gospeedracer

Chat Mom
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Feb 8, 2000
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My Mom called me at 5:45am (her time) this morning distressed about "the worst fire in the history of California". I haven't seen anything on the news about it but admittedly I'm not an avid news watcher.

She said they couldn't even let the kids out for recess the other day because of all the smoke in the air, her house is a mess from the ash, it's dark all the time and there's a red hue to the sky.
She mentioned Fontana and I thought of RMJeff and Arrow Head and I though of Mtngoat. I know there are socal peeps in a bunch of the other area she mentioned. Is everyone alright?

She also mentioned that 3 of the fires may have been arson?!

I'm going to do some searching around for some news but I just wanted to know if anyone on DRN is in any danger.
 

JWW

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Apr 13, 2000
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Oh man it sucks.

Huge acreage burning and now at least 2 fires have merged. It stretches from Claremont all the way over to north east San Bernardino. Its working its way up to Crestline.

I just talked to my boss who lives in Claremont and his house made it through but his neighbors didnt. Were still waiting to hear about our friends in Crestline.

http://www.incidentcontrol.com/ <---- has some decent info.
 

thumbs

Tony 'da Rat
Oct 16, 2000
2,484
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It's friggen bad, real bad. I have a 4 friends that have been evacuated. Don't know what they will be returning to. 200 homes lost and no containment of the fire. Skies are yellow in Huntington Beach and you can't see the sun. Ashes are everwhere. had to close all the windows in the house and we are more have 50 miles from the fire.
 
B

biglou

Man, it does look very bad on TV. They're even moving the Monday Night Football game between San Diego and Miami over to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ tonight.
 

gospeedracer

Chat Mom
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Feb 8, 2000
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I scanned MSNBC, Fox New, CNN and Headline news most of the morning on Sunday and all I saw a few 30 second clips on the fires raging out there. Apparently Kobe Bryant is more important. :think:

Thanks for the links. Glad to hear you are okay Jeff.
 

Ol'89r

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Jan 27, 2000
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Hey Speedy girl.

So far 10 wildfires here in Cal. Over 800 homes damaged or destroyed and 13 people dead.

Pretty ugly!

Returned from my trip back East early Sunday at O dark 30.. Coming into Victor Valley, you could see the glow on the other side of the mountains. When we got to the top of the pass, we had live fire on the north side of the freeway down to the 15/215 split. Then there was fire on both sides of the freeway. They had the 15 closed and then closed the 215 shortly after we made it through.

I was glad to see you posting Jeff when I checked in on DRN. Was pretty worried about you. Not a lot of info on the tv back East. CNN was about the only station with anything.

Stay safe everyone.
 

Boodac

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Oct 31, 2001
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Very intersting times to be living in the SoCal area to say the least. Ol89er could you imagine coming home from a vacation trip only to find your homestead burnt to the ground. Thats what happened to a coworker here. He was vacationing down in Cabo with the family and came home Sunday night to find out they wouldnt allow him to drive up to his house. He called me this morning in shock. Everything he owned other than his car and the suitcases they brought are gone. Man you have to feel for these people.
 

bclapham

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Nov 5, 2001
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we can put this in general discussions:) Piru MX park north of LA is gone. I was going to glen helen on sat, how they saved it (just, is a miracle)- and some friends of friends were camping at barona MX park saturday for the sunday races- it has really nice pits and was the place where motocrossed the disney movie was shot- they had to leave at 1.30 am and by 2am the whole place was gone- i went through san bernadino on sat and though it looked bad, but not as bad as 2 miles from my apartment on sunday morning in san diego- the fire jumped the 15 freeway 1 mile south of us- we were getting ready to evacuate, wife, cat and bikes:)
 

bclapham

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Nov 5, 2001
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215 freeway north
 

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bclapham

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Nov 5, 2001
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this pic was taken from adelanto around noon- san bernadino is at the bottom of the big mushroom.
 

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JPIVEY

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Mar 9, 2001
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Well , it just got worse , fire Jumped the Hwy 18, nothing but dead trees from there to Arrowhead
 

JWW

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Apr 13, 2000
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[SAN DIEGO - Ash fell on the beach like snow and drivers turned on their headlights in the smoky daytime streets Monday as wildfires that have reduced entire neighborhoods to moonscapes skipped through the hills of Southern California and threatened 30,000 more homes.

California's deadliest outbreak of fires in more than a decade has destroyed at least 1,134 homes, killed at least 15 people and consumed more than half a million acres stretching from the Mexican border to the suburbs northeast of Los Angeles.


"This will be the most expensive fire in California history, both in loss of property and the cost of fighting it," said Dallas Jones, director of the state Office of Emergency Services.


The death toll jumped from 13 to 15 Monday after the bodies of two people were found on a road near San Diego.


Several people suffered burns and smoke inhalation, including eight hospitalized at the University of California, San Diego, Medical Center. Two had burns over more than 55 percent of their bodies, spokeswoman Eileen Callahan said.


