Posted on 05/11/2007 11:55:47 AM PDT by kellynla
LONG BEACH – A wildfire burning an estimated 4,000 acres of hillside brush on Santa Catalina Island through the night Thursday forced the evacuation of about 1,500 people after the blaze pressed to the edges of town of Avalon, the isle's lone population center.
Of those evacuees, 138 stayed overnight at an emergency shelter hosted by the Red Cross in the gymnasium at Cabrillo High School in Long Beach; most of them were residents and workers from the island with their families.
"Everyone and everything smelled like smoke and ash when they arrived," Red Cross support officer Margaret Madonna said. "But this has easily been the most orderly and calm evacuation of a disaster I've encountered."
Three vessels from the Catalina Express ferry service took most of the evacuees from the island Thursday afternoon.
A handful of the estimated 86 remaining evacuees gathered silently around a television near a doorway to the gym, watching as news streamed in from the island, where authorities report the fire 80 percent contained, according to Red Cross officials.
While the fire brushed up against the city limits of Avalon, many feared for homes and property in the 3,200-person town. But officials could only confirm the destruction of one home and some buildings deeper in the canyon leading away from the coastal town.
"We had two people fearing for their homes, but mostly we think it's rumor and conjecture at this point," Madonna said.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
Crews Attack Hot Spots On Catalina Island
Link to more info & video
http://www.nbc4.tv/news/13296545/detail.html
I haven’t seen anything about how it started, other than that the island has been extremely dry this year.
“haven’t seen anything about how it started”
there was some talk last night of the possiblity of arson...
This fire will likely not be easily contained until it has exhausted a lot more fuel.
We’ve seen the same conditions here in Nevada: remove grazing pressure, the undergrowth and fine-stemmed fuels build up. Then a fire starts, and in hilly/canyon terrain, it moves so well beyond the reach of ground crews that it is very, very difficult to contain, even with air assets.
Add a little bit of wind into these high fuel loads and you can see a fire make runs at 30+ MPH for hours on end during the day. The only time you can hope to get ahead of these things is at night, which hampers your air tanker drops.
The tragedy is that we know what causes these fires: fuel loading. We know how to eliminate the fuel, cheaply: grazing.
Trouble is, this runs counter to academic notions of how a perfect “eco-system” is supposed to work, so they refuse to do it, preferring to watch the ecosystem burn again and again and again...
“We know how to eliminate the fuel, cheaply: grazing.”
yeaaaaa...well they removed the goats that used to eat up all the fuel...
I wonder. Has any studies been made to see if the rash or large fires we are seeing is normal? Could these fires be started by terrorists or other Democrats?
“I wonder. Has any studies been made to see if the rash or large fires we are seeing is normal? Could these fires be started by terrorists or other Democrats?”
well with the little bit of rain we’ve had here;
I doubt it...
you can almost look at your grass on the front lawn and it ignites by itself. LOL
but we do have our share of “fire-flies” in Cali...
heck the fire in Laguna a few years back was started by a firefighter who just so happened to be a “fire-bug” too!
Fire is good.
Praying for Avalon and its residents.
Oh my. It is Global Warming, the mayor of Catalina, a Democrat by the name of Kathleen Cicero, will issue a press release that the Feds needed to protect the trees. She will also blame the lack of trees now on the National Guard troops not leaving behind many seeds that they are expected to plant in Iraq to make Halliburton living services servicable. Afterall without enough trees people won’t build any more homes, and people will die from not enough oxygen due to an evil SUV gang nearby. George W. Bush caused this by lighting up a few fires with matches and his Karl Rove(tm) Rover Machine.
What’s more, 10,000 people have died in those trees. George W. Bush hates Elven people! Repeat it again(Paid for by the DNC, wash rinse and repeat after every natural disaster that hits the news even something as common as a tornado, or forest fires in California.)
P.S.: Did the arsonist(s) play any violent videogames, listen to loud Punk music or carry flame-throwers that influenced them in this action. We must have Flame thrower Control! YEARRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
"Avalon residents who stayed in the historic resort town suffered widespread power outages and a loss of water supply.
"Jose Vazquez, 35, and Guillermo Hernandez, 39, construction workers on the island, stood outside City Hall this morning with their sons. They had spent the night at St. Catherine's Catholic Church, which holds Mass in Spanish for the sizable Spanish-speaking population.
""You're going to see a lot of businesses closed," Vazquez said, "because so many people went across to the [mainland]. I don't think they will be able to go out to eat."
"He said Mexicans are vital to the local tourist industry.
"For every business you see three Americans," Vazquez said. "The rest are Mexican."
"The friends work for Fine Line Construction, which employs 40 people, most of them Mexican immigrants. The entire company office and warehouse in Bird Canyon burned Thursday night, including wood, trucks, equipment and other material, said Mark Alft, supervisor at Fine Line.
"Two representatives of the consul general of Mexico arrived at the island about midnight and set to work posting more than 100 signs on vending machines, light poles, park benches and windows that urged Mexican nationals who needed assistance to call the consulate in Los Angeles.
"Ruben Beltran, the Mexican consul general in Los Angeles, said by phone: "The first task of any consulate is to ensure the well-being of its citizens. So it is only natural that we extend resources to Mexicans in Catalina in this dire moment."
Big deal. Florida is burning down and they worry about an island surrounded by water.
excuse me but Avalon is home to many...
gezzzzzzzzz...
“maybe you should keep your mouth shut and let people think you a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt!”
Were you truly last in your class ranking, or perhaps educationally challenged? Get help somewhere, but get help. Before it is too late.
F.O.
Just what I thought. Happy Mothers Day.
Fine Line Construction might be getting an unannounced visit from ICE. LOL
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