Southern California Fires ... Update
 

As some of you may know, the Southern California landscape is changing. Many forest fires have blazed a record amount of acreage (San Diego County Fires have set a new California record - not to be proud of).

I live in Carlsbad, a coastal community between Oceanside and Encinitas in San Diego County. I work just North-West of Miramar Marine Corps Air Station (previously the Navy Top Gun School) and I had to stay home on Monday and Tuesday due to dangerous levels of smoke in the air. It’s snowing ashes everywhere! Scripps Ranch is ~ 10 miles East of my office – a tragedy. (I was living in Oakland during the Oakland / Berkeley Firestorm of 1990 (3000 homes lost – one day); three friends lost homes … this is hits home.)

I had several co-workers that had to evacuate their homes, several times; none where lost. Currently, the Firestorm is/has threatening the Mt. Palomar and Santa Isabel/Julian communities East of San Diego. Some of us 500Ers ran a GTG to Mt. Palomar / Santa Isabel … could be up in smoke … stay tuned.

For pictures and video on the San Diego County Fires, check out www.signonsandiego.com


Norman



From the Associated Press: 11:25 a.m. October 29, 2003
Major Southern California wildfires as of Wednesday:

TOTALS:
Size: 621,179 acres.
Homes: 1,820 destroyed.
Deaths: 16.
Personnel: 12,039.

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CEDAR FIRE: (San Diego County)
Size: 233,192 acres.
Homes: 1,060 homes destroyed, including 40 in Poway, 349 in the city of San Diego, and 40 in unincorporated county area. 10 homes damaged, 166 outbuildings destroyed and nine damaged.
Deaths: 10.
Containment: 15 percent.
Start: Oct. 25 in eastern San Diego County.
Key facts: Burned 30,000 acres inside San Diego city limits, and 80 percent of those acres were contained as of Wednesday morning. Fire was moving northeast Wednesday, affecting the outskirts of Julian, Kentwood in the Pines, Cuyamaca State Oark, Harrison Park, Pine Hills, Whispering Pines and Wynola. Pine Valley, Descanso and Julian evacuated.
Personnel: 3,330 firefighters.
Cause: Authorities believe a hunter set signal fire when he got lost.

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PARADISE FIRE: (San Diego County)
Size: 50,000 acres.
Homes: 111 destroyed, 100 outbuildings.
Deaths: Two.
Containment: 20 percent. Full containment expected Nov. 1 and full control on Nov. 5.
Start: Oct. 26 in Valley Center area near Interstate 15.
Key facts: Mandatory evacuations for Mount Palomar, a community of 10,000 residents.
Personnel: 1,006 firefighters.
Cause: Under investigation.

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GRAND PRIX FIRE: (San Bernardino County)
Size: 68,463 acres.
Homes: 50 homes destroyed, 40 damaged. 300 homes and 100 commercial properties threatened. 48 outbuildings destroyed.
Deaths: None.
Containment: 25 percent. Containment expected Oct. 30.
Start: Oct. 21 near San Bernardino National Forest.
Key facts: Mandatory evacuations in Silverwood and Lytle Creek where 200 homes threatened.
Personnel: 1,569 firefighters.
Cause: Arson.

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OLD FIRE: (San Bernardino County)
Size: 28,204 acres.
Homes: 500 homes destroyed, 10 commercial buildings destroyed.
Deaths: Four. 3 minor injuries to firefighters.
Containment: 10 percent.
Start: Oct. 25 near San Bernardino National Forest.
Key facts: Mandatory evacuations in Big Bear Lake community and areas along Highway 38 corridor, including Heart Bar, Angeles Oaks, Forest Falls and Mountain Home Village. Silverwood, Crestline and Lake Arrowhead also evacuated. Threats to 50,000 homes, 2,000 businesses and 80,000 outbuildings worth $10 billion in property value.
Personnel: 2,175 firefighters.
Cause: Arson.

