For the last few hours, there have been updates of dangerous growth on the Poomacha and Harris Fires, but no others. The rest of the updates have mostly centered around telling evacuees in various areas that they can start returning to their homes.
The firefighters were surely helped today by much diminished winds. It was a little windy earlier, but for the most part thngs have been very still today.
The Rice Fire is still listed as a 'threat' to Oceanside, but I've heard almost nothing about it all day.
I hope that everything continues to go this way, and we can start getting back to normal!
Alberto and I have decided that I'll go ahead and fly out to Houston tomorrow if things continue this way.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Dark skies are coming
In the past 1o minutes as I've been working at my office window, the sky has gone from a hazy yellow to a dark yellow gray soupy mess.Don't adjust your color settings - this is a full color photo.
A sign of things to come?
Even the sun looks like it's going to be blotted out!
I also just saw this come across:
Poomacha Fire grows
Posted @ 2:19 PM
Cal Fire reports the Poomacha Fire has grown to 23,000 acres and is quite active in the the Highland Valley and Mt. Woodson areas.
I don't know where these areas are, but I will keep my eyes open...
The backyard
Updates
There are some new fires that have flared up today and in the middle of the night last night. It's hard to keep them all straight. The new one that concerns me is the Poomacha fire:
Mandatory evacuation notice for La Jolla Reservation
Posted @ 1:31 PM
A mandatory evacuation notice has been issued for people in the La Jolla Reservation area. People should go to Borrego Springs. People SHOULD NOT go to the Palomar Mountain Evacuation center.This fire, which was spotted across Highway 76 and established on the south face of Palomar Mountain at the base of Palomar Mountain, is now being referred to as the "POOMACHO FIRE" by CalFire.It is currently 20,000+ acres.
This is also in North County, and apparently is getting ready to become much stronger:
Updated fire information
Posted @ 1:22 PM
San Diego County authorities said 1,250 homes have been destroyed and 241,000 acres have burned around the county as of noon today.Residents are being allowed to return to Scripps Ranch and parts of Del Mar and Poway.Officials said it will be 24 hours or more before residents can return to Rancho Bernardo, where homes have been destroyed.City Councilman Brian Maienschein said he will post addresses of homes with damage on his section of the city's Web site by 2 p.m. today, http://www.sandiego.gov/.
Fire officials said burning conditions worsened today.
The Poomacha fire has established itself on Palomar Mountain and has burned 20,000 acres. The Poomacha and Witch fires are expected to join later today. The Witch fire has burned 200,000 acres and has spread to Valley Center and Del Dios.Residents along Highway 76 corridor are now being told to evacuate.
An estimated 25 air tankers and 40 helicopters are being used to fight the 11 major fires now burning across Southern California. Officials said they have requested nine more air tankers.
Also, the line from the south continues to slowly creep upward:
Mandatory evacuation in Encinitas
Posted @ 1:36 PM
Encinitas city officials have ordered the mandatory evacuation of Olivenhain east of Rancho Santa Fe Road and north of El Camino Del Norte, although there are no fires inside the city.
North of Encinitas is Carlsbad, and north of Carlsbad is us.
Here's a picture of Alberto's truck, which is covered in ash at the moment:
Mandatory evacuation notice for La Jolla Reservation
Posted @ 1:31 PM
A mandatory evacuation notice has been issued for people in the La Jolla Reservation area. People should go to Borrego Springs. People SHOULD NOT go to the Palomar Mountain Evacuation center.This fire, which was spotted across Highway 76 and established on the south face of Palomar Mountain at the base of Palomar Mountain, is now being referred to as the "POOMACHO FIRE" by CalFire.It is currently 20,000+ acres.
This is also in North County, and apparently is getting ready to become much stronger:
Updated fire information
Posted @ 1:22 PM
San Diego County authorities said 1,250 homes have been destroyed and 241,000 acres have burned around the county as of noon today.Residents are being allowed to return to Scripps Ranch and parts of Del Mar and Poway.Officials said it will be 24 hours or more before residents can return to Rancho Bernardo, where homes have been destroyed.City Councilman Brian Maienschein said he will post addresses of homes with damage on his section of the city's Web site by 2 p.m. today, http://www.sandiego.gov/.
Fire officials said burning conditions worsened today.
The Poomacha fire has established itself on Palomar Mountain and has burned 20,000 acres. The Poomacha and Witch fires are expected to join later today. The Witch fire has burned 200,000 acres and has spread to Valley Center and Del Dios.Residents along Highway 76 corridor are now being told to evacuate.
An estimated 25 air tankers and 40 helicopters are being used to fight the 11 major fires now burning across Southern California. Officials said they have requested nine more air tankers.
Also, the line from the south continues to slowly creep upward:
Mandatory evacuation in Encinitas
Posted @ 1:36 PM
Encinitas city officials have ordered the mandatory evacuation of Olivenhain east of Rancho Santa Fe Road and north of El Camino Del Norte, although there are no fires inside the city.
