Fires in Southern California Again - Powerful Winds too

[okarol]

Fires Near Malibu, Piru, Porter Ranch; Hot, Dry Wind

 10:38am PDT, 10/21/07 KFWB

A wildfire driven by powerful winds in the Malibu Hills threatens Pepperdine University, destroyed at least one home and forced the evacuation of hundreds more.  The blaze had consumed at least 500 acres and forced the closure of the Pacific Coast Highway, where cars and trees in shopping center parking lots were catching fire.  Another blaze burned 20 acres in an unpopulated canyon north of Porter Ranch.  And a 500-acre wildfire is burning west of Santa Clarita, near  the city of Piru in Ventura County. A Red Flag Alert for the City of Los Angeles has also been posted through Tuesday.

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Oct 21, 2007 9:20 am US/Pacific
Brushfire Prompts Evacuations In Malibu

 Malibu Wildfire Burns More Than 500 Acres

(CBS) MALIBU, Calif. The City of Malibu is advising residents in Puerco Canyon to evacuate the area because of a brushfire.

The affect area is north of Pacific Coast Highway and about one mile west of Pepperdine University. Residents who live along the beach on Malibu Road have been evacuated, as the fire has jumped Pacific Coast Highway. Residents in the beach areas are advised to head to the west.

Evacuation centers are being set up in the Zuma Beach area.

..............

Wildfire forces evacuations in S. Calif.

By NOAKI SCHWARTZ, Associated Press Writer 10:30 AM  Oct 21

MALIBU, Calif. - A wildfire driven by powerful Santa Ana winds threatened a university and forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes in the Malibu Hills on Sunday, authorities said. A church and at least one house were destroyed.

About 500 firefighters worked to protect Pepperdine University and some 200 homes in the upscale Malibu Crest and Serrah Retreat neighborhoods, said Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Sam Padilla.

The blaze had charred at least 500 acres and had jumped the Pacific Coast Highway, closing the popular road and setting fire to cars and trees in shopping center parking lots along the route. TV footage also showed several buildings in flames in the area.

Faculty and staff at the 830-acre Pepperdine campus were urged to evacuate, school spokesman Jerry Derloshon said. Students had not yet been evacuated, but were being gathered at the campus' basketball arena.

Erratic wind gusts were pushing flames toward the Hughes Lab technology research campus.

Flames engulfed Malibu Presbyterian Church, which had been evacuated, said youth pastor Eric Smith. "That's the really good news, that everyone's out and safe," Smith said.

Palm trees bent in half and embers were carried through the air as wind gusted to 60 to 65 mph. Thick smoke obscured the sun.

Susan Nuttall sat in her black Mercedes in a cul-de-sac just off the Pacific Coast Highway, saying she had fled her condo just below the Pepperdine campus.

"We're all scared to death and we have nowhere to go," said Nuttall, 51, still wearing a bathrobe and holding her chihuahua.

Mitra Rajabi came to get her 80-year-old mother from her home near Pepperdine.

"We've been through this before, but it's never been this bad," said Rajabi, 39, of Pacific Palisades. "It was like a war zone."

Los Angeles fire Inspector Rick Dominguez told KABC news that water-dropping planes were having trouble hitting the fire because the wind was blowing the water before it could reach the ground.

Wildfires had been widely expected in Southern California during the weekend as hot weather and strong Santa Ana wind marked the height of traditional wildfire season after one of the driest rain years on record.

Another wildfire that broke out late Saturday had blackened about 500 acres in northeast Los Angeles County. One shed burned but no homes were immediately threatened and the fire was burning away from a freeway, authorities said.

Fire officials were focused on protecting Piru, a Ventura County town of 1,200 people about 5 miles west of the blaze on the other side of a small lake. A condor preserve also was potentially threatened.

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[Sluff]

I hate it when these fires start, they can bring a lot of damage to homes and people. I hope none of you are in the line of fire. (no pun intended).

[okarol]

This landmark that you could see in the hills above the ocean has now burned. It was home to philanthropist Lilly Lawrence.
Malibu's fairytale Castle that sits high on the hill overlooking the Malibu lagoon, heralds one of California's most spectacular ocean views, from every Lancet, Barbican, Quadrangle and Yett of the Palace.
http://www.malibucastlekashan.com/index.htm

[Sluff]

OMG that is terrible.

[okarol]

Firefighters battle the Canyon Fire that has engulfed Malibu Presbyterian Church and other structures on Las Virgenes Canyon Road this morning. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times / October 21, 2007)

 Downed Power Lines Possible Cause of Malibu Fire

[kitkatz]

Fontana and Devore have fires. Sierra Lakes near Fontana has been evacuated. The fires are blowing with the winds south according to the news.  We have had winds all night and all day up to 60 mile per hour gusts.  Luckily we do not live near a fire area. We become the evacuation house for other people.   My Mom and Sister live near the golf course and have been evacuated before.  There are seven fires now in southern California.

[Amanda From OZ]

Thats terrible... I hope it gets under control soon.

Do any of our members live where the fires are at the moment?

[okarol]

There are currently 11 different fires burning. My son's college is near the Porter Ranch fire, but that's under control. I drove out there this evening and it was hot and windy. They expect the Malibu fire to burn for 2 days. Livecam lives near the Canyon Country fire (Aqua Dulce or Buckweed Fire.) There are big fires in Irvine and Ontario and Castaic - not sure if anyone lives near there. Lots of smoke and high winds. We have no wind here as we have these huge mountains protecting our town.
Helicopters are continuing to drop retardant on the flames.
Due to darkness and high winds the airplane water drops have been suspended until day break. The Super Scoopers take water from the ocean to drop on Malibu and from Lake Sherwood in the north.

