Posted on 10/22/2007 11:29:32 AM PDT by Smogger
Tracey Martinez, a spokeswoman with the San Bernardino County Fire Department, said officials believe the Rim Forest fire is related to a 1.5 acre blaze that firefighters dealt with Sunday.
Winds are soaring at 60-to-70 miles per hour late this morning.
"Resources are very strained," Martinez said. "We cannot use air attack right now. We have a lot of fires in California."
The county cannot bring its entire force to bear in the mountains because firefighters must be stationed around the county in case any more blazes ignite elsewhere, she said.
But the county did pull back its firefighters from the Malibu blaze, she said.
I could be mistaken, but I think the thousands of square miles miles of brush, that grows every year, in all but impassible terrain was here long before the enviros you speak of. It burned then, it burns now.
If you have a way to get rid of all of this material, that's covering many hundreds of thousands of acres, that grows every year, in rugged terrain, please post it. I'd really like to see it. Thanks.
When I am called to duty, God wherever flames may rage, give me strength to save a life, whatever be its age.
Help me to embrace a little child before it's too late, or save an older person from the horror of that fate.
Enable me to be alert to hear the weakest shout, and quickly and efficiently to put the fire out.
I want to fill my calling and to give the best in me, to guard my neighbor and protect his property.
And if according to your will I have to lose my life, bless with your protecting hand my loving family from strife.
Did you hear that there’s a new one in Anaheim Hills? It’s near a park...I didn’t get the name. They DID say it’s small, and they have 13??? trucks there already.
When I left work, I saw a truck getting on the 55N...wondering where THIS one was off to...I guess I know, now...
Why don’t they ever catch an arsonist? At least I have never heard of one caught.
All Mountain Roads Closed
Update: 6:02 PM
Crestline - The California Highway Patrol has closed all mountain roadways, including Highway 18, 330, 138, and 173, to non-emergency upbound traffic.
Interstate 15 is closed through the Cajon Pass through due to power lines damaged over the freeway.
Evacuees are being sent to the Orange Show Fairgrounds, 689 S. E St. San Bernardino, CA, 92408 and to the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds in Victorville at Building #3 on 7th Street. Animal Control is establishing an emergency evacuation center for animals at Wildwood Park at 40th Street and Waterman in San Bernardino. San Bernardino County Animal Control can be reached at (909) 356-3998.
Highway 18 is closed between Big Bear Dam and Running Springs and in Rimforest.
“Rim of the World USD schools will continue to be closed on Tuesday, October 23 and Wednesday, October 24 due to the fires in our school district,” said Ron Peavy, Interim Superintendent, this afternoon.
Fires Burn 2,000 to 3,000 Acres Between Lake Arrowhead and Green Valley Lake
Update 6:05 PM
Lake Arrowhead - Tanker 910, the DC-10 water dropping jet, made a first drop at 5:09 PM near Grass Valley Lake. It made two more drops by 6:00 PM. Air Tanker 722, a helicopter capable of holding 2,000 gallons of water, has been doing some test drops in the Grass Valley area. A second aircraft, a fixed-wing plane also overflew the area shortly before 5 PM. Aircraft have only a few hours to make drops before darkness suspends any flight operations.
There have been some unconfirmed reports of looting and the Sheriff’s Department helicopter is being used to investigate reports of looters and suspicious persons.
According to the latest estimates, between 1,000 and 2,000 acres of brush and timber. Nearly 2,000 homes are threatened in the area, and 128 homes have been lost according to news reports.
Anyone with possible arson tip should call (800) 47-ARSON. While there are no indications of arson, the widespread nature of these fires may be suspicious.
We do not have any specifics on individual houses lost or damaged. As soon as we get information, we will post it.
Grass Fire
Skyforest is reportedly now under a voluntary evacuation. According to reports, the voluntary evacuation has also been extended to Crestline. 40-King, the Sheriff’s Department helicopter, made announcements in the Crestline area before 5 PM. According to John Miller from the US Forest Service, the so-called Grass Fire has burned about 300 to 400 acres.
Evacuations have been ordered for parts of Grass Valley, Trinity Tract, Modoc, Dear Lodge, Black Oaks Drive, and Brentwood in Lake Arrowhead. A mandatory evacuation has been ordered for the Twin Peaks area. Earlier today there were reports of large “milk carton sized” embers falling in the Twin Peaks area.
Shortly before 1 PM, the fire was reported near Fairway and Eldorado. At 1:45i PM, we received reports of structures on fire along Ranger Road. Firefighter are concerned about the fire spreading past that point into the Twin Peaks area. Firefighters are also reporting water pressure problems near Sonoma and Black Oak.
