And, while this is a very bad blaze, SoCal gets bad ones every few years. It's expected, and most people are pretty good about staying safe. Ah, California, home to earthquakes, mudslides, and fires...
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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I just spoke with Papa Moose and he says they are fine. He would have posted himself but apparently they have lost power at their house (Mama Squirrel is at work and has power there).
There are several wildfires burning right now, including the Malibu area, Ventura County north of Camarillo, Orange County east of Irvine, Santa Barbara County near Los Olivos, and about eight fires in San Diego County.
As of right now, my neighborhood in San Diego has not been evacuated, but the areas just to the north of us have been, so we are preparing to leave if it becomes necessary.
To the best of my knowledge, none of the LA people live in threatened areas, but I have not checked with any of them yet.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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By the way, if you do want to contact anyone in SoCal to make sure they are OK, try to use land lines where possible, especially for contacts in San Diego County. We've been asked to stay off cell phones when possible in order to keep the lines clear for emergencies.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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When I went to bed last night there were 2 fires and this morning there are at least 12. The low humidity <10%, high winds gusting to 70, and high temps, mid 90's, are spreading it faster than anyone has ever seen. The winds and smoke are so bad the support planes have been unable to fly. They have closed portions of the 15 from the 78 to the 56 where the fire has jumped the interstate which is about 12 lanes wide at that point. I live near the center of the city maybe 10 to 15 miles from the fire area and the smell of smoke is very strong in the air and see heavy smoke to the north and east.
MattP, I hope your mother and home will be ok. They are evacuating 1000s of people from from that area.
Posts: 87 | Registered: Apr 2007
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I just talked to my mom. They are evacuating everyone in her area north of 56. She's literally a few blocks from 56 so her home is at the end of the evacuation zone furthest from the fire.
Posts: 3275 | Registered: May 2007
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Papa Moose do you know anything about fire on Santa Rosa Road? in Camarillo/Somis-ish? My mom is concerned because they don't have anything in the news but she's heard of a fire out there.
Posts: 11265 | Registered: Mar 2002
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My parents live in Oxnard, which is on a coastal plain just north of Malibu. After seeing the landmark castle above Malibu go up on the news reports. I called to find out if this was a "routine" fire season thing or a "bad one". And the answer is "a bad one" even though they are generally safe where they are. She said they had to turn on the lights yesterday at about 1pm because the sky was so dark. They have all their windows shut, but the rooms on the eastern side of the house smell "smoky" compared to the other side of the house.
The wind gusts are terrible. Her eyes are watering from the smoke in the air. The asthma danger is extreme for the entire population, you aren't supposed to engage in any major amounts of exercise.
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The Mooses have lost power at their house so I doubt they will be online at all today. Possibly longer, depending how long these fires continue.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Whoops... didn't read saxon's saying Papa Moose can't get internet.
Moose is out towards Santa Rosa Road himself, which is why I'm concerned. They try to hold the fire lines at canyons and mountains so that it can't get out and threaten the population, but if the wind is driving it as rapidly as it sounds it's going to be difficult.
AJ, I have an uncle in Oxnard -- we've visited there. I had no idea your parents were in the same town.
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
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yup... that's where I was born and raised. Oxnard's pretty safe though due to geography. I'm much more concerned about the Meese, they live a lot closer to the hills.
Posts: 11265 | Registered: Mar 2002
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We have had high winds up here in the Foothills, but no fires yet. Thankfully.
A few buildings have been damaged by falling tree branches (some cars, too.) And the occasional brown-out, but that's about it for us.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:Originally posted by saxon75: The Mooses have lost power at their house so I doubt they will be online at all today. Possibly longer, depending how long these fires continue.
And now forum spammers can go wild on hatrack! How will we see through the opaque mess of viagra, prescription drugs, XXX nudie girls, and herbal remedies!?
This fire does not just hurt Californians, it is killing all that is decent in the world!
---- MattP: I sincerely hope the fires stays away from your mom's house.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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On the surface this looks a lot worse than anything I've seen recently. This is the first I've heard about more than a few dozen homes and a couple thousand people being threatened. According to CNN, a quarter of a million peple are in danger, and thousands of homes.
I hope everyone makes it out of the way.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Power came back on pretty quickly at home, but they expect power to come and go in some areas throughout the next couple of days. We don't usually lose power for very long because we are on the same grid as a hospital.
The fire on Santa Rosa Road is expected to be fully contained late this afternoon. It's pretty far down Santa Rosa Road. It's actually closer to my Grandma that lives in Leisure Village.
I just heard about a fire near the 101 at Rose Ave. in Oxnard (near Sam's Club). I don't have much info on that yet.
So far the smoke doesn't seem to be affecting Squoose (our kid with breathing issues). Mooselet's school is keeping all the kids indoors today.
Posts: 399 | Registered: Sep 2002
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OK. The Oxnard one was in a palm tree, but it is out now. There is a new one in Ventura. I also just heard something about voluntary evacuations in Ojai, but I haven't heard anything about a fire there.
I'm guessing, from looking out my work window, that the smoke is worse at home than it is here at work. I'll know for sure in an hour when I pick up Mooselet from school.
Posts: 399 | Registered: Sep 2002
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My sister-in-law is north of 78 and the fire appears to be heading south, so they think they are ok for the moment.
The fire burned around her family up in Santa Clarita and got pretty close, but they are safe, and probably will be ok from here on out because it is now mostly already burned. Though another fire could come at them from the non-burned direction still.
