SoCal is Burning ...
SoCal is Burning ...
SoCal is Burning ...#1
Posted: 10/21/07 at 9:59pm
I have never seen it quite this bad before - we knew it was going to be a "red flag" day, but there are now multiple fires burning in Malibu, Castiac, Canyon Country and San Diego.
I hope everyone is safe.
This is going to be a very scary night for a lot of people.
Note - I changed the title because it seems like this is all over SoCal!
Updated On: 10/23/07 at 09:59 PM
re: LA is Burning ...#2
Posted: 10/21/07 at 10:43pm
It's been this bad and worse many times. In 2003 several separate fires finally merged to become one, with over 900,000 acres burned, over 1300 homes destroyed and several dead. And that was just the San Bernardino fire. There was also a very bad fire at the same time in San Diego. I think we have a long way to go this week to top 2003. Or 1998. or 1993.
I'm not trying to minimize the terrible nature of these fires; they are devastating. But this happens every year. Every October/November. Some years are worse than others, but we never go one year without at least one day like today, with multiple fires all over Southern California.
The amazing thing is the progress we've made in fire safety and structure protection. In the last several years, as I've watched fire coverage, I've been positive a house or street or neighborhood was doomed, and then the firefighters and the aircraft come in and do their magic and no homes are lost. There is footage from this afternoon that I was sure was going to be a hideous disaster - a Super Scooper flew in very low, wobbling and shaking as the pilot fought the wind, scraped the bottom of his plane on the treetops and still managed to dump his load in exactly the right place. I was sure he was going to crash. All the news reporters were certain he was going to crash. I'm sure it'll be all over the news tomorrow.
We have the best firefighters in the country here in Southern California. Bless them for the work they do, and I pray they all remain safe.
Joined: 12/31/69
re: LA is Burning ...#2
Posted: 10/21/07 at 10:45pmYea I live in the valley and you can definitely tell in the sky there are lots of fires. Ive been following the news all day while not at the theatre and its pretty scary. They evacuated 800 homes tonight in canyon country. Good luck to all those near the fires!
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/8/06
re: LA is Burning ...#3
Posted: 10/21/07 at 10:50pm
Was it '03 or '04?
Regardless - that one was scary, it felt like all of SoCal was engulfed.
-Adam Shankman.
"I haven't left this building since Windows 3.1!"
"Celebrating a birthday this week: Rene Descartes is 412! Do you know who he is? Then why are you watching this show? You could probably get into college and even get one of those job things. As for the rest of us; Amanda Bynes is 22! Yay!"
-E!'s "The Soup"
re: LA is Burning ...#4
Posted: 10/21/07 at 11:26pmdriving up the 405 to wherever the HELL I am, Sherman Oaks or Van Nuys was interesting with that glow over there
re: LA is Burning ...#5
Posted: 10/21/07 at 11:36pm
That is the thing - normally you get Malibu - but not the other suburbs in and around Los Angeles at the same time. Especially in relatively dense areas like Canyon Country.
The one that is of greatest concern to me is the Canyon Country fire - that one looks completely out of control - 10 structures had been lost as of 6pm, and hopefully, this number will remain low.
But, as someone who has lived in LA for a long time, this seems like a high concentration of fires in and around Los Angeles. (The other fires were not quite so close to home).
Updated On: 10/21/07 at 11:36 PM
re: LA is Burning ...#7
Posted: 10/21/07 at 11:46pm
October 2003. I have a friend who lost everything in that fire. Two other friends had to evacuate, but did not lose their homes.
As of right now, all the fires are completely out of control. I doubt we'll hear any containment numbers much before Tuesday. The key thing firefighters are trying to do is to keep homes and structures from being destroyed, and of course keep people safe. They can do that without necessarily gaining any control over the fires, which of course is the ultimate goal. But the immediate goal is keep people and property safe.
And as I recall, in 2003, there were nine or ten separate fires burning on the first day of that fire storm. Some were large and went on to merge with others and some were very small and extinguished very quickly. The problem with so many fires in different places is the difficulty in allocating resources. We just don't have enough men or equipment to be in every place all the time.
re: LA is Burning ...#8
Posted: 10/22/07 at 12:02am
One of my friends was on a plane back to California earlier today, and she saw the fires from the plane.
