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View Full Version : California is on fire

MrBug708
10-26-2003, 09:59 AM
About 50,000 acres burning in San Bernadino County, the road to Vegas is closed. Los Angeles County is also on fire on the other side near Ventura.

Sack_Attack lives near one of the fires, hope everything is ok.

The sky is orange and dirty, ashe is raining down everywhere, I can see flames from my house, the news is litered with burned out homes. Surreal
Tekneek
10-26-2003, 10:13 AM
I have not been following the news about these fires. What do they think was the cause?
AnalBumCover
10-26-2003, 10:17 AM
I live 40 mins from either fire. I looked outside my window this morning... it's strangely beautiful... snow (ash) is falling, and the world appears as if I'm wearing orange tinted glasses.

I have a friend who lives near the San Bernardino County fire. He, his wife, and their 1 year old daughter are prepared to evacuate if necessary. Here's hoping they don't have to.
maximus
10-26-2003, 10:17 AM
It was intentional as far as what they suspect so far.
CamEdwards
10-26-2003, 10:23 AM
i'm blaming mrskippy.
MrBug708
10-26-2003, 10:29 AM
Wrong part of California for Skippy. It's burning by his old college however


They have concluded it was arson, started in Fontana. The Ventura one, I'm not sure of. There is one by Camp Pendleton, but not much is being report other than it was started by live ammo.
Primal
10-26-2003, 10:40 AM
I smells like a camp fire down here... My car is covered with ash. I imagine it can't be too good for the lungs. Funny thing is I was up at the Rose Bowl last night and there is no smoke (hot air rises). So everything is coming down in OC and areas futher away.
Tekneek
10-26-2003, 10:50 AM
Some people in California have abused their freedom. I'll never understand what kind of lowlife would do that. Jerks. They should be burned alive. I'm sure somebody will come out and say it is mental illness, or a simple honest mistake, like happens so often these days when people get irresponsible, dangerous, and destructive.
Buccaneer
10-26-2003, 10:50 AM
These are not nearly as big as some of the SoCal fires in the 1970s and 1980s. They are just getting more news now because of sensationalism and that there are now more (expensive) homes built in the fire-prone canyons and ridgelines.
Tekneek
10-26-2003, 10:52 AM
What does "fire-prone" have to do with arson?
korme
10-26-2003, 10:54 AM
Bucc did it!
MrBug708
10-26-2003, 10:57 AM
The malibu fires in 1993 were worse then these, but it's still terrible because the furs are jumping over freeways and creeks.


Primal, are you a UCLA fan?
Buccaneer
10-26-2003, 10:59 AM
Originally posted by Tekneek
What does "fire-prone" have to do with arson?

Regardless how the fires start, whether arson, fallen lines, lightning or butts, during the Santa Ana winds, brush and scrub oak fires can race through these canyons at over 60 mph creating an uncontrollable fire trap.
MrBug708
10-26-2003, 11:14 AM
Arrowhead had no power last night. That must have really sucked, being up there
Primal
10-26-2003, 11:46 AM
Originally posted by MrBug708
Primal, are you a UCLA fan?

Sun Devil
Chief Rum
10-26-2003, 12:38 PM
Originally posted by Buccaneer
These are not nearly as big as some of the SoCal fires in the 1970s and 1980s. They are just getting more news now because of sensationalism and that there are now more (expensive) homes built in the fire-prone canyons and ridgelines.

Hearing Grandpa Simpson's voice: "...when I was yer age, I used to walk to school! That's right--15 miles through blizzards and hurricanes at the same time! And I was always having to take long routes to get out of the way of fires and earthquakes..."

;) Just joshing ya, Stevo.

Seriously, I just got a call from my bro, who is in Vegas on some sort of company freeby. He and his fiancee are trapped up there essentially. After confirming they were indeed trapped (the whole El Cajon Pass is essentially closed up), he asked me to look up how to get to the 10 from Vegas. Ouch, it's going to be a long trip. :(

As for me, my shoes are ash-colored now, courtesy of being a bus rider who partially walked home from work yesterday.

Like others have said, it was just eery. We didn't have much of the yellow sky in west Anaheim yesterday morning, but as we were going into Yorba Linda (to the east, and closer to the big fires in San Bernardino), it just got yellower and darker. It was like looking at the world through those odd brownish-yellow tinted sunglasses, you know the ones they were doing infomercials for that old people use a lot now (with the wrap around flaps)?

Probably the most screwed up thing was the sun. It was blood red, I shit you not. Ash is everywhere, of course. I am thinking if I ever write a scifi novel and want to imagine life as it is on another planet, this is a good memory to start from.

