| Submit your comments on this article |
| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Calif. fires force more than 500,000 from homes |
| 2007-10-24 |
| SAN DIEGO — As a dozen fires raged along the coast of Southern California Tuesday for a third day, San Diego County took the brunt of the wind-whipped fury that is driving more than a half million people into makeshift shelters, including 10,000 evacuees huddled in QualComm stadium. The wildfires, driven by fierce Santa Ana winds at gusts up to 70 mph, have burned more than 1,300 homes and businesses and 373,000 acres, or 583 square miles. By midday, half of the fires — stretching from Los Angeles to the Mexican border — were deemed out of control, according to data from the governor's office. Only one was listed as at least 50% contained, and that was only a 300-acre fire in San Diego county. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #10 It's getting old and tiresome now. The only impact on me is the bad air, the evacuees in my house and the fact that my office is closed until Friday. It is tiresome and boring. I think how tiresome it must be for the evacuees, especially those in places like QualComm wondering if their house will still be standing when it's over. The fire fighters have it really tough. Yeah, they get paid overtime but with days on end of little or no sleep and dangerous work they are earning it. Some of their families have been evacuated too. BTW, San Diego County in general is much more conservative than places like Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Our Representative in Congress is Duncan Hunter who is currently one of the more conservative Republican presidential candidates. He is no Nancy Pelosi. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque6305 2007-10-24 13:04 |
| #9 So. California Rantburgers stay safe and breathe well. We had a fire out this way a couple of days ago and by the grace of God and a paved road it was caught. It is difficult to explain how fast a fire can travel and our winds were only! 30mph. Largest I have fought was only 3 miles wide at 40-50mph and it was a mess - snoting briquets for weeks afterwards. Bless those fighting the fire and helping the evacuees. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2007-10-24 12:31 |
| #8 Global warming must be stopped. Every year in what we call "summer" the northern hemisphere heats up (same problem in the southern hemisphere during their "summer" months. The only way to really stop this is to change the orbit of the Earth, stop solar flares, and to be safe change the axis of the Earth's tilt. NASA's gonna need a bigger budget but when we're done, if we don't make things worse, the Earth will be a paradise. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2007-10-24 11:09 |
| #7 My parents are sitting it out at their house, way out on a dirt road at the end of Paradise Mountain Road. There is a very large area of cleared land nearby, where such of their neighbors who stayted behind to look after horses and such have parked their vehicles. Fire marshal said they were safer there if the fire burned through, than trying to work their way down twisty, narrow hill roads (crowded with traffic) to the evacuation center. They are just astounded, listening to the radio, about how pleasant and professional everyone is being, at places like the Qualcomm center... in comparison to the NO Superdome. Mom says its as if everyone is sliding their eyes sideways at Mayor Nagin and thinking, "Take note of how the competant folks handle a disaster!" |
| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2007-10-24 09:37 |
| #6 I'm still under mandatory evacuation. Several homes in my neighborhood are gone. The gummint tells me I won't be able to go home (if its still there) until Thursday or Friday at the earliest. Anyone that claims global warming is factor in this is an idiot. This part of the world has always burned. It is a naturally occurring event. The only difference now is there are people here to see it/be at the mercy of it. In fact some of our native plants only germinate after a fire. Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers. |
| Posted by: Intrinsicpilot 2007-10-24 09:37 |
| #5 El Wino.. ~:) |
| Posted by: Red Dawg 2007-10-24 04:43 |
| #4 yesterdays bizness, ima embarrassed #25.. jeeze Frank no need to ever.. plz, I understand perfectly. i waz half hoping for a joke LOL! ~~~~~~~~~ This fire is a real thing, imagine.. the upheaval all the Babies and Kids, the Moms the Dads the Grand Parents. The Pets, the Stock, Horses, the Ranches, wild life... businesses and homes...& wheelhicles that are burned up and gone forever. Thanks SEA! |
| Posted by: Red Dawg 2007-10-24 04:42 |
| #3 I saw that the usual suspects are blaming this on El Nino. If homeless people set it to stay warm, we can blame it on El Wino instead. |
| Posted by: Thins tse Tung7213 2007-10-24 01:06 |
| #2 Note to the RB community - snotty political comments about California will have to wait until the fires are out. That's 500,000 of our friends, neighbors and fellow Americans suddenly out of their homes. Send some money to the charity of your choice, don't forget the animal charities either. We're all in this together, fergawdsakes. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2007-10-24 00:37 |
| #1 Yeah, well.... I hate your politics. So there. |
| Posted by: newc 2007-10-24 00:17 |