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PADUA FIRE: (Los Angeles County)
Size: 9,446 acres.
Homes: 59 homes destroyed
Deaths: None.
Containment: 50 percent. Full containment expected Oct. 31.
Start: Flames entered L.A. County on Oct. 25 from Grand Prix fire.
Key facts: Originally part of Grand Prix fire, but separated at county line. Mandatory evacutions of about 50 homes in the Mt. Baldy Village area remained in effect Wednesday. Small part burning in the Angeles National Forest.
Personnel: 691 firefighters.
Cause: Arson related to Grand Prix fire.

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SIMI VALLEY: (Ventura and Los Angeles counties)
Size: 102,089 acres.
Homes: 16 destroyed. 64 outbuildings destroyed. Eight homes damaged.
Deaths: None. 5 injuries.
Containment: 35 percent. Full containment expected Nov. 4.
Start: Flames entered Simi Valley on Oct. 25 from the Verdale fire.
Key facts: Voluntary evacuations for parts of Stevenson Ranch and South Oak area. Fires at the east end of Santa Clarita by Magic Mountain amusement park.
Personnel: 1,389 firefighters.
Cause: Under investigation.
Estimated fire suppression cost: $3 million

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PIRU FIRE: (Ventura County)
Size: 55,812 acres.
Homes: Three homes, three outbuildings, and one commercial property destroyed.
Deaths: None. 20 minor injuries.
Containment: 20 percent.
Start: Oct. 23 west of Lake Piru in Ventura County.
Key facts: The fire in Los Padres National Forest was moving north Wednesday morning into the rugged terrain of Sespe Wilderness and the Sespe Condor sanctuary. There were no condors in the refuge.
Personnel: 1,465 firefighters.
Cause: Under investigation.

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MOUNTAIN FIRE: (Riverside County)
Size: 9,742 acres.
Homes: 21 destroyed, including three houses and 18 trailers and mobile units used as residences.
Deaths: None.
Containment: 85 percent. Full containment expected Oct. 29. Full control expected Nov. 2.
Start: Oct. 26 in southern Riverside County.
Key facts: Evacuation order lifted for 300 homes near Lake Skinner. Two civilian injuries. Five minor firefighter injuries.
Personnel: 414 firefighters.
Cause: Under investigation.

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CONTAINED:

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OTAY (DULZURA) FIRE: (San Diego County)
Size: 46,291 acres.
Homes: 1 home, 5 outbuildings, and 11 structures damaged.
Deaths: None.
Burned: Oct. 26 to Oct. 28.
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CAMP PENDLETON: (San Diego County, also called Roblar No. 2)
Size: 9,000 acres.
Homes: None.
Deaths: None.
Burned: Oct. 21 to Oct. 27.
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VERDALE FIRE: (Los Angeles County)
Size: 8,680 acres.
Homes: None.
Deaths: None.
Burned: Oct. 24 to Oct. 27.
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WELLMAN FIRE: (Riverside County)
Size: 100 acres.
Homes: None.
Deaths: None.
Burned: Oct. 26 to Oct. 27.
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HAPPY FIRE: (Santa Barbara County)
Size: 160 acres.
Homes: None.
Deaths: None.
Burned: Oct. 24 to Oct. 27.
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Source: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and fire and law enforcement officials.

Sad statistics. Norm hope your doing ok. I really miss San Diego, what a beautiful place with great people. I've been seriously considering going back out to Encinitas. My prayers are with all of you.

Thanks Brandon ... the community is stepping up here, like every where in the States. Boy, first Isabel on the Eastern Seaboard, and now this ... I feel these disasters are following me!

BTW, I really enjoyed the Smokey Mountains (uh, Smokey Hills) ... the Biltmore Estate was over the top ... good people in North Carolina for sure.

I read this morning that the fires in So. Cal. are so big, that they are 3/4 the size of Rhode Island, or 3 times the size of New York City.

The smoke is so bad, the Mercedes-Benz Parts depot in Fontana
has been closed all week. This has brought repair work to a virtual halt. I have 4 cars torn apart awaiting parts.
Fed-Ex tells us they have been unable to fly into Ontario to try to
pick up freight because of no visibility.
I can't imagine how terrible it must be for those people in Ca.
Makes me appreciate the rain here in Seattle.
Dr.D