California fires

[okarol]

Californian's often joke that we have four seasons: Fires, earthquakes, mudslides and riots! Well, it's fire season, with temperatures in triple digits and dry air, the fires are burning nearby. We are a few miles away but many family friends have had to evacute their homes today.
Here are the photos I took yesterday http://www.flickr.com/photos/karolfranks/sets/72157622172518012/

[kimcanada]

Amazing pictures Karol, I can't believe you are that close to the fires!  How is the wind?  I pray that its blowing in the opposite direction of you?

[okarol]

The winds have been light, which is a blessing, but as I look outside now it appears to be picking up. 

[Jean]

We are quite far away from those fires, but the sky is beginning to look smoky, even this far away. Too hot to gooutside anyways, 109, ouch. I can hardly wait for my electric bill!!

[willowtreewren]

This must be somewhat stressful, Karol!

The pictures are quite remarkable, though.

Aleta

[kitkatz]

We were driving back from Ventura right through the La Canada fire area. You can see the bright orange/red flames from the freeway for about a mile. Behind foothills, in the valleys and up on the ridges. We passed many fire trucks on their way to one fire or another ont he freeway.   The smoke cloud was unbelievable tonight over 20,000 feet high into the air.  The smoke down on the freeway was incredible. You could smell it miles away from the fire area..

[YLGuy]

We can see the cloud of smoke all the way down here in Orange County.

[harley08]

I saw pasadena was on the news about the fires over the weekend and I was hoping you were clear of it Karol... and all the rest of you in Ca. Prayers are with all of you and friends and families. My brother is in Anaheim across from Disney, he says they have glowing around them but not real close, they can see it in the distance.

[Rerun]

Karol, it looks bad and there are no winds yet.  Hope you are ok.

                                                                 

[okarol]

The fire is burning east and west of us now, but no longer burning toward us. The wind is gusting in the foothills, hopefully it doesn't increase. It's been smokey for 5 days now, my eyes are tired. 

[Jean]

The fire in Oak Glen is not a pretty site. One of my favorite places.

[YLGuy]

Jean, Do you know if Riley's Farm was saved?  My kids school goes there every year.

[Jean]

No, they are saying the businesses are "threatened" but, so far so good. Oh, and it is supposed to be 25% contained by morning.

[okarol]

Jean, Do you know if Riley's Farm was saved?  My kids school goes there every year.

Here's the last update from facebook:
Riley's Farm
Just got a fire update from Scott who is on the farm. There are about 15 fire engines on the farm and there have been no buildings hit by the fire so far. We still need prayers for the fire crews as the fire is burning across the road. Our 150,000...... gallon water tank is full and we're able to keep pumping to it.
For more updates go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Oak-Glen-CA/Rileys-Farm/77990108549

[thegrammalady]

i grew up in northern california, my grandparents lived in san gabriel (40 years) i am somewhat familiar with the area. i was shocked when they showed a picture of the front of the pasadena rose bowl with bright orange flames visable in the hills behind it. denver is over 1000 miles away and our air quality sucks because of the california fires. i pray that things get better soon. i worry about all of you that are there.

[okarol]

From our local news:

Watch this video of a firefighting 747 air tanker in action over Soledad Canyon and caught on camera by SkyFOX HD during our Station Fire coverage late Monday afternoon.

You can see the huge plane circling and dropping its Phos-chek payload in an attempt to keep flames from reaching homes in the Acton and Santa Clarita areas.

http://bit.ly/1MqfNy

[Jean]

Went to Redlands this morning to get my hair cut, and from just outside of the salon, the sky is grey with smoke in the Yucaipa area. A woman came up to me and told me she lived in Yucaipa, right at the end of the main drag, and they are all on mandatory evacuation. Ashes are everywhere, on all the cars in the parking lot of the salon, and by the time I left, so was mine. The air burns your eyes. Nasty fire.

[twirl]

Kitkatz and okarol  -- I hope you are not getting your wieners ready to roast ---
( and other members in California ) Missy is in California.