimated at 15 percent. Bulldozers were cutting fire lines through protected wilderness to slow the fire before it threatened the Sespe Condor Sanctuary.
Costs of fighting the fire, which destroyed four ranch structures, rose to $3.7 million.
Two fires continued to burn in the San Bernardino National Forest 60 miles east of Los Angeles. The 2,688-acre Arrowhead fire, which may have spread from a training fire, was 95 percent surrounded. The 432-acre Bee fire east of Hemet remained contained.
In Sequoia National Forest near Lake Isabella northeast of Bakersfield, a 500-acre fire that started Sunday evening was nearly extinguished.
In the Angeles National Forest, firefighters neared full control of a 100-acre blaze that broke out Monday above the Los Angeles suburb of Glendora.
Two smaller blazes in northern Los Angeles County were extinguished late Tuesday. Nearly 100 acres burned near Castaic Lake and 25 acres in Val Verde.
At one point, the blaze threatened to trigger rolling blackouts as it burned under power lines supplying Southern California, said Paul Klein, spokesman for Southern California Edison. But the threat of blackouts passed by evening as the fire began to burn away from the lines.
About 1,000 people in the rural Green Valley area about 10 miles north of Santa Clarita were ordered to leave, said inspector Armando Carrillo of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. At least five homes were destroyed, Carrillo said.
``It's an inferno right now,'' said California Highway Patrol Officer Doug Sweeney, who was escorting residents out of town. ``It's quite difficult for everyone concerned, they're panicking.''
Residents of a rehabilitation center in Warm Springs and state inmates who were working as volunteer firefighters evacuated from their camps, said fire inspector Kurt Schaefer.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but authorities considered it suspicious. The blaze was about 20 percent contained Thursday night.
``High temperatures, erratic winds and steep terrain are making fighting the fire very difficult,'' said fire Capt. Brian Jordan.
Many residents who had been at work as the fire grew tried to return to their homes but were turned away by authorities.
``They said I may lose my house tomorrow,'' said Green Valley resident Chris Lawrence, tears welling in his eyes.
The wildfire is among the largest that have burned across more than 25,000 acres of California brush and forest since last week.
To the northwest in Ventura County, more than 1,700 firefighters and nearly two-dozen aircraft battled a wildfire burning over more than 11,700 acres in Los Padres National Forest north of Ojai, a community of 7,900.
The blaze has destroyed four ranch structures.
In the San Bernardino National Forest 60 miles east of Los Angeles, a blaze covering 2,688 acres was 95 percent surrounded.
What's a pop?
Some Aunt Jemima syrup, some Kaisier(sp) Broiler foil and a pair of blunt scissors....
Rodney King Riots burned up the ghetto...
Arson was another way that some people vented their rage of various kinds. Fire Chief Donald Manning was quoted as saying that the Los Angeles Fire Dept. has responded to more than 3,600 fires in the past three days. Further, he commented that at given times during the past two days, the L.A.F.D. was receiving calls for three (3) fires every minute. He said that this level of need for service far exceeded the department's ability to respond and that this call volume was five (5) times that of normal.
I have no idea what the warnings for the Southland are. However there is an updated map on this thread showing the wind advisory areas and potential fire hazard areas. The area in the Southland area has been growing since yesterday.
This is a great weather service and advisory service. Go to one of my replies with the link to the service to sign up.
Then store the map to check on the area. This is the map that updates on a regular basis. The Orange areas are the high wind and fire hazard areas. This report is the one that the various fire fighting agencies get:
Good luck down there. Fires in California are truly dangersous and scary!
does that really work? What / how?? Seems that here lately, my back yard is being taken over by the little critters.
Thanks in advance for any info.
LVM
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