My prayers go out to the people but moreso to the pets. I hope the people did the right thing and evacuated with their pets. (Yes, contrary to popular belief, I do have a heart.)

NO! I will not pay another goddamn tax! I'm sorry for what is happening but if they live in an area prone to this situation they should have the appropriate insurance.

Also, this type of incident would be easier to contain if it weren't for the granola munching tree-huggers that have prevented the cutting of fire breaks in the past.

This should also serve as a warning that we're lucky terrorists are stupid. All it takes to cause havoc and destruction is a can of gas and a book of matches.

T.

Taylor (imported) wrote: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:40 am My prayers go out to the people but moreso to the pets. I hope the people did the right thing and evacuated with their pets. (Yes, contrary to popular belief, I do have a heart.)

NO! I will not pay another goddamn tax! I'm sorry for what is happening but if they live in an area prone to this situation they should have the appropriate insurance.

Also, this type of incident would be easier to contain if it weren't for the granola munching tree-huggers that have prevented the cutting of fire breaks in the past.

This should also serve as a warning that we're lucky terrorists are stupid. All it takes to cause havoc and destruction is a can of gas and a book of matches.

T.

When the Santa Ana winds blow hot and dry there isn't much that can stop them. You never know where these fires are going to start. So it's hard to know where to clear ahead of time. It is a big area and resources are limited.

Even if you made fire breaks ahead of time and knew where to make them, wind gusts of 50 miles per hour can cary burning embers the size of milk cartons miles at a time to jump any fire lines or areas that have been clear cut, even the ones that were in the right place to begin with.

Also keep in mind these fires create their own weather systems. Once started they draw in their own winds. They often produce small tornados of fire.

Adding to the problem is the fact that the area only got a couple of inches of rain the past wet season. When it does rain... more stuff grows, and then the next time there is a dry spell it burns. This is nature. When it happens people need to get out of the way.

It's easy to say people shouldn't live there but there are risks no matter where you live. Fires, floods, blizzards, tornados, hurricanes, volcanos, mudslides, earthquakes... It seems to me there aren't too many places in the world that aren't affected by at least one or more of these dangers. In fact I can say with no equivocation at all that being alive on planet Earth will kill you one way ore another.

Taylor (imported) wrote: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:40 am My prayers go out to the people but moreso to the pets. I hope the people did the right thing and evacuated with their pets. (Yes, contrary to popular belief, I do have a heart.)

NO! I will not pay another goddamn tax! I'm sorry for what is happening but if they live in an area prone to this situation they should have the appropriate insurance.

Also, this type of incident would be easier to contain if it weren't for the granola munching tree-huggers that have prevented the cutting of fire breaks in the past.

This should also serve as a warning that we're lucky terrorists are stupid. All it takes to cause havoc and destruction is a can of gas and a book of matches.

T.

One of the things the news media has mentioned over and over again is places to take your pets, horses, etc... they have evacuation centers just for horses, others for pets, and areas set aside for pets.

As to fire-breaks...last night they set a backfire along Interstate 5. I5 which is one of two major arteries going North from San Diego and is a full eight lanes across all the way through Camp Pendleton. The back fire jumped the freeway onto the west side. Now if the fire can jump an eight lane freeway it would jump a small firebreak. Also, on Monday the winds were averaging 40 - 60 mph with gusts as high as 75 mph in the mountains and foothills. Winds died down to 20 to 30 mph on tuesday, and even less today. When winds get as high as they were on Monday the fires can not be stopped, and can only be stopped when the winds fall under 25 mph.

Also, things like Avocados might be going up because so far some 20,000 avocado tress have been lost and they take a long time to grow. (San Diego is a major source of avocados in the states)

Nothing to do with terrorism...this is just the perfect firestorm. The right combination of elements came together. For example the last two years have been the driest on record and those started back in the 1820s. So much of the growth is dead and very dry.

This morning Mt Palomar and the town of Julian is under threat and being evacuated. Because of Japanese beattle infestation many of the pine trees are dead( and lack of water), and ripe for fire. The most dangerous plants to have around a house are pine trees, eucalyptus trees, and palm trees. The pine and eucalyptus are like a living barrel of oil and they will explode when fire approaches. Palm Trees get the fire in the branches and the wind blows the branches into other homes perhaps blocks away.

Right now the power company is asking everyone to cut power usage because they only have one inbound power line from the outside world...the rest have been shut down due to fire...so the local power system is working at full capability.

Did I hear correctly on tonight's news, that there are none of those large flying-boat water bombers in the area to dampen things down?

Ok, the point about having and maintaining firebreaks is that they keep smaller fires from becoming the big fires that are capable of jumping an 8 lane highway or creating huge embers. It's a tactic wherein the smaller fires don't spread as fast which gives firefighting crews more time to react and limit damage and contain the spread.

