Posted on 10/30/2003 7:04:18 AM PST by Happy2BMe
Wildfire Turns California Resort Into Tinderbox
Reuters
Thursday, October 30, 2003; 1:14 AM
By Gina Keating and Arthur Spiegelman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Southern California wildfires turned into an "Apocalypse Now" as a firestorm raced through the mountain resort of Lake Arrowhead destroying an estimated 250 homes in minutes and leaving officials fearing that the fiery rage would not abate on Thursday.
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Fire officials said the only hope they had for preventing a repeat of Wednesday's disaster on Lake Arrowhead was incoming fog that was expected to creep in from the ocean and envelop the mountains by the week's end.
"The good news is that a little too late the weather is changing on us. ... We will still have trouble (on Thursday) in the higher elevations, but by Friday we will get higher humidity ... and this will help the fire suppression effort," said Andrea Tuttle, the head of the state's Forestry Department.
It was Tuttle who said that the San Bernardino Mountains, the winter playground for nearby Los Angeles, could erupt in flames of Biblical proportions because of a huge infestation of minute bark beetles which killed 70 percent of the trees around Lake Arrowhead and surrounding communities.
"Lake Arrowhead is the perfect storm of factors combining to produce a really dangerous situation -- three or four years of drought, a bark beetle infestation, decades of fire suppression and really widespread residential development all mixed up together," said Jay Watson of the Wilderness Society.
RACING FLAMES
The flames that raced up the canyon leading to Lake Arrowhead, about 70 miles east of Los Angeles, reached heights of 300 feet, twice the size of the area's once majestic pine and fir trees.
"It looks like the moon. There is nothing there. What used to be trees and houses is gone ... total devastation," one firefighter told local television station KNBC.
California Forestry Department official Tom O'Keefe called the situation a nightmare and an "all consuming blaze" that veteran firefighters have seldom, if ever, encountered.
Meanwhile, officials reported the death of the first firefighter battling nine major and eight smaller offshoots that have turned Southern California into a disaster area.
The fireman, believed assigned to San Diego County from the San Francisco Bay, died while fighting a blaze outside the historic gold mining town of Julian. Three colleagues were also injured, including at least one with severe burns.
Officials said that as of Wednesday night there were 20 confirmed deaths, including two in adjoining areas in Mexico and that a total of 2,427 homes were destroyed along with 634,000 acres.
California insurance industry officials said claims so far from the nine major fires and eight offshoots are likely to reach more than $1 billion in insured losses, making the disaster at least the second most costly wildfire in California history.
Close to 13,000 firefighters, many of them bone weary from days without rest, were battling hot spots that deceptively smoldered quietly for hours only to roar back up, fueled by sudden wind changes.
(Not to mention the loss of life, property, and income from toursim.)
Probably not, but then we can show them the error of their ways in the only way they understand, force :)
I wonder if their apple tree orchards were burned. These orchards were famous/special because they were the only apple orchards in Southern California.
Julian is the only place apple orchards will grow in that part of the country.
Lake Arrowhead pics
If the trees were damaged or destroyed, the enterprising apple growers in Julian can transplant trees from Washington State and be right back in bidness. It'd be costly, but it would work.
There is going to be a huge cash-flow churn when the rebuilding from these fires takes hold. Very good for bidness.
Michael
http://www.hagmannpi.com/US%20Infrastructure.htm#fires
Verified intelligence indicates that Islamic terrorists had a hand in some of the existing fires in southern California that have already engulfed over 1/2 million acres.
Saturday, 12 July 2003: PHOENIX, Arizona - The FBI alerted law enforcement agencies last month that an Al Qaeda terrorist now in detention had talked of masterminding a plot to set a series of devastating forest fires around the western United States. Fox News.
Internet Intercept 26 October 2003:
"Allah's soldiers will devastate America by its burning...this is nothing but the start of the punishment assisted by Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds....These are the new fires different from the normal as Ramadan starts."
Other truncated messages from September 2003:
Oh Allah support the fighters everywhere, and hasten your support of them Oh Allah...
Oh Allah... ignite the land a fire from below the feet of the Crusaders and cunning Zionists... _________________
The Battle of Badr and Other Operations in Ramadan !!!
30 October 2003--The In the name of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful. My noble friend, peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you. The praise of Allah in the first and the praise of Allah in the others and the praise of Allah to the Doomsday and after.
It was mentioned in a previous message that ( Alsfiani ) will drive the army of two million smiling at the separate Battle of Badr in Ramadan Allah willing.
What has actually started is a large operation beginning at the start of Ramadan against the top spies at the Red Crescent building that the invaders use as a center for the collection of the information under the guise of offering the human service.
What has taken place with Allah's support and his favor are 40 successful operations within 24 hours… and with the help of Allah we have made their land a hell of fire at the feet of the invaders.
God willing he sees what is in your heart with the blessing of this virtuous month from men that given their souls to the omnipotent and single Allah… and the news will come to you from here and there despite the beaten media secrecy from the cowards in power with a hopeful outlook !!!
They have smuggled their veteran ruler (Bremer) to Washington with the increase in hostilities and he met with Powell saying that they did not expect that the resistance would be this great!!!
You will see in the eyes of your mother soon, God willing what the true meaning of the Jihad and Mujahid and the jihad support soon !!!
Watch with disbelief and with Allah's wrath the Jihad is everywhere…the fires devour them in their own land leaving 17 casualties and the destruction of 700 houses and 2000 hectare of the forests and the fires have entered actually part of the city before an hour of now… and oh Allah Zaid and bless and show us their awesome Jihad works and ability. Amen.
Up there at a rented weekend cabin was the first time I ever saw it snow (maybe 9 or 10 years old) - fascinating enough that I'll never forget it.
Ah, the old Broken Window Fallacy.
Thanks for the post though!
No. This fits in with their goal of creating vast areas of no-human type wildernesses. They would like to demonstrate that its too dangerous to build homes in the woods. Their "nuclear option" is going as planned.
Cinders are on good for charcoal briquettes.
Not much demand for ashes.
Always keep the VA-MD-DC sniper case in mind when dealing with local authorities/witnesses. For quite a while we were told it was two white men in a white van(Sound familiar). This even after the local police chief(Moose for brains) knew it was not the case.
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