Posted on 10/22/2007 8:06:14 AM PDT by Sleeping Freeper
SAN DIEGO -- With fire spreading quickly westward, San Diego County officials ordered the evacuation of a huge area east of Interstate 15 between Del Dios Highway and Highway 56 early Mon"This is the worst fire this county has ever seen -- worse than the Cedar Fire [of 2003]," Sheriff Bill Kolender said.
At a news conference shortly after 6 a.m., officials said fires had spread dramatically overnight, whipped by fierce Santa Ana winds. They said fire had jumped Interstate 15 at Lake Hodges and was burning in parts of Rancho Bernardo. Because of the explosive and unpredictable nature of the blazes, all residents living between Interstate 15 and Interstate 5 from Del Dios Highway in the north to Highway 56 in the south were told to begin evacuating.
"This fire is moving very quickly," San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said. "Watch TV, listen to the radio and have your car prepared to leave."
Among the communities in the evacuation area are Rancho Sante Fe, Carmel Highlands, Rancho Bernardo, Del Mar Heights and Fairbanks Ranch and parts of Rancho Penasquitos.
Officials have opened Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley to handle the large number of evacuees.
Sanders asked everyone in San Diego County to minimize the use of cell phones to leave the airways free for the use of emergency personnel.day.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcsandiego.com ...
THANKS THANKS. I GREATLY APPRECIATE THE MAPS anyone posts.
You’re not involved in the area.
If you want to participate on fire threads, at least try to stay on topic.
I believe you were reminded yesterday.
Otherwise, start your own thread. Thanks.
The evacuation area shown on that map is bounded by I-5 to the west, I-15 to the east, Lake Hodges to the north, and the Ted Williams Parkway (aka state route 56) to the south.
Sorry.
Thought I was being good today.
Thx.
Oops, I just realized most of that info was on the map. Sorry.
Hi there, just saw your message.
I am in the city near the downtown area and not affected directly by the fires though air is smokey.
The county having gone through this in 03 with 270,00 acres damaged, 16 killed and 2,500 homes destroyed.
Now San Diego has it again.
I saw a few posts by some hicks in the east bashing Calif.
Some really sick idiots out there.
Does anyone know of a map of the evacuation areas? I have family in Poway and Escondido; cannot contact them...stuck here in South Carolina.
~~~
Poway had evacuation orders,,,fire is just south of Escondido...
There’s another one now, in San Bernardino - back up behind the University (north and east of it).
Just logged on for a minute or two. We're safe...our area remains largely unaffected save for smoke and ash, which is no inconvenience at all compared to some areas.
The remarkable thing is that this is getting worse rather than better. Areas all the way from Ramona in the east to Solana Beach in the west (even west of I 5) are under mandatory evacuation orders. This means that San Diego, effectively is cut in half.
According to the city muckiemucks, this fire is worse than 2003, and that is hard to fathom considering the utter devastation that fire caused.
We have a house full of friends that have evacuated or cannot get home due top freeway closures, etc. It's pretty intense...
A friend called a while ago, though, and said that he and his son are going surfing do I want to join them at the beach!!?? I think that he was dropped on his head as a baby, but I could be wrong...
Take care, I'll try and check in for TGO thread... thanks for the concern. It's very kind and sweet...
There should be a municipal fund set aside to reward anyone who turns in arsonists who set wildfires.
The amount should be set at a minimum of $1 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone setting these types of fires.
THX THX
Glad you are safe and likely to remain so.
So much horror for so many . . . Sigh.
[love their date nut bread]
Schools may or may not have AC. No AC=open windows/doors=smoke and ash in the rooms. With the warm weather, can't keep the doors shut.
Maybe he's figuring the only safe place to be is on the water.
I can't understand why that happens.
Well they have a new fire and are evacuating San Ysidro, it is south san diego at the border with Mexico..east chula vista also threatened..looking very bad, I may have to break out the old surfboard and sit on the beach..
He was reporting on the his own home burning...dramatic and terribly sad.
Look after yourself, my FRiend... where are you at? We're in la Jolla...with a house full... we're the local evacuation center for friends from Rancho Bernardo, Carlsbad and Carmel Valley, I guess... these guys are out of their mind. They want to break out the booze!
stay safe. Prayers your way from Chula Vista....smoky and ashy, but okay so far!
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Fox News national stream, raw video only:
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