Southern CA fires - Live Thread 10/26 (4 separate major fires, incl. 1 new arson fire)

KCBS/KNBC/KABC/KTTV/KCAL/KTLA/KCOP/KMEX - Los Angeles | 10.26.03

[mhking]

KNBC (DirecTV 383) went live at 5A PT this morning (8A ET). This is looking really bad with four separate major fires in Crestline, Rancho Cucamonga, Simi Valley and San Bernadino. A large group of homes is being threatened near La Verne as I start this thread.

According to KNBC, the Crestline fire was intentionally set last night, and now threatens a large area.

The Simi Valley fire is near the Reagan Library. No word on whether it's going toward or away from the facility.

[mhking]

KNBC: http://www.nbc4.tv

KABC: http://www.abc7.com

KCBS: http://www.cbs2.com

KTTV: http://www.fox11la.com

KCAL: http://www.kcal.com

No one is streaming live as of yet, but I fully expect NBC4 to go live later this morning.

[mhking]

From KNBC: As of 5:30 PT (8:30 ET), major fires in four separate areas to the north of Los Angeles. Two of the fires are new since last night (La Verne and Simi Valley), and are both suspicious in origin. Multi-million dollar homes are on fire and being threatened in the La Verne area. The Simi Valley fire is not far from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

The pictures are simply mesmerizing. This is incredibly bad, folks.

As I watch, the chopper shows multiple fires across different areas. It is obvious that the embers are moving forward across a wide area before starting additional fires.

The announcers are calling this the worst fires in Southern California history.

[Ladypixel]

Check out this active thread, the latter half of it anyhow, for updates and scanner frequencies/live web broadcasts of police and fire scanner info. Currently, the fire is burning the Webb School at the western border of Claremont/eastern border of La Verne. From my vantage in Glendora, I can see the fire well, if not the area where the Webb School is located (it's in Webb Canyon, which is just out of visual range from here). Structures in western Claremont and eastern La Verne are beginning to catch fire. There is a lot of activity in Webb Canyon and in Live Oak Canyon. The fire units are spread horribly thin at the moment, as the one squadron at the school (which is incidentally trying to protect the LeRoy Boys' Home next door to the school) is jumping between house fires and the school. The fire is spread out for miles, and I've seen fire units from every possible area in California as well as out-of-state ones. Heck, they're pulling police units from as far south as San Diego to assist right now. I'm headed to bed, or I'd give you more updates, since I spent most of my evening actively watching both the Grand Prix fire and the Old Waterman fire with my husband. I can tell you, though, that it's a real mess out here.

[Ladypixel]

Taken individually, the fires are not the worst in SoCal history. But taken as a group, it's a massive firestorm which I have never seen the like of.

[mhking]

I can't get over the pictures that KNBC is televising. This is unlike anything I've ever seen.

[mhking]

Off to bed.

If anybody needs this

Cal Fire Maps

http://wildfire.cr.usgs.gov/ca_geomac/viewer.htm

Live online scanner feeds for fire, cops, CDF

http://www.live365.com/stations/kb6jag

FYI, this one gives pop ups if you use it.

No pop ups on this feed

http://www.police-scanner.info/livescan.htm

Another live scanner feed.

Click on Big Bear Feed

http://www.compucations.com/nuke/html/modules.php?name=LiveScanners

another live feed for socal, Verdugo Fire Communications Center

http://verdugo.ci.glendale.ca.us/radio.html

CHP Dispatch

http://cad.chp.ca.gov/

CDF AIR CHANNELS

---

Red - 151.220 - Air to ground units
Blue - 151.280 - Air to air
Green - 151.295 - Air to air
Yellow - 151.310 - Air to air
Victor - 122.925 AM - Air to air for contract helicopters

List of channels for SoCal

http://www.qsl.net/ke6alv/

Get a copy of Police call for when you're mobile.

