Firestorm 2003

[billvon 2,466]

. . which is what the local stations are calling it now.

Our bedroom faces the southeast, so often the sun wakes us up. Unless it's cloudy, which it is in the morning sometimes. Works well when we're planning to go skydiving - we automatically sleep in when the weather's bad.

I woke up around 8am and looked out the window. It was still dark. Amy looked up and said "Cool clouds!" "Those aren't clouds" I said. A black, boiling mass of smoke covered the entire eastern horizon.

Amy started packing in case we had to evacuate, and I went to Home Depot to get 300 feet of hose. Not to try to stop the fire, but we live on a canyon, and I wanted to have at least a chance of stopping a fire there if embers kicked off a fire near us.

Our next door neigbors have a 7 day old baby, so they're worrying incessantly. I'm getting our power system set up to support our neighbors in case power goes out. Right now it looks like the fire will miss us, but the closest fire is less than 2 miles away now.

Most of the local roads are closed so it looks like we'll be here all day (unless the fire gets _really_ close.)

[Viking 0]

ya i just went outside and there is little bits of ash on my car and even though it 10:30 in the morning it looks like sunset with the amber color.

I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver
My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin

[abyumper 0]

my heart goes out to all those who lost anything.....such a shame. I hope they get the arsonist. Cant believe some people can be so heartless and would jeopardize lives and property.

Sorry to all you Californians.

[billvon 2,466]

I don't know if the San Diego fires were arson or not, but they did start nearly simultaneously in places many miles apart. There were 5 separate fires that stared over a distance of 30 miles.

[skydyvr 0]

Wow, those pictures really bring it to life.

They remind me of our Colorado Hayman fire last year, except there wasn't nearly the human loss then as there has been with this . . . my prayers and vibes to all under threat.

. . =(_8^(1)

[Keith 0]

My Mom lives a couple of miles from that fire too. I called. My sister answered and said they thought they'd be OK. I hope you guys are too. If you need a place to go, you know where I live. Give Amy a big wet sloppy kiss for me willya?

Keith

Don't Fuck with me Keith - J. Mandeville

[Dagny 0]

I have NEVER seen anything like that before, scary.

Stay safe!

Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic.
-Salvador Dali

[billvon 2,466]

Every once in a while we'll hear an explosion. Not only are these propane bottles, car gas tanks etc going up - but we heard that there is an old artillery range east of Miramar, and old unexploded munitions are going off now. As if there weren't enough problems . . .

[dgskydive 0]

YIKES! I gotta call my folks. I hope it leaves you guys alone!

Dom

[sabregrl 0]

I just walked Freckles and came back with black feet and a scratchy throat. The smell of smoke is in the air and the dark clouds are moving to the west, following the dry, gusty Santa Anas. I had ash all over my hair. I am packed and ready to go if need be. It looks like the only place to head to is west to the beach.

[mouth 0]

Bill,

I can't open the pictures but I've seen lots of them on the news yesterday and today so I can imagine. You and Amy please be careful and leave if it gets much closer.

Big Hugs to you both. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your neighbors.

Lisa

--
Hot Mama
At least you know where you stand even if it is in a pile of shit.

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

Every once in a while we'll hear an explosion. Not only are these propane bottles, car gas tanks etc going up - but we heard that there is an old artillery range east of Miramar, and old unexploded munitions are going off now. As if there weren't enough problems . . .

Bill & Amy,
My prayer are with man. I spent 30 years fighting fire and its power still amazes me. Do not get caught up trying to save material things with a garden hose, you will lose. Get what is important packed and be ready to leave. Car gas tanks do not explode, only in the movies. What you hear is the tires believe it or not. If you are up close to one it will scare the shit out of you.
Good luck.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[billvon 2,466]

Update -

So far they've lost 100 houses in Scripps Ranch alone. They're losing entire blocks at a time. I was just out to get groceries for the neighbors with the baby (today is one day I'm not going to heed the picketers) and even the local roads are shut down about two miles from us. Near the roadblocks you can barely see a block from the smoke, and ash is starting to collect in drifts.

They shut down the ARTCC down here, and the fire is getting very close to the building, so looks like there will be some ATC problems for a while.

It's eerie sitting in the house. To the north it's clear and sunny. To the south there's this solid wall of brown smoke. The sun has been in and out from behind the smoke all day.

[dgskydive 0]

The winds have finally calmed down here and we can't get in the air cause of the evacuation! You guys get out i it gets crazy!

Dom

[flyangel2 2]

My thoughts are with you both.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[VivaHeadDown 0]

Without ATC...SoCal DZ's are shut down.

[wmw999 2,166]

Hey Bill, you guys be careful, OK? I'll be thinking about you and all the other soCal folks tonight.

You guys just think of us when there's a hurricane in the Gulf, and we'll call it even.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[katecooper 0]

The flames are now easily visible from my house. This is a "new" fire. A wall of crimson easy 20 miles long marching it's way west fueled by wind and brush. It's probably 15 miles away, and crosswind to downwind from me, but spooky none-the-less.

location--east of Menifee (south of Perris Dropzone).

A bumper-to-bumper line of cars is moving from the inflamed area, evacuees no doubt. I haven't seen (or now that it's dark heard) any planes, I'm sure they are all being used elsewhere.

A long dark day in souther california

kate

[Michele 1]

Hi, Kate.

It is my understanding that all aircraft must stand down at sunset, and cannot come back up until sunrise. However, IIRC, during the Glendale fires several years ago, they flew local county helicopters dropping water. I think, but I don't know, that the mandated standdown is for the Forestry Service, ie the Skycranes, and other huge aircraft, so perhaps it's a federal thing rather than a local thing.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[mouth 0]

Kate, please listen to the warnings and get out if it gets too close.

You all are in my thoughts and prayers as I'm sure it will be a long night for everyone out there.

--
Hot Mama
At least you know where you stand even if it is in a pile of shit.

[katecooper 0]

"my" fire would be the Temecula fire that Michele writes about in her Arsonist thread. The winds have shifted and dropped, I am now directly downwind of the 20 long ridge of flames that are easily visible from my house.

It's 10-15 miles away (more or less) and there is a long line of headlights driving out of that area right now. My list is made, but I can't find my beloved orange kitty right now....
kate

[billvon 2,466]

Update - 150-200 houses lost so far. There are lines of fire visible on the horizon from 2-3 miles away. There's a critical fire line (Black Mountain Road) that's protecting our canyon. It's also protecting about 25,000 homes so hopefully they'll give it a high priority.

We're off with our spare towels etc to the local high school (evacuation center) to see what we can do.

[McDuck 0]

My grandparents live in Riverside, and they have heard that some of the fires were set off accidentally by military exercises. Any truth to that rumor?

Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28
"I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC
Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school.

[McDuck 0]

Quote

Update - So far they've lost 100 houses in Scripps Ranch alone.

How about the Scripps Institute? Was that in the path?

I sure hope everyone is okay down there...and not just family and friends.

Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28
"I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC
Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school.

[billvon 2,466]

Only rumor I have heard (and I emphasize rumor) is that at least one of the San Diego fires was started by a lost hunter who fired off a flare.