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 ...
Hugh Hewitt just mentioned getting his info on the fire right here (in this thread, I would imagine).
Where are you? There’s also a fire in Devore. Just heard a fire started at 2:20pm in Stevenson Ranch. Just told everybody to evacuate.
I’m in rural Riverside county, up in the hills with lots of dry brush.
It’s a horrible situation. They’re gonna need a lot of out-of-state help, but still I fear that won’t be enough.
Geez! Of course I don’t need to tell you to be safe. My heart and soul is with all of you down south.
Anybody watching Qualcom Stadium coverage?
The place looks rather empty. Lots of school buses but not alot of evacuees.
With 1/4 million people evacuated, where are they going?
Something isn’t adding up......
Oh man. Any reports of lives lost other than the fellow from yesterday? I’ve not heard any. I think it will be a miracle if he ends up being the only one under such circumstances.
From the looks of the 5, they're all heading north.
That's what I'd do. The last place I'd want to be is squeezed between a firestorm and Mexico.
I’m sure you’re right- remember- these are questions from a hurricane gal, though we’ve had our share of wildfires in Florida- but nothing even remotely resembling what you are going through.
Hard to grasp how MANY have started..and how much land they cover.
Friends houses not evacuated. Much better then a Superdome like environment. Lots of people also staying put to protect their homes due to strain and resulting lack of government fire prevention resources.
Your hunches or womens intuition is probably spot on, but you know what happens around here when you jump the gun.
To a friends house - where there is food, a clean bathroom, and a couch.
Report of people missing in Rancho Bernardo. That was one of the places that got evacuated too slowly. Many people are also staying put to fight the fires.
Ice plant is the bomb. Saved my place in the mid 1980’s Murphy Canyon fire. Stuff is almost impervious to fire.
I’ve lost my live feed. It’s probably overwhelmed.
Incident: 0972 Type: Location: info as of: 10/22/2007 3:27:01 PM
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
1:52PM 101-10 ** 189 AT 18 NO TRAFFIC, 3-4 VEHS IN AREA ONLY **
1:39PM PER S2 NEED TO KNOW IF CITZ F/173/138 WILL BE ALLOWED ACCESS TO CRESTLINE TO GET THEIR STUFF, NEG PER L SHOULD BE A HARD CLOSURE
1:30PM 101-R20 CAN SEE JWO START OF A FIRE ON OTHER SIDE OF THE MTN ** ADV D ALREADY AWARE UNITS 97
1:18PM TRAFFIC IS BACK UP NO SWITCHBACKS - JSO BRAKE X - MAKING U-TURNS AND DRIVING NB IN THE SB LANES
1:18PM PER VV 12-S4 REQ TO KNOW IF THEY CAN CLOSE 15 AT 138 TO PREVENT VEHS FROM ENTERING THERE ** 12-C WILL MAKE CONTACT W/12-S4 FROM CP
1:06PM PER K1, LATE ENTRY 1022 1185 AND PUT BOT , WAS ABLE TO MOVE VEH THAT WAS BLKING #2 AT 138
1:02PM PER CHIEF TALBOT OFCR GALBRETH F/RPD IS TO BE ALLOWED ACCESS UP MTN, EITHER ESCORTED OR ALLOWED TO GO THR0UGH CLOSURE //AFFIRM PER 101-S3 R15/R16 CPYS
Saddleback Comm College in Mission Viejo (So. Orange County) has been closed and residents in Ladera Ranch have been evacuated...
Hard to grasp how MANY have started..and how much land they cover.
~~~
FOX just said over Two Dozen fires,,,
These fires are driven by CAT 1 wind,,,
Ain’t no way to fight them...
http://www.10news.com/video/14036255/index.html
Live feed here- Looks like bad stuff in Rancho Santa Fe..
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