No one thing in itself is a cure all but every thing helps.

Yeah, there are none of those huge boat/firefighting planes. I have wondered why politicians in fireprone states don't spend the goddamn money to keep a couple of them. Last year the Russians offered to loan us a couple but the government declined their use. WTF? Where are their goddamn priorities!?!

I'm glad to hear they have evacuation centers for animals. Being a lifelong misanthrope I couldn't give a damn about people but my rock-hard heart turns into warm mush when it comes to animals.

Jemagirl, you're right, no one here gets out alive. In fact, my sunny disposition makes me say, "What doesn't kill me only delays the inevitable."

I live in the city of San Bernardino which, so far, has been untouched by the fires. Most of the blazes here are in our mountain resorts such as Lake Arrowhead, Crestline, Big Bear and Grass Valley. I've heard from neighbors, but not on the tv news, that there's a blaze in Shandin Hills which is a few miles from our big university CSUSB.

This morning when I walked downtown, I could barely breathe as the entire city was filled with smoke. By 1:30pm the air was almost smoke free and I could actually see blue sky looking up from downtown. This could be good news for locals who desire to breathe but it might just mean the winds were picking up blowing away the smoke but causing more havoc for firefighters battling the blaze in our distant hills.

Damn, we need rain right now from San Deigo to Orange County and beyond.

HairyHarry (imported) wrote: Thu Oct 25, 2007 12:16 pm Did I hear correctly on tonight's news, that there are none of those large flying-boat water bombers in the area to dampen things down?

On Monday the winds were to severe for the fire planes to operate, but the military planes could! So the local military brass volunteered planes and anything else that could be used. The press said the military planes were on the tarmac waiting for the ok. However, Calfire (they handle all fire related assets in California) had a pissing contest, and said the pilots were not qualified. then they gave other reasons....finally on Tuesday Calfire said two and only two military helicopters could fly. Finally today all the local senators, Governor Arnold, and a Rep from Pres Bush forced Calfire to accept the big C-10s. The C-10s are the largest four prop plane that can land on water in the states, and drops 7000 gallons of water at a time. The local press says they are in the area and will be dropping water shortly.

On Monday the winds were so fast that not even firebreaks could stop it. Monday morning the biggest fire (called the Witch fire or witch creek fire) started very early monday morning (@fourish am) and by the time I woke up about 8am the fire had crossed Interstate 15 (another 8 lane freeway). Winds in that area Monday morning were around 40 to 50 mph with guest to 70 mph, and not even a firebreak is capable of stopping it.

According to local newspapers these are the "approximate" damages from all the fires thus far:

• Homes destroyed.......1,761

• Acres destroyed.....473,000

• Civilians injuried...... 35

• Firefighters injured.. 16

• Deaths..... 1

On the plus side, I heard aircraft going overhead all day dropping fire retardant

Also, on the plus side only 2 people (so far) have been arrested for looting. They were both 18yrs and male trying together trying to get beer.

At the stadium people noticed this group of eight people making multiple trips to pick up massive quantities of items. Turns out the eight were illegals and turning around and selling the items to someone else who sold the items again.

And so far that is all the legal problems

Taylor (imported) wrote: Thu Oct 25, 2007 12:38 pm Ok, the point about having and maintaining firebreaks is that they keep smaller fires from becoming the big fires that are capable of jumping an 8 lane highway or creating huge embers. It's a tactic wherein the smaller fires don't spread as fast which gives firefighting crews more time to react and limit damage and contain the spread.

No one thing in itself is a cure all but every thing helps.

Yeah, there are none of those huge boat/firefighting planes. I have wondered why politicians in fireprone states don't spend the goddamn money to keep a couple of them. Last year the Russians offered to loan us a couple but the government declined their use. WTF? Where are their goddamn priorities!?!

I'm glad to hear they have evacuation centers for animals. Being a lifelong misanthrope I couldn't give a damn about people but my rock-hard heart turns into warm mush when it comes to animals.

Jemagirl, you're right, no one here gets out alive. In fact, my sunny disposition makes me say, "What doesn't kill me only delays the inevitable."

Taylor, I am not trying to get on you because what you say makes sense unless your talking about So Cal.

First remember So Cal is a desert, all of it, add a couple seasons of no rain, that way everything is ready to burn, add a very dry hot wind of 50 to 70 miles an hour or so and all you need it one spark. There is no fire lane that will stop this once its started, no highway, byway or other way. The planes that drop water are there, ready to go, they cant take off because of the high winds. Well they can take off, they just cant fly over the fire. Its very hard for someone who has never lived there to truly understand, its like an earthquake, we understand them but now I live in the mid west were we get tornado's, now they scar me. A lot of the area that is being burned is remote which makes it even harder to fight.

River