Managers of California's power grid estimated that 70,000 to 85,000 Southern California customers were without electricity because fires had damaged transmission lines.


A 90,000-acre wildfire that straddles the Los Angeles-Ventura county line began moving slowly toward million-dollar mansions in a gated community in Los Angeles. California Department of Forestry Battalion Chief Thomas Foley said that in a "worst-case scenario," the blaze could spread all the way to the Pacific Ocean.


Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said his home near San Diego was among the hundreds damaged or destroyed. Further east, a small border crossing 70 miles from San Diego was closed as fire cut off roads leading to the U.S.-Mexico border, said Vince Bond of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection.


The dry, hot Santa Ana winds that have fanned the flames began to ease in some areas Monday, raising hopes that overwhelmed firefighters could make progress with the help of reinforcements on their way from other Western states. But the danger was still high.


The San Diego-area fires raced through chaparral and grass, sometimes sparing one home or one cluster of trees while destroying those around it.


"It would be disingenuous to say we have control of these fires. Right now we are throwing everything we can at them," Jones said. "It's such erratic conditions. These are still tremendously dangerous with very little control or containment."


President Bush (news - web sites) designated the fire-stricken region a major disaster area, opening the door to grants, loans and other aid to residents and businesses in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties.


"This is a devastating fire and it's a dangerous fire. And we're prepared to help in any way we can," Bush said at the White House.


Gov. Gray Davis (news - web sites) moved to activate the National Guard and summon help from neighboring states. He predicted the cost of the fires would be in the billions.


He toured the fire area in San Bernardino and saw "just homes reduced to rubble, charred belongings still sending off smoke."


He was followed later by Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger (news - web sites), who had a fire briefing in Ventura County and praised work by firefighters.


He thanked Bush for swiftly declaring an emergency and said he would go to Washington on Tuesday to meet with federal officials "to make sure that the federal money will come through."





Across Southern California, the sun glowed red and smoke stung the eyes and lungs. Airport baggage handlers wore masks against the smoke and the ash dropping across the landscape.

"My eyes are burning right now something terrible," said 74-year-old Maury Glantz in San Diego, holding a towel over his mouth and nose. "I have to get out."

Even the primates at the San Diego Zoo went indoors to escape the misery. "Their lungs are built like ours so they can be affected by the smoke," said zoo spokeswoman Yadira Galindo.

Many of those who died in the wildfires ignored evacuation orders and were caught by flames because they waited until the last minute to flee, Sheriff Bill Kolender said.

"When you are asked to leave, do it immediately," he said. "Do not wait."

San Diego Fire Chief Jeff Bowman said he was worried that three fires that incinerated 585 homes in San Diego County would merge into a super fire, pushing already strained resources to the breaking point.

A state of emergency was declared in the four stricken counties, where the fires had laid waste to entire blocks of homes, closed major highways, shuttered schools, disrupted air travel nationwide and sent people running for their lives.

People were urged to stay indoors because of the smoky air, and hospitals treated a number of people who complained of breathing trouble.

"You could almost smell the smoke and you could almost taste fire," said Leilani Baker, 46, of San Diego. She was sitting at a bus stop, her shoulders covered with ash.

Eleven people were killed by the so-called Cedar Fire, California's largest blaze at 150,000 acres. The fire was ignited Saturday near the mountain town of Julian when a lost hunter set off a signal fire, authorities said. The hunter may face charges.

In San Bernardino County, a blaze called the Old Fire has destroyed more than 450 homes. On Monday, the flames jumped a road and moved into the heavily forested small town of Crestline.

A major fire burning closer to Los Angeles is believed to have been started by arsonists.

"Those who start these fires are no better than domestic terrorists and should be dealt with as such," said Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley.

The arsonists "have no idea how many lives they've ruined," said Trisha Mitchell, standing amid the debris that was once her childhood home in San Bernardino.

Days after running for her life from a fire that ripped through her San Bernardino neighborhood, Pati Wecker returned home in the Del Rosa area to find the only thing left standing of her house was an archway.

Across the street, a park with green grass and trees was untouched.

Digging through the ruins of her home, Wecker found an untouched porcelain angel and two beer steins. A burned photo album crumbled when she picked it up.

Her husband was killed in Vietnam and she raised her six children in the home that is known in the neighborhood as "Momma's House."

"They all said we will build another house," said Wecker, 69.

When the fire closed in, the only things she was able to get out of the house were her purse and a few clothes. "Everything in there, even my five cats," she said, pointing to the ruins. She was unable to get part of her dentures: "I don't even have my teeth."
 

Ol'89r

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Jan 27, 2000
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Firefighters are currently trying to hold the line at Hwy 18 across from Rim of the World High School. They are backfiring from the Hwy. If it jumps there, it could go clear to Big Bear.

Conditions are much better today as far as wind and humidity go. Mtngoat and Dale should be ok. They are fairly far from the main front and have a clear escape route down the back side of the mountain to Hesperia.

If anyone needs any help, let us know.
 
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