There are multiple reports of structures on fire on Brentwood and Pinehurst in Lake Arrowhead and near Grass Valley Golf Course. According to the US Forest Service, 113 homes have been lost in the Grass Valley area. Earlier today residents called 9-1-1 reporting that their homes are on fire. Dispatchers could only them to evacuate. At the time, there were insufficient fire fighting resources in the area to extinguish the structure fires. At 9:45 AM, a flare up was reported in the Deer Lodge Park area sending up a large smoke plume. At 9:53 AM, a resident reported fire at the rear of residences along the 26000-block of Amador Lane in Lake Arrowhead with no firefighters nearby. Firefighters near Amador and Trinity were driven back by the fire and had to retreat to a safe zone. The fire is crossing Brentwood as of 10:03 AM. The next threat is to Sandalwood.
Grass Valley Road is closed at Five Points. Many roads are blocked in the area due to downed power lines and tree. Downed phone lines are preventing residents from being notified of the evacuations from the automated TENS calling system.
The fire was first reported shortly after 5 AM.
Slide Fire
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for Green Valley Lake, Arrowbear Lake, Cedar Ridge Estate, and Running Springs.
According to the San Bernardino National Forest, 20 homes have been lost in the Green Valley Lake area. The fire has reportedly burned past the Green Valley Campground to the east of Green Valley Lake.
At 10:05 AM, firefighters report at least three structures burning in the Green Valley Lake area in the Slide Fire. According to reports from the San Bernardino Sun, three homes were lost on Holcomb Creek Drive. It is not known where the fourth home was lost. Another 400 homes are threatened in the Green Valley Lake Area.
A pair of fires were reported shortly after 8 AM. The fires have very quickly grown to be between 75 and 100 acres. One fire was reported to be approximately 1 mile in on Forest Service Road 2N13. The fire was reported to be about 1/2 acre in size. The second fire was reported at Deep Creek and Green Valley Lake Rd.
Didn't hear that. Been hearing about many spot fires generated by the devil winds though.
So many hop scotching, being lit, or winds blowing power lines down, starting new ones, it's really hard to keep up.
One good thing, there has been extreme low loss of life, and minimal fire "troops" injured. I've seen a lot of people actually helping one another. It was really hard to watch. Just watched an elderly couple, with tears streaming down their cheeks, try and chin up, and say some positive things.
Trust me, they get um all the time.
That is hard hot work. But pride of ownership makes it worthwhile.
It's over a hundred as often as not up here.
But pride of ownership makes it worthwhile.
It's a lot more than that. If you scope down this thread, you'll see some pictures: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1008628/posts
If there's a motel 6 anywhere around, have them go there. Motel 6 takes dogs.
That is SO sad......where were they? Did they have a place to go to?
I'm down in Rosarito now, and the winds here have been CRAZY strong for the last couple days. We had a power outage last night and the power just came back on earlier this evening.
The sky was also red down here yesterday, I guess from all the dust and maybe the smoke from SD.
I didn’t catch which fire they were involved in...So many...
They’d just lost everything, trying to put up the best face possible...Tears an all.
Hard to watch.
Dad looks at me, points to a house and says "that must be his house". I look over at the house and there is smoke coming out from the weep holes under the eves. My dad jumps out and says to me "stay here" and runs back to the house with the man. In a minute out they come with a couch. But that was all they got out. The house really starts to burn.
A fire truck shows up and the firemen jump out and hook a hose up. The have all their stuff on and I'm looking at this burning house and figure they are going to start spraying water on top of it. Then they do something I'll never forget. Several of them grab the hose and they run in to the house! They run right in to the burning house! I said "dad did you see that!?" and he tells me "that's what they do".
Ever since that day with my father I've been in awe of the bravery of firefighters. I hope none are injured or worse in these fires.
That’s heart breaking...
Both appeared very elderly...Made it even worse.
I hope your Inlaws got settled somewhere. We finally got through to our friends from Del Mar. They left early this morning and are safe in a hotel in Palm Desert. They are going to sit it out for the next two days. Pray for their home because if the wind shifts it might be in danger. All our other San Diego friends are safe. Sigh of relief.
I have always had respect for our firefighters, but after 9/11 and now this...their heroism goes beyond human understanding.
Since 911 I’ve feared the Islamofascist “sleeper cells” acting as arsonists in just this way. An easy way for them to create incredible destruction at low risk of being caught.
The wilderness is on it's own. In the areas where humans live, I think that the fuel should be cleared, firebreaks carved, and sane and rational fire prevention should be ordered no matter if it harelips every envirowacko in the Sierra Club.
California currently doesn't do that. In fact, one major fire was started by firefighters who were mad because they didn't have work. Don't you remember that?
Nothing has been done since the appalling 2003 SoCal fire, and this one is more disastrous than the that one. I can't believe that Californians are still sitting there saying 'Duhh, how does dis HAPPUN?'
I point to the legislated insanity of the environmental policies of the California Coastal Commission, Sierra Club, and utter unwillingness of Democrat-held Sacramento that does nothing more than fly in on a junket to get a photo-op in the cafeteria of a high school serving as an evacuation relief site.
All I can do is remind you of the Tahoe fire where the Californians got felony counts for clearing fuel and the Nevadans faced fines for not clearing fuel.
Who got burnt out in that fire, and who didn't?
I rest my case.
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