link for the Orange County Register, I saw a map on there earlier that had the locations of 10 fires (those are just the big ones) there are more. . .
I lived in Orange County all my life, we had a bad bad fire like this one in 76 - the pictures of it made the high school year book. We didn't lose our house, but it was very very close - my heart goes out to the folks there, my brother lives near the Paradise fire, and I've got friends in Big Bear. We are praying for all of the people in So. Cal right now.
The air quality is dismal all over the area, choking smoke and ash everywhere - I can almost still smell the smoke.
http://www.ocregister.com/news/2003/fires/
HeartofNC
Devastating FireStorm
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montrealboy
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Latest developments
http://www.nbc4.tv/news/2590423/detail.html
Approximately 250 Homes Destroyed By Wildfire
20 Deaths Reported; Nearly 2,121 Homes Destroyed
POSTED: 6:56 a.m. PST October 29, 2003
UPDATED: 7:02 p.m. PST October 29, 2003
LOS ANGELES -- LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Approximately 250 homes were destroyed in a matter of hours in the Cedar Glen area Wednesday afternoon and the fire continues to threaten the Lake Arrowhead area. Cedar Glen is located just to the east of Lake Arrowhead, approximately 1/4 of a mile from the dam.
A firestorm of "unbelievable proportion" ripped through Hook Creek Road. Home after home, block after block has been destroyed by the fire, according to NBC4's Chuck Henry. A firefighter told NBC4 that those fighting the fire couldn't control the blaze due to the height of the flames.
Firefighters set backfires along narrow highways, hoping to burn out fuel needed by the wildfire moving up from below. But the fire still jumped roads in some areas.
"We just pick a line in the sand and try to stop it. Sometimes we have success, sometimes we don't. We just keep trying," said William Bagnell, fire chief in Crestline, a small community high in the San Bernardino Mountains.
Fire burning up the south face of the range threatened resort communities from Lake Arrowhead east to Big Bear Lake. Some 80,000 full-time residents had evacuated since the weekend, including thousands who jammed the highway out of Big Bear with bumper-to-bumper traffic Tuesday.
In other developments, one firefighter was killed and three were injured battling the largest blaze in San Diego County on Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry said. It marks the first firefighter death in the outbreak of wildfires in Southern California.
Meanwhile, on the Simi Valley Fire front, flames and heavy smoke briefly forced the closure of the northbound I-5 freeway from the 126 to the 14 Wednesday afternoon. The freeway was reopened just before 3 p.m. As of sunset, the fire did not appear to be immediately threatening any homes.
The wildfires have roared over more than 621,000 acres -- about 890 square miles, nearly the area of Rhode Island. At least 20 people have died since Oct. 21; close to 2,120 homes have been destroyed.
Many of those who died waited until the last minute to flee, Sheriff Bill Kolender said Monday. "When you are asked to leave, do it immediately. Do not wait," he said at a news conference.
The death toll was the state's worst since the 1991 fire in the Oakland hills of Alameda County that killed 25 and destroyed more than 3,200 homes and apartments.
More than 13,600 firefighters were battling the flames, that have estimated to have done at least $2 billion worth of damage.
Five counties have been declared disaster areas: Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura. Gov. Gray Davis said the wildfires could be "the worst disaster the state has ever faced." Davis also announced that one-stop centers will be established for fire victims. The centers will bring together all types of assistance agencies to help those who lost their homes in the fires.
Approximately 250 Homes Destroyed By Wildfire
20 Deaths Reported; Nearly 2,121 Homes Destroyed
POSTED: 6:56 a.m. PST October 29, 2003
UPDATED: 7:02 p.m. PST October 29, 2003
LOS ANGELES -- LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Approximately 250 homes were destroyed in a matter of hours in the Cedar Glen area Wednesday afternoon and the fire continues to threaten the Lake Arrowhead area. Cedar Glen is located just to the east of Lake Arrowhead, approximately 1/4 of a mile from the dam.
A firestorm of "unbelievable proportion" ripped through Hook Creek Road. Home after home, block after block has been destroyed by the fire, according to NBC4's Chuck Henry. A firefighter told NBC4 that those fighting the fire couldn't control the blaze due to the height of the flames.
Firefighters set backfires along narrow highways, hoping to burn out fuel needed by the wildfire moving up from below. But the fire still jumped roads in some areas.
"We just pick a line in the sand and try to stop it. Sometimes we have success, sometimes we don't. We just keep trying," said William Bagnell, fire chief in Crestline, a small community high in the San Bernardino Mountains.
Fire burning up the south face of the range threatened resort communities from Lake Arrowhead east to Big Bear Lake. Some 80,000 full-time residents had evacuated since the weekend, including thousands who jammed the highway out of Big Bear with bumper-to-bumper traffic Tuesday.
In other developments, one firefighter was killed and three were injured battling the largest blaze in San Diego County on Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry said. It marks the first firefighter death in the outbreak of wildfires in Southern California.
Meanwhile, on the Simi Valley Fire front, flames and heavy smoke briefly forced the closure of the northbound I-5 freeway from the 126 to the 14 Wednesday afternoon. The freeway was reopened just before 3 p.m. As of sunset, the fire did not appear to be immediately threatening any homes.
The wildfires have roared over more than 621,000 acres -- about 890 square miles, nearly the area of Rhode Island. At least 20 people have died since Oct. 21; close to 2,120 homes have been destroyed.
Many of those who died waited until the last minute to flee, Sheriff Bill Kolender said Monday. "When you are asked to leave, do it immediately. Do not wait," he said at a news conference.
The death toll was the state's worst since the 1991 fire in the Oakland hills of Alameda County that killed 25 and destroyed more than 3,200 homes and apartments.
More than 13,600 firefighters were battling the flames, that have estimated to have done at least $2 billion worth of damage.
Five counties have been declared disaster areas: Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura. Gov. Gray Davis said the wildfires could be "the worst disaster the state has ever faced." Davis also announced that one-stop centers will be established for fire victims. The centers will bring together all types of assistance agencies to help those who lost their homes in the fires.
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montrealboy
- Tropical Storm
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- Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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montrealboy
- Tropical Storm
- Posts: 172
- Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 6:39 pm
- Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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PTrackerLA
- Category 5
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- Age: 41
- Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2002 8:40 pm
- Location: Lafayette, LA
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weatherlover427
HeartofNC wrote:...I lived in Orange County all my life, we had a bad bad fire like this one in 76 - the pictures of it made the high school year book. We didn't lose our house, but it was very very close -
HeartofNC
May I ask what part of Orang County you are from? I live there now, Huntington Beach to be exact.
Good news tonight: Rain chances are up to 40%. 
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Rain looks very likely tomorrow night. Think the worst is over. Lake Arrowhead spared by valient work of firefighters and fog/drizzle this morning from mother nature. As bad as these fires were, if we had a prolong Santa Ana event or a stronger Santa Ana event, this could have been so much worse. I hope they capture these people who set these fires and send them through the Texas justice system.
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montrealboy
- Tropical Storm
- Posts: 172
- Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 6:39 pm
- Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Pictures of our heroes
7 fires still out of control and news starting to get more optimistic although the winds are a possible problem for firefighters. Here are pictures of them fighting the fires courtersy of http://www.nbcsandiego.com:
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