Orange burned yesterday, Red is burning now
Posted on 09/29/2005 8:19:10 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES - A wind-whipped brush fire quickly tripled in size early Thursday to more than 9,300 acres, destroying at least one home and prompting evacuations as a ridge of flames was visible for miles.
The blaze burned to the edge of a number of multimillion-dollar homes that abut rural, picturesque hillsides in the San Fernando Valley. Homes in several communities in Los Angeles and Ventura counties were evacuated, but officials did not release an exact number.
"Our house is still OK, but oh, God, it's not a good feeling," said Phil Goldenberg, 53, who was at an evacuation shelter at Canoga Park High School with his wife and son.
Late Wednesday night, bright red flames 10 to 15 feet high stretched several miles across much of the western edge of the valley.
"It's pretty hard to deal with when it's dry brush and dry fuel. There's not a lot you can do to stop it," said Paul Shakstad of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Fire officials confirmed that one home had been destroyed, although two structures that appeared to be homes could be seen burning in a news broadcast.
Past wildfires fanned by Santa Ana winds have roared south to Malibu, the celebrity-packed community about 10 miles away, and that's one of the biggest fears firefighters have with this blaze, Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Mark Savage said.
Authorities planned an all-out assault against the fire at daybreak using water dropping helicopters and tanker planes, he said. No evacuations were reported at Malibu.
More than 700 firefighters were on the scene, fire spokesman Ron Haralson said earlier. One firefighter was struck on the head by a 40-pound boulder and was taken to a hospital, officials said.
The fire was only 5 percent contained early Thursday, authorities said.
A blaze in Riverside County, meanwhile, spread over 1,330 acres between the cities of Redlands and Moreno Valley, about 70 miles east of Los Angeles. That fire destroyed three chicken coops at a ranch believed to have housed 70,000 to 90,000 chickens.
So far this year, wildfires have charred 8.16 million acres nationwide, compared with 7.74 million acres at the same time last year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
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On the Net:
National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov
http://nbc4la.feedroom.com/iframeset.jsp?ord=252241
I have NOT checked today, but this one was live yesterday.
bttt
bttt!!
:)
Orange burned yesterday, Red is burning now
THERE you are! I was starting to get worried!
The most dangerous place to be right now in the Moorpark fire is between Villegairosa and a camera.
My friend just headed out from the Valley to Oxnard and she was SCARED on the 101 around Camarillo driving through the heavy black smoke. I hope she can get back home safely this afternoon.
After living in Simi Valley for 7 years I'm getting used to driving while watching 10 mile long walls of 30-40 foot flames. It was definitely an eye grabber this morning as I drove to work. The entire length of the southern hills of Simi was ablaze. The fire size in acres seems to be doubling every 4-5 hours. It is now at 17,000 acres. It was 7,000 acres this morning.
Between 60,000 and 90,000 chickens perished in the fire, which started in Coop No. 6, said Steve Nichols, 54, of Arcadia, who owns the MCM Poultry egg ranch and four others in Southern California.
I drove by a fire in the Cabazon Pass on the way home from Palm Springs last night. There was also a fire near Mentone that closed Highway 38 from Redlands to Big Bear.
Another incident was reported last night at 11:19pm about a fire near Alpine in the San Diego area. Two hikers were trapped by a fire that they might have set. Sounds suspicious to me...
Dont know about that...the fire is going to blow south west starting around 2pm
Dont know about that...the fire is going to blow south west starting around 2pm
I really like FNC on politics, esp Britt, but when in comes to things geographic or physical sciences they are dense as an anvil. For example the info-babe with a whole new look and some dude (probably Hemmer) were STUNNED that it was dry in SoCal. Dopes. Dopes. Dopes.
Rain in California is very, very seasonal. East coast people think having seasons is about temperature. Anyone that knows anything about California KNOWS that it has seasons also. The dry season and the wet season. Dry season starts late March through early May. It is ALWAYS dry this time of year.
Students make their way across Alscott Ave near White Oak Elementary school in Chatsworth, Calif., as smoke billows. Fire officials say the Chatsworth fire in the west end of the San Fernando Valley has grown to 1,000 acres and the fire near Calimesa in Riverside County has blackened 1,300 acres.
The charred remains of a residence that was in the path of the fire smolders in Chatsworth, Calif.
You're Simi? I'm Simi. Wasn't that an amazing sight this morning? Last time it was the north.
Although that's mighty funny, Moorpark is Ventura County.
Look at this! I'm STILL waiting my AID. Do you believe Bush? He knows exactly what my precise predicament is and refuses to send me $10000 and build me a house next to the new corvette I'm taking to medical school. Damn him, anyway. Someone call Sean Penn.
Chatsworth, then?? :) (blew my own joke...)
How are the rest of you Simites doing? PING
Hi Heels - You're right. Last time the fires primarily took out the areas to the west, north and east. This time it's getting the areas that weren't burned last time.
Getting back to Simi from LA yesterday I took the 5 - 126 - Fillmore - Moorpark route. Speed limit all the way, but the traffic going the opposite direction was terrible. Moorpark to Fillmore northbound was bumper to bumper all the way -- at least 1.5 hours for that stretch alone. There must be a lot of people who commute from the San Fernando Valley to Ventura County for work.
It looks to me like it's headed for the ocean.
My family is near Santa Maria .. so for now they appear to be safe.
Thanks so much for this map .. I had looked up the general location and I figured out it didn't appear to be headed for the Santa Barbara area and my family is north of there.
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