She took this picture from her seat on the plane: 
She said she's gonna send me more this week, so I'll post them when I get them.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/05
re: LA is Burning ...#9
Posted: 10/22/07 at 12:12amMy good friends were just evacuated. I just received a phone call not to go into work tomorrow.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/8/06
re: LA is Burning ...#10
Posted: 10/22/07 at 12:15amNeddy - where are your friends located?
-Adam Shankman.
"I haven't left this building since Windows 3.1!"
"Celebrating a birthday this week: Rene Descartes is 412! Do you know who he is? Then why are you watching this show? You could probably get into college and even get one of those job things. As for the rest of us; Amanda Bynes is 22! Yay!"
-E!'s "The Soup"
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/05
re: LA is Burning ...#12
Posted: 10/22/07 at 12:39am
Dang!
http://flickr.com/photos/devikaa/1681895167/
re: LA is Burning ...#13
Posted: 10/22/07 at 12:42amSatan has returned to claim the former capital of hell, Malibu
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/05
re: LA is Burning ...#14
Posted: 10/22/07 at 1:44am
Poway was evacuated.
The area near The Wild Animal Park was also evacuated. I wonder what they will do with the animals...
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/8/06
re: LA is Burning ...#15
Posted: 10/22/07 at 1:48am
You'd think aerial maps went out of fashion...
I want to see where all these fires are- but no one is offering that kind of coverage.
-Adam Shankman.
"I haven't left this building since Windows 3.1!"
"Celebrating a birthday this week: Rene Descartes is 412! Do you know who he is? Then why are you watching this show? You could probably get into college and even get one of those job things. As for the rest of us; Amanda Bynes is 22! Yay!"
-E!'s "The Soup"
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/05
re: LA is Burning ...#16
Posted: 10/22/07 at 2:13amI know it's kind of morbid but I am watching the episode 'The Fire' from The Office.
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/15/05
re: LA is Burning ...#17
Posted: 10/22/07 at 2:22am
Dang!
http://flickr.com/photos/devikaa/1681895167/
Whoa. for a split second, I thought that there was a bird crap on my computer screen.
A school about 5 miles from where I live is going to be closed because of the fire...
re: LA is Burning ...#18
Posted: 10/22/07 at 7:31am
This is just awful.
In all the years that I lived in LA, I never remember it being this bad either.
Elphaba - nice to see you're in Sherman Oaks a couple of months after I move. :-P
re: LA is Burning ...#19
Posted: 10/22/07 at 9:26amsorry Stephen, believe I wish you guys had never moved.....would be nice to see you.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/26/04
re: LA is Burning ...#20
Posted: 10/22/07 at 9:38am
Mateo - try this one: edited to delete the map. See the link below.
A click for life.
mamie4 5/14/03
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/26/04
re: LA is Burning ...#21
Posted: 10/22/07 at 9:39am
That's weird. I posted the link and I got the image!
Wildfire map
A click for life.
mamie4 5/14/03
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/12/04
re: LA is Burning ...#22
Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:30am
Oh-oh... It better not burn down the theatre in Escondido! :-P
Seriously, it does happen all the time, and I have to say, I remember 2003 being worse. Ash all over my car from the fires in San Bernardino and San Diego counties... 100 miles away!
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/26/04
re: LA is Burning ...#23
Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:36am
This would stress me out so much!
I remember visiting my Aunt and Uncle in So. Cal many years ago - at this time of the year. We spent one day at Disneyland and drove back to Simi Valley that night. The hills were on fire all around us. Since it was really dark out, it looked like the fire was in the sky. Absolutely terrifying when you weren't used to it!
A click for life.
mamie4 5/14/03
re: LA is Burning ...#24
Posted: 10/22/07 at 10:39am
It feels like we haven't had a decent rain out here since 1947.
All you have to do is look at any of us Southern California kids with a "heated glance," and we go up in flames. It's ridiculous.
It's like living inside a matchbook.
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