http://www.policecall.com/

San Bernardino National Forest

171.475 mhz and 172.225

123.9750 National Air Tanker Base Freq.
135.9750 Air ops
151.2200 CDF Red Air to Ground
151.2650 CDF Region
151.3100 CDF Air Tactics 6
151.3550 CDF Command Net 1
154.2650 OES White Fire 2
154.2800 OES White Fire 1
154.2950 OES White Fire 3
164.1250 Fire Camp Service Net
166.6125 "Command" Fontana area
166.8500 Air attack
167.9500 BLM Air to Ground
168.0500 NIFC Tac 1
168.0750 NIFC Tac 3
168.200 NIFC Tac 2 (Crew Net)
168.2500 BLM? "Command"
168.4000 BLM "Command"
168.6000 NIFC Tac 3
168.6250 Air Guard
169.1250 Calif. Fire Travel Net
169.0625 vehicle mechanics?
170.0000 Air to Ground Region 5
173.9125 Region 5 Tac 4
173.9625 Region 5 Tac 5
173.9875 Region 5 Tac 6
415.5500 National Air channel

Ham 145.220

1,563 posted on 10/26/2003 7:43 AM EST by spectr17
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[mhking]

How long before daylight there?

[Ladypixel]

Check out also http://www.k6ccc.org - they're doing live feeds for the police/fire scanners for the western end of the fire, and are the ones reporting on what's going on in the La Verne area. (In fact, the other reason I'm mentioning 'em is because I forgot to turn it off when I went to bed, and could hear police radio from the bedroom - and there's no way I could sleep while listening to occasional reports.) ;)

There's a lot of quiet air time on the link above, as well, but when you do get info, it's clear, it's concise, and it's accurate on the western fire side.

[heleny]

The Simi Valley fire is near the Reagan Library. No word on whether it's going toward or away from the facility.

KNX said the fire is burning away from Simi Valley, toward Somis and Saticoy (less populated areas than Simi Valley). The Reagan library is safe -- the fire wasn't burning in its direction after getting near that area last night (around 11PM or so, on yesterday's thread).

Power is out in much of Ventura County, though, and the northbound 23 freeway and 118 both directions from the 23 to Madera are still closed.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Suns been up about 15 min. here in central New Mexico. I guess about a half hour for CA.

[Ladypixel]

False dawn in about 20 mins. Dawn in about 40.

[Quilla]

I'm still reading the overnight thread and this post certainly caught my eye:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1008114/posts?page=337#337

Snip:

The Arizona Republic

PHOENIX -- National forests in the West were considered targets for al-Qaida attacks, according to an FBI memo to law enforcement agencies dated June 25.
A senior al-Qaida detainee told federal investigators he had developed a plan to set midsummer forest fires in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, according to the document, obtained by The Arizona Republic.
"The detainee believed that significant damage to the U.S. economy would result and once it was realized that the fires were terrorist acts, U.S. citizens would put pressure on the U.S. government to change its policies," the memo said.
The unidentified detainee said he hoped to create several large, catastrophic wildfires at once.

[mhking]

KNBC: Manditory evacuations for Stoneman and Woodglen areas of Simi Valley.

[heleny]

How long before daylight there?

The sky is light already, although I don't think the sun is up yet -- if it is, it's hiding behind a huge thick black cloud in the ESE direction from coastal San Diego.

I hope the aircraft can start flying again soon. It's a little windy here, but it is forecast to get worse.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Any fire activity immediately west of San Diego? I have a sister-in-law in the Crest/El Cajon area?

[mhking]

KNBC: Crestline Police and Fire preparing to move their command post - they think they are about to lose the downtown area of Cresline.

[chance33_98]

Wow, they ban smoking everywhere and then this happens. Bet there is some serious secondhand smoke in CA now.

Let's hope people keep safe out there. I have friends and family out there whom I will be seeing in a few weeks when I drive out. So far nothing in their areas (Bakersfield, Tehachapi, Ridgecrest - oh how I miss the high desert at times! Will be seeing that sage brush real soon....I hope)

[chance33_98]

Hey Tijeras_Slim, will be Albuquerque in a few weeks, if you happen to be hanging out at the owl cafe around November 16th let me know cause I am stopping for a green chile burger!

[mhking]

KNBC (live reporter in Devore): The "Old" fire and the "Grand Prix" fire are moving toward each other and look like they will merge soon.

[xusafflyer]

210 Freeway and Baseline on fire.