I'm guessing some of the smaller fires are starting from flying cinders in the air.
Posts: 11265 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Power was indeed back up quickly (only down for maybe 10 minutes), but the internet stayed down for a while, and we still don't have e-mail. And no guarantees anything will remain.
But I'm still watching, forum spammers... through a glass darkly, or maybe smoked glass.
And I haven't gotten any whistles though I hear tell there were a couple -- if my connection stays up and Superstation stays quiet enough for Squoose to sleep, I'll check to see what's what.
posted
My friend's house just burned down. I go to SDSU and class was just canceled for the day, and potentially for the rest of the week. This really stinks because I have a midterm and a huge essay due next week.
I just watched a local reporter standing in front of his own out burning down going like "umm, that's my kitchen on fire" trying to remain professional. As well, a ton of the profs. houses burned down, because most of them cluster in one area.
Posts: 2705 | Registered: Sep 2006
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I have an aunt who lives close to one of the burned out streets in Canyon Country (Santa Clarita). I haven't been able to find a map of what areas are burned/evacuated there.
Posts: 399 | Registered: Sep 2002
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Probably air quality wise, but if cerritos burns it means that every fire fighter is dead, and the fire is racing unchecked to the ocean across L.A. Overall Cerritos is probably a pretty safe place to be (well as far as fire goes)
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I don't know how accurately those lines are drawn, but they look pretty decent. My sister in law's family lives near Sierra Hwy at Soledad Canyon, which looks good since there's a green marker there that they just reopened the road.
I'm sure there's still danger from smaller local brush fires, since there is still quite a bit of open space in the town itself. It sounds like it is off is heading towards Castaic. I think there are reports it's already gone around the lake in some places, but I think that unless another fire comes from the east and jumps I-14 they'll be ok.
Posts: 11265 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Oops. I meant to say SW, not SE. Still, if it's heading more NW toward Castaic they will probably be fine. I am sure they are at my cousin's house which is on the other side of the 14.
Posts: 399 | Registered: Sep 2002
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I'm not dead yet, my dears. It takes more than a few bits and pieces of falling ash to take me on.
Since I'm living with my aunt in La Jolla at the moment, I'm not too worried because I think this area is pretty safe. No one in my family has been evacuated and my brother doesn't live in South Bay anymore. So far, everything is ok on my side. n_n Besides, I survived the October 2003 Cedar fires, and THOSE were a heck of a lot worse than this, at least from my experience. I'm not feeling like I'm trapped in Silent Hill just yet.
The good news is that class got canceled today and tomorrow. n_n
Thanks for worrying about me Hatrack. Posts: 3389 | Registered: Apr 2004
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The news is reporting these fires as worse than the Cedar fire--in fact, they're saying this is the worst fire in the history of the state. (Not sure if that's just one of the fires or all of them together.)
But La Jolla should be pretty safe. I'm glad you're out of harm's way.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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I saw that from the news too. The cedar fires back then affected my a lot more than these have so far. The sky was red, ash would not stop falling, two of my friend's houses were burned and one lost two loved ones not to mention all his pets.
So far this fire hasn't affected me all that much, if at all.
Posts: 3389 | Registered: Apr 2004
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It's affecting a lot of other people. Over 250,000 people have been evacuated--in the Cedar fire, only 50,000 were evacuated--and many homes have been lost.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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quote:Originally posted by BannaOj: Probably air quality wise, but if cerritos burns it means that every fire fighter is dead, and the fire is racing unchecked to the ocean across L.A. Overall Cerritos is probably a pretty safe place to be (well as far as fire goes)
AJ
Agreed. I lived in Norwalk for awhile, which is right next to Cerritos, and the worst we ever got there during big fires was nasty air and the occasional (and very much non-combusting) ash falls.
Now, when I lived in Simi Valley, it was another story altogether.
Posts: 2454 | Registered: Jan 2003
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I remember one time growing up when my dad worked in Simi him having to show his medical license and be escorted by a fire truck to get to work every day... (There was fire on both sides of all the roads leading from here to his work, and while not in immediate danger, the roads were closed to facilitate property protection. The clinic was still open, though, and was in a safe area, and was treating lots of pediatric smoke inhalation, asthma attacks, etc. So they needed all their employees. His escorted commute lasted about a week.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:Originally posted by saxon75: It's affecting a lot of other people. Over 250,000 people have been evacuated--in the Cedar fire, only 50,000 were evacuated--and many homes have been lost.
Yeah, in that respect these fires are worse. I didn't mean to make it seem like I didn't care about those people. My bad.
Although, I just heard that they evacuated the Del Mar area which isn't too far from here. That's the only thing that's worrying me. I'll keep you guys posted on whatever info I can get.
Posts: 3389 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Forgive the levity here, but my friend who just lost his home just said "George Bush doesn't care about upper middle-class white people!" and I had to share.
Posts: 2705 | Registered: Sep 2006
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I just saw on TV that you can see the fire from La Mesa and El Cajon but it's Spring Valley that is most threatened. My mom is in El Cajon, not to mention several friends of mine; so I'm a little worried now.
Let's hope things don't get any worse.
Posts: 3389 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Has anyone heard from saxon since his last post? Both he and his wife have been weighing heavily on my mind since I first heard about this. I just want to make sure he's okay.
Posts: 4753 | Registered: May 2002
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