I hope everyone close to the fires is okay, and, yes, I hope they catch the arsonist and bungle him up his poop shoot.

CR
cuervo72
10-26-2003, 09:11 PM
Yeah Shorty, Bucc lobbed in a firebomb all the way from Colorado.

Of little consequence, but they just announced the Monday Night game will be from Phoenix rather than San Diego.
QuikSand
10-26-2003, 09:14 PM
Originally posted by Buccaneer
These are not nearly as big as some of the SoCal fires in the 1970s and 1980s. They are just getting more news now because of sensationalism and that there are now more (expensive) homes built in the fire-prone canyons and ridgelines.

So your point is...these fires shouldn't be getting so much "coverage" and it's all a function of "sensationalism" and (I suppose) the media? Or is it the fault of the owners of the expensive homes?

I'm reading from personal accounts here about a "blood red sun," about people "seeing flames from my house," and about ash falling all over the region. They have moved the football game Monday out of San Diego, because the stadium there is being used as an emergency triage center. The latest count I have seen is 14 people reported dead, and 650 homes burned... but I have to guess and fear that both counts will continue to rise.

Yep, I think this is pretty much a non-story. Sensationalism.
heybrad
10-26-2003, 09:22 PM
I live in Los Alamitos which is fairly close to the beach and we still have ash all over the place out here. Walking outside for a few minutes makes you feel like you ate an ashtray.
Mr. Sparkle
10-26-2003, 09:36 PM
I'm stuck in northern Cali right now, was supposed to fly back to San Diego today. Talking to my roomies, our house is about 4 miles from one of the fires. We live right behind Quallcom, and they said its almost impossible to breathe outside. Hopefully our house will still be standing when i am able to make it back down there
Buccaneer
10-26-2003, 09:47 PM
To all, sorry, my news was certainly out-dated (all from yesterday, prior to any developments today). It certainly has become huge, esp. in my old hometown of Escondido. Please pray for the safety and strength of those effected.
Glengoyne
10-26-2003, 09:50 PM
Originally posted by QuikSand
So your point is...these fires shouldn't be getting so much "coverage" and it's all a function of "sensationalism" and (I suppose) the media? Or is it the fault of the owners of the expensive homes?

I'm reading from personal accounts here about a "blood red sun," about people "seeing flames from my house," and about ash falling all over the region. They have moved the football game Monday out of San Diego, because the stadium there is being used as an emergency triage center. The latest count I have seen is 14 people reported dead, and 650 homes burned... but I have to guess and fear that both counts will continue to rise.

Yep, I think this is pretty much a non-story. Sensationalism.

Usually when I smack someone down for an odd opinion I get carried away, and insult their intelect. By contrast you plainly illuminate the inappropriate sentiment of the author, and completely eviscerate his claim. Very nicely done.
Buccaneer
10-26-2003, 09:54 PM
I know but you have to give me the benefit of outdatedness since my post was at 8:50am and all of the points QS brought up happened after that time. In this morning's paper, there was only mentioned of the San Berdo fire, which does happen frequently up there and going on and on about the million dollar homes in Laguna Hills being threatened. Nothing on San Diego Co.
daedalus
10-26-2003, 09:59 PM
I can't say I remember how big the 1993 fires were but I'm pretty sure we weren't getting ash-rain in Long Beach then. Wasn't here (this country) for the 70s or the 80s fires Bucc mentioned, though.
Sharpieman
10-26-2003, 09:59 PM
Technically, only Southern California is on fire, here in Northern California, nothing bad happens.
cuervo72
10-26-2003, 10:54 PM
Originally posted by QuikSand

Yep, I think this is pretty much a non-story. Sensationalism.

If this were happening in France, I bet Chiraq wouldn't mention it...
SackAttack
10-26-2003, 11:22 PM
The fires are why I think cigarettes should be banned. Not for health reasons - let people be stupid and kill themselves. It can only improve the gene pool.

No, because I *routinely* see smokers toss smoldering cigarette butts out car windows, or even just throw 'em casually away, not caring if they land in brush, grass, or on concrete. It's callous, willful disregard for mass public safety, regardless of what the true origin of *these* fires is.

Alcohol can ruin lives, but you're never going to see it displace 300 families the way a carelessly discarded cigarette butt can.
QuikSand
10-26-2003, 11:23 PM
Regardless, Bucc.. didn't mean to be quite so harsh. Curmudgeonly as though you may be, you're not heartless.
tucker rocky
10-26-2003, 11:50 PM
This sounds just like the Florida fires a few years back. Sad it's displaced some families :( Hopefully they can get this thing under control quickly.
Yossarian
10-27-2003, 05:07 AM
Howdy.