[okarol]

Oct 22. - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ten wind-driven wildfires raged across Southern California on Monday, keeping thousands of evacuees from returning home for a second day, while authorities forecast two more days of extreme fire conditions.

[glitter]

 I lived in So. California for a year, 18 years ago- what a beautiful place.   

[okarol]

It's getting worse, not better.

Thousands Flee Homes as Fires Scorch Southland
Wildfires spanning from Malibu down to Mexico wreaked havoc for firefighters on Monday, as a deadly combination of strong Santa Ana winds and low humidity helped spark dozens of fires throughout Southern California. More than a quarter-million people were urged to flee their homes across Southern California on Monday as wildfires blown by fierce desert winds raced over the landscape with terrifying speed, even leaping a 10-lane freeway in a matter of minutes. At least one person was killed, and dozens were injured. Scores of homes and other buildings were feared burned, and thousands more were threatened as more than a dozen blazes formed a hellish, spidery pattern of luminous orange covering at least 310 square miles of the drought-stricken region.  "A lot of people are going to lose their homes today,'' San Diego Fire Capt. Lisa Blake said.

[vandie]

All San Diego Courts are closed today and tomorrow due to the fires. 
I have at least a dozen friends who have been evacuated. 
Send your positive thoughts to Southern California.

[goofynina]

Tragic and horrifying i tell ya, Karol, how far are you from this fire? 

[poohkari]

I hope everyones safe!

[Sluff]

It is just sickening, what a tragic ordeal.

[Amanda From OZ]

Doesn't Jeff (livecam) live near near? He has not been on line... I hope you are safe and well.

 

Amanda
xxoo

[okarol]

Yes, fire is near Livecam's home, and now there's another new one close to him.

[okarol]

OCTOBER 22 - active fires - satellite

[karen547]

My sister called from Coronado this morning at 730 EST and 430 her time. She says that the fires our crazy and it is getting seriously dangerous. Her step-daughter does'nt have school today because of the smoke and either does my sister. Her husband is over seas on deployment for another couple of weeks as well  I just hope that nothing happens to her or anyone else!!





EDITED: Merged Topics - Sluff/ Admin

[Hawkeye]

WOW, when mother nature gets mad she gets mad.  I hope everyone in the area of these fires and their families are safe.  Hang in there and keep  . 

[del]

Read on another site that livecam was evacuated but is back home safe for now!!

[Mimi]

Prayers are with all in this area.  Take care everyone.

Love, Mimi

[okarol]

A couple of remarkable photos:

1. This is a view of Lake Mission Viejo, overlooking northward at the Santiago Canyon Fire in the background along the mountains. (Photo and caption submitted by Kevin Labianco)

2. Burned homes surround an unburned home after wildfires in San Diego County near Rancho Bernardo, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

[kidney4traci]

Wow, those pix are powerful!  Strange how it completely distroyed so many homes surrounding it and that one looks untouched.

[okarol]

Gwen Stefani's Sweet Donate

by Sarah Hall
Mon, 29 Oct 2007 03:06:15 PM PDT

Gwen Stefani is chipping in to help her native state recover from the catastrophic wildfires that have raged across Southern California for the past week.

The singer, who grew up in Orange County, has announced that she will donate the proceeds from her Tuesday concert in San Diego to benefit victims of the recent fires.

"When I heard about the devastation of the fires, at first I felt I should cancel my show out of respect, but then it occurred to me there might be a more useful solution," Stefani said in a radio interview Monday.

Stefani will turn over the profits from her performance to the San Diego Foundation, a local charity that will distribute the funds as needed.

"San Diego has always been so supportive of me throughout my entire career," said Stefani, calling the city a "second home."

Stefani is fast approaching the end of her Sweet Escape world tour, with her final date scheduled for Saturday in Santa Barbara.

"We applaud the generosity of Gwen Stefani in dedicating her upcoming concert to support the San Diego Foundation's After-the-Fires Fund 2007, which will help the Foundation help San Diego," San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said.

"I have been heartened by the many who have come forward to assist us in the fire relief effort, and we thank Gwen Stefani and her fans for supporting the fire recovery and rebuilding across San Diego."

California transplant David Beckham will also do his part to aid fire recovery efforts. The soccer star will join the Los Angeles Galaxy for a star-studded fundraising match on Nov. 4.

The Galaxy players will take on Hollywood United FC, a team comprised of actors Anthony LaPaglia, Jimmy Jean-Louis and Costas Mandylor, as well as several former World Cup players.

"Our players are residents of Southern California," Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas said in a statement. "This is a great way through soccer for us to bring some attention and, most importantly, raise some money."

Meanwhile, with firefighters steadily gaining control over the fires that have raged across Southern California for the past week, evacuation orders have been lifted, allowing famous evacuees such as Kelsey Grammer, Mel Gibson and Victoria Principal (as well as their nonfamous neighbors) to return to their Malibu homes.

Pamela Anderson, another resident of Malibu, wrote on her Website that she and new husband Rick Salomon, as well as her sons, Dylan and Brandon, waited out the fires in Las Vegas.

"We avoided the fires and stayed here and played together out of the smoke," the new bride wrote Saturday.

Anderson said that she planned to return home in the near future.

http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=11b78d25-3614-462f-9478-f5ba103a4128&entry=index&sid=rss_topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories