Posted on 02/07/2006 6:29:18 PM PST by NormsRevenge
ORANGE, Calif. (AP) - A 6,520-acre wildfire that triggered evacuations of more than 2,000 homes in northeastern Orange County apparently was ignited by remnants of a controlled burn in Cleveland National Forest that escaped, a U.S. Forest Service official said Tuesday.
Despite gusty Santa Ana winds, no homes had been lost in the blaze and evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday afternoon, but Chief Rich Hawkins of the Cleveland National Forest apologized to those displaced from neighborhoods in the cities of Orange and Anaheim about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
"I am very regretful of the situation I find myself in tonight," Hawkins told reporters at a command post. "The fact that nobody's home has burned down and no one's been killed, that's a godsend."
The wildfire was 10 percent contained and burning in light fuels, but the Santa Ana winds were forecast to continue through Wednesday. There was no estimate for when the fire would be fully contained.
Hawkins said fire crews ignited a prescribed burn last Thursday in a 10-acre area near Sierra Peak, and at the time no Santa Ana winds were predicted for at least five days.
But roots and other material can continue to burn underground if not fully mopped up.
"Normally fire will burn for two weeks after you think they're out. ... But that's no excuse, we had several days to mop that up with our fire engines," he said.
Hawkins noted that apparent cause would not be considered final for two weeks because several people in a pickup truck had been seen in the area where the fire started early Monday. But he said the area where the controlled burn was done was almost identical to where the wildfire began.
Further prescribed burns in the forest were being temporarily suspended, he said.
Some residents had managed to return to evacuated areas before the order was lifted, or had never left so they could protect their homes in case the fire approached.
"Anybody that has a (wood) shake roof stayed. Anybody that's been through this before stayed," said 56-year-old Charles Morse, a longtime resident of Maybury Park in Orange, whose home has the wooden shingles. "I did hook up my fifth-wheeler but I won't start packing up until I see houses across the street burning."
Another Maybury Park resident, Kathy Choi, 76, said she couldn't leave home because her poor eyesight prevented her from driving. She said she spent the night listening to TV reports and slept in her recliner to be better prepared in case she needed to flee.
"I believe in the sixth sense and my sixth sense was pretty calm," she said. "My neighbors all keep tabs on me."
A few miles up, in a hilly area packed with trendy new subdivisions, residents trickled back Tuesday. Some said they had avoided police barricades by taking back roads or walking in. Others came back late Monday to retrieve pets and medicine and stayed despite warnings from authorities.
Nancy Sawyer said she, her husband and four children returned to get clothes and other items Monday but decided to stay once they saw a fire truck parked outside their front door. Five firefighters slept in the Sawyers' home, she said.
Sawyer moved to Orange County from Wisconsin three months ago.
"I was very afraid to stay," she said. "You could see orange all over the hill and we looked out our bedroom window and saw flames" on the next hilltop.
fyi
Evacuation order just lifted, but my sister-in-law and 2 great kids are staying with us until tomorrow.
A lot of little controlled burns is the best way to do it.
Too bad its not going to be allowed to happen that way.
My advice: if you live in the area, build underground or move. The bureaucrats and lawyers are only going to make the fires worse.
Uh-oh.
It's a risk you take with controlled burns, but the alternative is to let fuel build up until the load becomes so great that you have no chance of stopping the inevitable wildfire. The fact that no structures have been lost can partially be attibuted to fuel management.
Well... there's one other possibility, hand-clearing the fuel, but the salary costs would be prohibitive and trying to use prison labor would get the government sued.
Yep. Heard it on the news.
IDIOTS.
No doubt started by Berverly Hills pot heads.
They wouldn't be bothered with OC. We're not SoFistIcated enough for them, don'tchaknow?
Otherwise known as an uncontrolled burn.
"Hey, the Santa Anna Winds are back, let's have us a controlled burn!"
What a burn.
The Feds are immune to the laws of physics that affect the rest of us.
Wasn't it Alamogordo they torched the same way?
*snert*
Snert? Me? :D~
It's only arson if you or I do it.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=snert
(abuse) A derogatory term commonly used on the Internet ECHO BBS, echonyc.com, meaning to "make overtures of a sexual nature". It implies terminal cluelessness.
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:-o
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!
I
Take
It
All
Back!!!!!!!
Not me. I just engage in silly humor, such as bad puns. :)
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