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Fire nears Calif. coastal city; 20,000 evacuated
AP on Yahoo ^ | 5/8/09 | Raquel Maria Dillon - ap

Posted on 05/08/2009 12:18:09 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Powerful winds during a night in which "all hell broke loose" have pushed a raging wildfire to the doorstep of this wealthy coastal city, threatening to destroy dozens more homes and leading to the evacuation of more than 20,000 people.

Firefighters were putting out roof fires Friday as gusts drove the flames down from the steep canyons above Santa Barbara and started burning homes in the residential flatlands.

Once tame, the fire front now stretches for five miles, city Fire Chief Andrew DiMizio said. "Literally last night, all hell broke loose," he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; coastalcity; evacuated; jesusita; santabarbara; wildfire; wildfires
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Local residents watch as houses burn and others are threatened by flames during the Jesusita Fire in the hills of Santa Barbara. An out-of-control wildfire raged in California after destroying dozens of homes and forcing thousands of residents to flee, officials said. (AFP/Mark Ralston)


21 posted on 05/08/2009 2:57:33 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed.)
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To: La Enchiladita
The ranch is many miles up wind and the other side of the hill from the fire. Recent, man made fires in SB started up slope, above population centers, then burned down hill toward town, driven in the evening by sun downer (orographic) winds or a strong, north west, regional flow which pushes the air mass up and over the Santa Ynez Mountains.
22 posted on 05/08/2009 3:21:37 PM PDT by Amerigomag
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To: DTogo

Have you reached them and how are they doing???


23 posted on 05/08/2009 6:20:00 PM PDT by Brad’s Gramma (Life is but a big granola bar.)
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To: Amerigomag; lainie; NormsRevenge

Thanks for reassurance re Rancho del Cielo:), aka Reagan Ranch.

That was good news on the weekend re weather change, big relief.

However, reports are 4,000 firefighters remain on scene for possible recurrence of “sundowner” winds.

And, irony of ironies!! The blaze was sparked by a brush-clearing power tool!!


24 posted on 05/11/2009 1:49:51 PM PDT by La Enchiladita (don' need no steenkin' "new america".....)
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