I'm not up to scratch on my US Geography.

Are the fires anywhere USC or Beverly hills?


D
cuervo72
10-27-2003, 07:58 AM
Originally posted by Yossarian
Howdy.

I'm not up to scratch on my US Geography.

Are the fires anywhere USC or Beverly hills?

You only have 18 posts left, you'd better use them wisely.
Buccaneer
10-27-2003, 08:21 AM
I did go back and pulled out the stories from yesterday's morning paper to see what really prompted by initial post. There were two stories, one on the San B. fires in areas that they have many fires in the past. My first reaction was why is anyone building in such a fire prone area? Then what really hit the fan was the other story about some expensive homes on Laguna Hills and interviewing residents that went through this several times before - in the exact same area. It was deja vu all over again since the same stories were written many times in the past couple of decades. But that does not excuse my ignorance. I have lived through fires in SoCal (and in Colorado) and they are bad. I wished I had read better coverage instead of just the ones focusing on those building homes in areas where fires are common.
Bee
10-27-2003, 08:30 AM
Don't worry Bucc, all of us who have been around for a long time have at one point or another been smacked down by Quiksand. :D
fantastic flying froggies
10-27-2003, 08:36 AM
Originally posted by cuervo72
If this were happening in France, I bet Chiraq wouldn't mention it...

As a matter of fact, it did happen this summer in the south of France. And all of southern Europe for that matter, with Portugal I believe being hit the hardest...

No fun at all, I hope everything turns out ok for the Californians out there...
cuervo72
10-27-2003, 09:04 AM
Originally posted by fantastic flying froggies
As a matter of fact, it did happen this summer in the south of France. And all of southern Europe for that matter, with Portugal I believe being hit the hardest...

No fun at all, I hope everything turns out ok for the Californians out there...

Yikes, did it at least get government acknoledgement, unlike the heat wave deaths?
fantastic flying froggies
10-27-2003, 09:50 AM
Yeah, but we were lucky enough to have 'only' a few deaths, unfortunately a few firemen trapped. Like I said, I believe Portugal was hit hard, with more than 10 people killed. Don't remember the exact figures though.

Main difference with the California fires I guess is that it wasn't just one huge fire, but more an unending series of fire all summer long. I remember one part of France near Toulon which had 3 big fires between July and August. I've seen pictures of what's left, it is really mind blowing... Guess that's what the moon looks like...
fantastic flying froggies
10-27-2003, 09:54 AM
DOLA - to answer your question, yes, it did get government acknowledgement.
So did the heat wave actually, it was the actual number of deaths related to it that was debated.
Yossarian
10-27-2003, 10:57 AM
Originally posted by cuervo72
You only have 18 posts left, you'd better use them wisely.

Huh?

no joke, I was just askin the question.
QuikSand
10-27-2003, 11:06 AM
Originally posted by cuervo72
You only have 18 posts left, you'd better use them wisely.

I thought that was a pretty good catch. You're now at 17 and counting...
cuervo72
10-27-2003, 11:22 AM
What he said.
Yossarian
10-27-2003, 11:57 AM
Ah..

Of course. Missed that one (and you wouldn't think I would since I PICKED this name....)

Anyway... still no actual response to my Q but I guess thats ok.

Its just that I know some people at USC and in beverly hills but they haven't been in contact wrt the fires and I was wondering if the fires were near these areas.

D
Chief Rum
10-27-2003, 02:10 PM
No, SC and Beverly Hills aren't anywhere close to the fires. The Simi Valley fire is on the other side of the Valley (as in San Fernando). It is very far away. The Grand Prix and Old fires out east are also very far away from those areas. The San Diego fires are, of course, down closer to San Diego.

In fact, for all the fires in the area, it seems odd that they have managed to completely avoid the LA proper area and neighboring Orange County. And, yes, both areas have plenty of fire-hazard areas, too.

CR
JeeberD
10-27-2003, 05:36 PM
Satellite pictures of the fire and smoke courtesy of NASA....

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Oct2003/California.TMOA2003299.jpg

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Oct2003/California_fc.TMOA2003299.jpg

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Oct2003/California.AMOA2003298.jpg
Buccaneer
10-27-2003, 06:18 PM
Wow.
AnalBumCover
10-27-2003, 06:36 PM
un-fucking-believable.
The Afoci
10-27-2003, 10:16 PM
I think I see Skydog on one of those pictures. No more mexican food for him.

Good luck to all in danger.
JeeberD
10-29-2003, 12:39 AM
A couple of new satellite shots...

http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/earth/pictures/2003/1028cafires/CAaqua.jpg

http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/earth/pictures/2003/1028cafires/sandiego_californialg.jpg