50,000 flee homes as fires rage in California nov17th

Antaletriangle · 11-17-2008, 01:23 AM

By Guy Adams in Los Angeles
Monday, 17 November 2008

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...a-1021729.html

Thousands of weary evacuees were trying to return to their homes in Los Angeles yesterday after a chaotic weekend in which the city was encircled by some of the most destructive wildfires in living memory.

Smoke and falling ash blotted out the sun and turned the sky orange across southern California as emergency services struggled to contain blazes that destroyed nearly 800 homes and forced an estimated 50,000 residents to flee. The Santa Ana winds, which bring warm, dry air from the north-east, reached almost hurricane strength and whipped up four separate fires, charring tens of thousands of acres, bringing gridlock to motorways and threatening the city's water and electricity supplies.

Amid apocalyptic scenes, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency as blazes swept through mountain scrubland to the north, south and east of the city.

No deaths were reported but the city's police chief, William Bratton, said he feared bodies would be discovered at the "ground zero" of the blazes – a caravan park in the San Fernando Valley where 500 dwellings, many housing elderly couples, were destroyed.

The Oakridge mobile home park in Sylmar, half an hour's drive north-east of central Los Angeles, was reduced to ashes on Saturday and police rescue dogs searched for human remains. "We have almost total devastation here in the mobile park," said Captain Steve Ruda, of the local fire service. "I can't even read the street names because the street signs are melting."

To the south of the city, a further 18,000 acres of the Chino Hills near the commuter suburb of Yorba Linda went up in smoke, as a further tranche of blazes swept across Orange County, destroying 100 homes.

An hour's drive to the north-west, the upmarket enclave of Montecito near Santa Barbara also lost almost 100 homes in a wildfire that began on Thursday, but was nearly contained by last night. The town, which contains some of the most expensive property in America, is known as California's Riviera and is home to stars including Steve Martin, Steven Spielberg and Catherine Zeta Jones.

Several celebrities were forced to flee and the actor Christopher Lloyd lost an $11m property. "Embers were falling," said the West Wing actor Rob Lowe, another evacuee, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. "The wind was 70 miles an hour, easily, and it was just like Armageddon. There was no way to stop it."

cont.on link above.

california · 11-17-2008, 05:48 AM

I live pretty close to these fires and today

I heard Gov. Ahnold say on the radio that,

"For the first time, the military will be here to support Americans."

I'm hoping we can just send the military away.... invest in emergency workers instead.... since this violates 'posse comitatus' laws......

11-17-2008, 01:23 AM	#1
Antaletriangle Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: U.K. Posts: 3,380	50,000 flee homes as fires rage in California nov17th By Guy Adams in Los Angeles Monday, 17 November 2008 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...a-1021729.html Thousands of weary evacuees were trying to return to their homes in Los Angeles yesterday after a chaotic weekend in which the city was encircled by some of the most destructive wildfires in living memory. Smoke and falling ash blotted out the sun and turned the sky orange across southern California as emergency services struggled to contain blazes that destroyed nearly 800 homes and forced an estimated 50,000 residents to flee. The Santa Ana winds, which bring warm, dry air from the north-east, reached almost hurricane strength and whipped up four separate fires, charring tens of thousands of acres, bringing gridlock to motorways and threatening the city's water and electricity supplies. Amid apocalyptic scenes, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency as blazes swept through mountain scrubland to the north, south and east of the city. No deaths were reported but the city's police chief, William Bratton, said he feared bodies would be discovered at the "ground zero" of the blazes – a caravan park in the San Fernando Valley where 500 dwellings, many housing elderly couples, were destroyed. The Oakridge mobile home park in Sylmar, half an hour's drive north-east of central Los Angeles, was reduced to ashes on Saturday and police rescue dogs searched for human remains. "We have almost total devastation here in the mobile park," said Captain Steve Ruda, of the local fire service. "I can't even read the street names because the street signs are melting." To the south of the city, a further 18,000 acres of the Chino Hills near the commuter suburb of Yorba Linda went up in smoke, as a further tranche of blazes swept across Orange County, destroying 100 homes. An hour's drive to the north-west, the upmarket enclave of Montecito near Santa Barbara also lost almost 100 homes in a wildfire that began on Thursday, but was nearly contained by last night. The town, which contains some of the most expensive property in America, is known as California's Riviera and is home to stars including Steve Martin, Steven Spielberg and Catherine Zeta Jones. Several celebrities were forced to flee and the actor Christopher Lloyd lost an $11m property. "Embers were falling," said the West Wing actor Rob Lowe, another evacuee, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. "The wind was 70 miles an hour, easily, and it was just like Armageddon. There was no way to stop it." cont.on link above.

11-17-2008, 05:48 AM	#2
california Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 26	Re: 50,000 flee homes as fires rage in California nov17th I live pretty close to these fires and today I heard Gov. Ahnold say on the radio that, "For the first time, the military will be here to support Americans." I'm hoping we can just send the military away.... invest in emergency workers instead.... since this violates 'posse comitatus' laws......