SoCal Fires Live Thread 10/28

10/28/03 | Myself

[spectr17]

SoCal Fires Live Thread 10/28

[Fitzcarraldo]

They cannot get in drops yet because of wind!

But the wind is fairly calm right now...they were dropping water yesterday...then there was a rumor of a tanker crash on the mountain...

[Not A Snowbird]

Wrong, wrong, wrong. These are conservative areas burning... the liberals are concentrated in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles. Those population centers are the ones dragging everybody else along for the ride.

Go away.

[lainie]

the wind isn't calm up in the Arrowhead area but it is for other fires

[PhiKapMom]

Will give the details that were given on KFI last night by the State Rep from Lakeside and the State Senator from that area. On Sunday afternoon Cong Hunter got in touch with General Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and he was told to have the head of CDF call him at his home or the Governor and they would get the military involved including the USAF planes out of Colorado.

Cong Hunter passed this info with phone number to the head of CDF who then told Hunter he would have to think about it. As we know nothing happened.

These two State legislators are now going after Davis and his Administration for their total ineptness and then yesterday Davis was going around SoCal inferring the President was taking his time to sign the emergency declaration when he had already signed it.

Took the moronic cable news channels a long time to finally say Pres Bush signed the declaration and took until late in the afternoon before we found out that Arnold had visited firefighters and his wife, Maria, had visited the SB Shelter.

Then we heard from Cong Dreier that Arnold would be on his way to D.C. today to meet with federal officials including the Vice President. None of that was reported on cable news.

[Travis McGee]

I doubt it's harder than doing a cable landing on the back of a pitching destroyer in 30 foot seas and 30 knot winds.

Unlike the fixed wing aircraft tasked for fire missions, helos don't have to swoop into the canyons and pull up to clear the ridge. They just get over the fire and drop, even high over. The fire line is almost always visible from straight above, since the thick smoke is blowing away down wind.

How much does a water bucket cost to manufacture and store? It's criminal that these helicopter assets are sitting on the ground idle 15 miles from the fires.

[Not A Snowbird]

I think she means Lake Forest, which used to be El Toro... in southern Orange County. Not in danger at all right now.

[PhiKapMom]

Good Morning! Someone said earlier that Angeles Oaks was being evacuated. Have you heard anything?

[spectr17]

air tanker dropping near Strawberry PEak commo tower

THey'red efending he repeaters at Strawberry PEak

[farmer18th]

voluntary evacs now for Angeles oaks, Seven oaks and Big Bear

Wasn't Patriot4ever talking about the fire coming up around Mentone last night and it didn't seem to be a priority?

[PhiKapMom]

Right now it looks like the backfires are working -- praying the winds keep blowing south!

[Travis McGee]

Ask your contacts why 100 Navy Seahawk helicopters are sitting idle on North Island, minutes from the fire? The Seahawk pilot I know is an instructor, he told me it's an EASY MISSION that all of his pilots can and will do if ordered.

Why are 100 Navy Seahawks sitting idle at North Island???????????

[spectr17]

cabins burning next to Strawberry Peak


KTLA CH 5

[PhiKapMom]

They cannot make plane drops into the fires according to KTLA but they are now dropping on repeater stations and the high school. Fixed wing aircraft is now dropping the fire retardent on the repeaters. One just flew in.

[lainie]

just saw a fire retardant drop up near Cliffhanger

[spectr17]

Wasn't Patriot4ever talking about the fire coming up around Mentone last night and it didn't seem to be a priority?

With the wind shift last night the fire made a run down the mtn at us, Highland and Redlands but it layed down about midnight. Mentone also threatened.

[Fitzcarraldo]

In the early eighties I observed a helicopter rescue on the north face of San Gorgonio - the wind was gusting to 20 mph+ and the pilot had to set one skid on a rock to load the injured party. Because of the slope, the helicopter blade came within five feet of hitting.

I have a hard time believing these pilots can't negotiate drops in the current conditions.

Something else is going on here.

[Fury]

I'm curious. How come these "accidental" fires never occur down in Baja Mexico?

My guess is that there are fires, but as the forests may be picked over for wood to be used as fuel in homes, etc., there is not enough of that dead undergrowth that really helps fires along?

[PhiKapMom]

Grey Davis hasn't asked for military assistance as far as I know. KFI had the two State Legislators on last night and as of about 9 p.m. cst, there had been no request from the State for military assistance. Although there have been a few AF planes used.

[dogbyte12]

AP, ups the official totals to 512,000 acres officially.

[maggief]

Tue - October 28, 2003
Updates since 8:32am (PDT).


Worse case scenario is here.
Backfires are being used on 18; so far, so good.
Here comes the air support; 1st priority is the Strawberry Peak Towers (communications).


- The first drops have started close to the water tank by Strawberry Peak.

- The winds WILL change to an onshore flow. I hope the air support can get to this stuff before they do change. Also, they are getting fuel at the Twin Peaks station.

- On channel 5 news they just said that Rimforest lost at least 6 or 7 homes, maybe more. Some of their Rim Forest pictures (8:20am) are great in illustrating the fight the firefighters put on last night at Rim Forest.