Southern California Fires Affecting Battle at the Border

[DanDon]

Jon, thank you for keeping us all up-to-date. It is greatly appreciated. My thoughts and prayers are with your family friend and everyone in the area.

Looking forward to more updates,
--dan

[AdamHeard]

Wow, any news on how it was started?

Good luck to all.

[Jeff K.]

San Diego is being hit the hardest, and good and you're still okay Jon.
They're not exactly sure how they started, but it could be just from the wind as the root of different events, and it also being one of the driest years doesn't help. These started around Saturday and could be from the Santa Ana winds. They were overall pretty intense, some hurricane status winds. Last time I checked though there are 17 fires, 21 including the 4 that were contained. These go from a bit north of Santa Barbara down to the border and from the ocean to San Bernardino.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

Wow, any news on how it was started?

Good luck to all.

Depends on what fire. Reading the news, Malibu was downed power lines (suspected), one of the others (OC?) may have been set, a car fire started another...

[Nica F.]

The fires are scattered throughout Southern California. There were at least 14 fires burning in the SoCal area.

Here's a map of the fires


For more information, you can go to http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_295010422.html

Hope you all are doing okay, and hopefully things will get better for the lock in.

[Jon Jack]

That map doesn't even show the 'Witch Fire' burning down here.

[Nica F.]

i figured because for the 14 fires they speak of, there aren't that many being represented on the map. I just assumed they were general areas.

[EricH]

I don't get why Castaic is burning again. I'd have thought the Day Fire last year would have cleared that area out. The same goes for Malibu last winter.

[Kyle]

Originally Posted by EricH

I don't get why Castaic is burning again. I'd have thought the Day Fire last year would have cleared that area out. The same goes for Malibu last winter.

New growth starts quick, roots and such, also people plant new tress and stuff that a fire would just rip through. Wild Fire's are THE worst type of fire because they can travel by wind or even under ground by the root structure of plants so even if you put the fire out on the surface you have to dig up all the area and make sure that everything is out, thats why it takes so long for these fires to be placed under control.

To Jon Jack:
As a fellow Fire Fighter I am praying for your friend who might be burned and the families of the other 6 known fire fighter deaths so far.

Once this fire reaches a certain level of fire service need there is a chance that I can fly out there and help out, I hope that it doesn't get that bad.

Good luck to all who are being effected.

[Jon Jack]

I've had a long night. I just woke up from a two hour nap.

My dad is the manager of the San Diego County Sheriff's Printshop which is located down by the border, and at the heart of the fire storm. He got a call at 11:30PM last night from one of this deputies who asked him to print some documents to support the National Guard troops arriving to day. They needed the documents by 7am this morning so he left right away and I went with him.

By the time we got to his shop there was an orange glow off in the horizon. There is a hill that was 50-60 yards from the door of his shop and the flames were right on the top of the hill. The smoke was think and the ash burned the eyes. Periodically throughout the night we'd check the ridge to make sure the fire wasn't coming down the hill. After 2 hours we got the job done and quickly left the area. As we were coming down off the mesa where his shop is located, we saw the entire side of the mesa on fire.

When we got back to the street I live on you could see flames maybe 10-15 miles east of us.

We've heard from more of the members and mentors of team 1622 from Poway, CA. As of yet no one from their team has lost a home. We've only heard from one mentor from one of our Ramona teams. He said his home was fine and that he hadn't heard from anyone else in the area.

As for our family friend... Her station is right next to my dad's shop. When we arrived at the shop her car and fire engine was there and the commanding officers said that they had seen her and that she was safe and sound.

[+()c|D]

My heart also goes out to all affected by the fire, some of my friends live in Malibu and they are going through the same thing. All I can say is I hope that these fires will be out as soon as possible and that these winds stay calm.

As for the Battle at the Border, whats the word??? I hope that you will be able to postpone it by a few weeks, or a month or whatever is necessary.

Good luck to all that are being affected by the fires, and god bless.

[indieFan]

Originally Posted by Kyle

As a fellow Fire Fighter I am praying for your friend who might be burned and the families of the other 6 known fire fighter deaths so far.

Kyle,

So far, only 2 deaths are being reported. One in San Diego, and one in Santa Clarita.

indieFan

[Bcahn836]

i am down in point loma, ca and i can see and smell smoke cars are covered in soot and ash. many navy familes that have been evacuated in the area are coming to my base. I was underway monday and the smoke blowing off the coast was restricting visibility to less than 1/2 mile. my craft was around san clemente island when we got the call that some of the guys on the boat, homes were being evacuated. and we immediately headed back to san diego. everyone got out safe but no updates on their homes as of yet.

[Kyle]

Originally Posted by indieFan

Kyle,

So far, only 2 deaths are being reported. One in San Diego, and one in Santa Clarita.

indieFan

That dose not account for the Fire Truck that flipped over and killed 4 fire fighters last week while responding to one of the fires. Not directly killed by the flames but the situation.

[Zyik]

Old google maps link won't work for me anymore. This does for now.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...79739.htmlpage

Glad the Santa Clarita fire moved, was right next to my cousins house.