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 ...
- Locals are encouraged to call “511” for road closure information.
- Over 180,00 households have been contacted to evacuate via reverse 911 calls.
- Two Navy and one Coast Guard helo are helping with emergency search operations.
- Navy using it’s air assets to fly in cots and blankets from around the entire US.
- NCAS Miramar (Top Gun?) being evacuated.
- 1,200 National Guard troops dispatched to San Diego County to handle counter looter ops and evacuations.
- Cell phone traffic is too heavy, affecting emergency response.
I went for a drive east of Del Sol area, to a hilltop overlooking 805 and 905. Both are open, according to my neighbor 905 was closed for a short while. I saw several very very small brush fires a little bigger than campfires and no flames, smoke only, and about 6 firetrucks. nothing appeared to be threatening houses at this time. The small fires were spread out on two different hillsides, very strange. No winds in the area.
I could not see all of San Ysidro but it appears to be ok now. I feel better but will probably not sleep well tonight in case things change...we are due one more day of winds...
Thanks for that link. It’s a good press conference, giving info on each fire.
Thank you - we’re all fine - live in MV and other than smoke and winds we’re far from any fires. I’ll keep looking for info...
This is really serious. I just heard that my nephew and his family were evacuated from Poway earlier in the day. At the time, they had no idea where they were going.
Shep Smith and Trace G. just said there could be over 2000 homes burnt down in CA by tomorrow morning.
I pray for the safety of all families, all men and women, all firefighters and emergency workers caught up in this tragedy.
And the animals at the San Diego Zoo.
Even for people outside of the fire evac zone... if you’re getting santa ana winds, you should be ready to evac. More of these spot-fires will mysteriously start up overnight.
And,,,NOLA is flooding,,,again...
Well, Shep said New Orleans was spared too.
that seems a little high, even with LA County and Lake Arrowhead added in.
Check out the sign language babe...
What was the act the poster was referring to???
Malibu looks like winds have died down quite a bit.
SD county commissioner: “Some injuries are to ‘undocumented immigrants’. Evacuate when told to.”
Story last night where there was a group stuck on top of a hill requiring rescue.....
A gentle correction, Palladin. It is the Wild Animal Park in Escondido that is threatened, not the zoo, which is in downtown SD (Balboa Park). The Zoo and Animal Park are both part of the San Diego Zoologoical Society.
Just got a phone call from someone in Malibu (checking on me) and she said something’s kicked up there again.
I am not optimistic things will get better after nightfall,
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
4:33PM 1039 COROADS - COPIES LINE 159
4:29PM 1039 STAM REF EVACUATION CAUSING GRIDLOCK ON MISSION-WILL ADVISE THEIR UNITSD
4:24PM FD; PER FIRE CHIEF, SDSO ROUTING TRAFFIC OFF OF STAGE COACH, WINTERWARM AND WINTERHAVEN, ONTO MISSION, CAUSING GRIDLOCK ON MISSION
4:23PM S4 ADVSD WE HAVE BREAK FOR CHANGING NB FRM DEER SPRING
4:22PM 124-D21 W/STAM - PTYS TRAPPED IN PALA LAKE - 1750 PALA LAKE - W/STAM
4:21PM 115-R5 OPD FIRE CHF - EVACT HOMES ON WINTERHAVEN - STAM SENDING ALL VEH TO S MISSION - SEE IF STAM CAN RE-ROUTED THRU BASE CANNOT THRU
4:18PM PLS TRY AND GET OPD TO SHUT DWN RDWY - CHP DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH UNITS
4:14PM SIGN TRK 622 IS 1097 ON 76 SIGN READING EB 76 CLSD AT VISTA WY
4:14PM D6/RICE CANYON /76 - FIRE IS COMING UP RIDGE HEADING TOWARD RICE CANYON
4:13PM REQ CT SEND SIGN TRK TO 76 JWO VISTA WY TOP ADVISE TRFIC TO USE ALT ROUTE E VISTA WY TO GOPHER CYN
4:12PM 124-D21 MOVED DWN TO PALA MESA /395 - HAS TO MOVE CLOSURE
4:06PM 92-S1 E LIVE OAK AT MISSION CLOSED - MANNED BY “V” STAM UNIT
4:05PM PER 727, NB 15 CLOSURE WILL BE PICKED UP FROM 76, AND MOVED TO GOPHER
4:05PM M8 BOSEW AT SANTA FE/R6 VALLE AND ECR - FIRE COMING INTO RANCH
3:59PM 92-19M CANNOT EVAC N RIVER RD AT 76/E VISTA AT 76 AND OLIVE HILL AT 76
3:58PM 15/MISSION - FIRES STARTING DIVERTING OFF MISSION // STOPPING FRM GET TING ON FWY
3:50PM 39; HWY SR76 INTO VALLEY CENTER OPEN DOWN -R17 AFFIRM FROM EB PALA TEMECULA EAST TO VALLEY CENTER IS , BUT UNKN ON THE 15
3:27PM 39, DE LUZ HWY INTO FALLBROOK OPEN-AFFIRM IS OPEN
3:21PM NEED UNITS S MISSION OLIVE HILL AND N RIVER, NEED TO GET VEHS FLUSHED THRU-115-R3 MISSIN ON THE NORTH END OF TOWN
3:15PM TRAFFIC CAN EXIT FALLBROOK FROM MISSION, BUT NO TRAFFIC SB
3:14PM B19 OPENED MISSION TO THE 15 OO FALLBROOK
3:03PM 1039 RIV CORDS FOR LINE 132
3:00PM ^/WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET THRU TO THE 15, IF ON THE COAST, STAY ON THE COAST
2:58PM ADVISE CO ROADS TO RESPOND WITH SIGNS FOR HARD CLOSURE AT DEERHOLLOW AND PECHANGA
Duncan Hunter just speaking at the live press conf in San Diego. He’s on top of it..
Was thinkin about taking a trip from AZ to the SD Zoo for the day. This decides it. Once it “cools down” (so to speak) I’ll have to head out there and bring the family. After this disaster, they could use the business I’m sure!
I don’t have a satellite dish for my TV anymore...
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