Driving down route 1 for 200 miles south
Oh. You'll need to pay attention to interstate 5 around Newhall. Right now at least. When do you leave?
fealola wrote:Oh. You'll need to pay attention to interstate 5 around Newhall. Right now at least. When do you leave?
flying into SanDiego on the 21st
It better be over by then. I don't know San Diego routes, or about the fires in Mexico, but the CA fires shouldn't be a problem from SD to Baja.
According to what I read on that forestry map site, the fires in Mexico were only briefly in the Tiajuana area and have since been put out. Haven't seen anything about any actively burning fires.
The Kenter Canyon fire came eight (or so) blocks from my house back when I was in college (can't remember if I already posted this, I have a lot of emails going between myself and LA friends now). Bad, bad.
I am in awe that anyone would stay with their houses as the fire advances, and try to even imagine doing that. And yet, we didn't leave, we didn't think it would cross Sunset Boulevard, and it didn't. We lived in the "flats", fairly past the end of the canyons, canyons forming as they do, readymade fire routes... Still, geez, eight blocks.
By now, years later, I've taken several seminars related to landscape strategies in a region of human habitation in a FIRE ECOLOGY and have read a fair amount about it. Have a fat binder of articles, which tend to give me whim whams just reading them.
What to do about the understory in forests is quite an issue and lots of pros and cons fly around. The understory buildup is a consideration in many forests, but in Southern California the whole situation with lack of summer rain and the nature of Santa Ana winds really supplies tinder. Housing patterns make it hard to do any control burns. Arsonists are sick, of course, and there seems to be a continuous supply of them over the years.
Not just arson, murder too.
I can't imagine staying in houses either, they say it takes seconds for them to explode into infernos. Sparks and heat from the blaze are enough to cause instant incineration. I saw pictures today of fire tornados. Pretty awesome.
Husker and all who live in the area, please be safe.
I hope everyone here at a2k is accounted for. I would feel so much better if people would check in.
Thanks, Ceili
15 plus people have died. From what I heard most of them where elderly and died from heart attacks or people that didn't heed the warnings to evacutate.
Ceili - I'm well out of harms way - feel much as you do. We had fire storms here about 10 years ago and they were pretty bad but nothing to compare with what is happening now. I stood in a green zone with a hose that was like nothing when the fire came through the area at my friends house.
Wildfire photo slideshow from Reuters and AP
It's a miracle there haven't been more firefighter deaths. Something tells me the death count is going to go way up once the list of unaccounted for residents grows and burned out houses and areas are searched.
Don't forget the lost or abandoned livestock including heaps of ponies
Weird: Yesterday it was 102F in the San Bernardino Mtns. Today it's 46.
Good - although depressing - photo, Wenchilina. I did hear of a lot of horses being saved.
But in the burning forest... ay yi yi, I don't want to think about the animal life that goes in even natural healthy fires.
Osso, do you remember a place called Santa's Village when you were growing up? The fire passed right by there, I don't know how it did though. Anyway, it closed down about 6 years ago and was turned into a wildlife sanctuary/hospital place. I wonder what happened there.
Yes, I do remember Santa's village, but where was it, near Carpenteria?
No. I know what your talking about though. That's Santa Claus Lane. Next to the ocean. Santa's Village was an amusement park with rides for real little kids. It was right outside of Lake Arrowhead in the mountains amongst all those pine trees. I could be gone now. Haven't heard yet. They turned it into a wildlife waystation after it closed a few years ago. I think it operated for maybe fifty years as a kiddie land place.
There used to be a Santa's Village just as you describe in the Santa Cruz mountains south of San Jose. Is that the one you're referring to?
Now I remember. I don't know Arrowhead well at all, it has been a looooooooog time since I was there. All this is so sad.
Craven, You're welcome to use our extra bedroom for as long as it takes to clear out the air in San Diego. Must be very bad for youre health to be breathing all that ash and whatever else is mixed in that air. I'll even pick you up at Mineta San Jose International Airpot. Send me a PM.