North of Encinitas is Carlsbad, and north of Carlsbad is us.
Here's a picture of Alberto's truck, which is covered in ash at the moment:
Street Sweeper
Figure this.....in the midst of all that is happening with the raining ash and the smoke filled skies and the emergency vehicles everywhere, the City of Oceanside is still sending its street sweepers around.
Alberto and I were eating breakfast as we heard the truck approaching. We jumped and grabbed our keys to move our cars back in the driveway - the last thing we need is another ticket or two for our cars being in the way!
We barely got them in the driveway in time, and as the street sweeper passed billows of ash and dirt followed. Yuk. Who sends a street sweeper out to kick up all of this ash that is settling over everything?
Here are a few more updates:
Evacuation of Fairbanks Ranch
Posted @ 10:29 AM
Condor facility burned, birds safe at WAP
Posted @ 10:21 AM
The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park has sustained damage to some facilities, but no animals have been injured.One of the park's California condor breeding facilities was destroyed by the fire, but the endangered birds had already been moved a veterinary hospital elsewhere in the park.
No San Diego trash pickup today
Posted @ 9:48 AM
San Diego has suspended trash collection today.
I guess the street sweepers operate under a different authority!
Alberto and I were eating breakfast as we heard the truck approaching. We jumped and grabbed our keys to move our cars back in the driveway - the last thing we need is another ticket or two for our cars being in the way!
We barely got them in the driveway in time, and as the street sweeper passed billows of ash and dirt followed. Yuk. Who sends a street sweeper out to kick up all of this ash that is settling over everything?
Here are a few more updates:
Evacuation of Fairbanks Ranch
Posted @ 10:29 AM
Condor facility burned, birds safe at WAP
Posted @ 10:21 AM
The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park has sustained damage to some facilities, but no animals have been injured.One of the park's California condor breeding facilities was destroyed by the fire, but the endangered birds had already been moved a veterinary hospital elsewhere in the park.
No San Diego trash pickup today
Posted @ 9:48 AM
San Diego has suspended trash collection today.
I guess the street sweepers operate under a different authority!
Hazy Day
The sun is out now and we are surrounded by a thick gray haze.I can tell the winds are picking up a bit because the ash all over the ground has been kicked around in swirly patterns.
Apparently the Federal gov't wants to get involved in the action. Alberto and I are not holding our breath. After watching what happened during Katrina, we are not comforted by talks of Chertoff coming to town. Brownie did the same thing and no good came from that....
Here are some of the latest posts:
Estimate of houses destroyed
Posted @ 9:16 AM
Fire officials now say that as many as 1,000 homes have beendestroyed by fire countywide.
Rancho Bernardo evacuation still in effect
Posted @ 8:54 AM
I-15 open in both directions
Posted @ 8:52 AM
The CHP and Caltrans report that Interstate 15 is now open in both directions through North County. Parts of the freeway had been closed until early this morning due to the fires.
Bush declares state of emergency
Posted @ 8:45 AM
President Bush declared a state of emergency in Southern California today in response to the raging wildfires and ordered federal officials to work with local authorities to bring aid to the fire-stricken region.
David Paulison, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said federal funds will be used to reimburse the state "for certain costs incurred under FEMA's Fire Management Assistance Grant Program (FMAG)."FEMA so far has approved at least seven requests for such grants. Under those grants, the federal relief agency pays for 75 percent of the state's eligible fire-fighting costs. Some of those expenses include the cost for equipment, supplies and traffic control.
Yesterday, FEMA opened a Joint Field Office in Pasadena to coordinatefederal, state and local efforts to bring aid to the region. Bush said he was sending Paulison and U.S. Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff to California to determine what other federal aid is needed to help battle the fires that have been burning in seven counties since the weekend.
Paulison and Chertoff were expected to arrive in Southern California later today.
Here's an update on the biggie:
Witch Creek fire update
Posted @ 7:47 AM
Here are the latest figures about the Witch Creek fire, according to CalFire:
* 164,000 acres. One percent contained.
* Seven firefighters and one civilian have been injured. Two additonal injuries were reported this morning - it is unknown as yet if they were firefighters or civilians.
*500 homes destroyed. 250 damaged.
*100 commercial properties destroyed, 75 damaged.
* 50 outbuildings destroyed, 50 damaged.
Winds are blowing south and south west at 10 t0 20 miles per hour.The temperature is 75 degrees, humidity is at 6 percent.
The fire is passing through several communites including parts of San Diego, Poway, Ramona, Lakeside, Valley Center, San Marcos, Rincon, Wildcat Canyon and Rancho Santa Fe, said Cal Fire Capt. Don Camp.
The fire is burning between Interstates 5 and 15 and is heading west towards the beach.
Some photos of the ash:
first photos of the day
This is how the horizon looks from our back yard now - Quite a difference from last night's sunset picture right?
I took a walk with Dudley this morning, not too far but he needed to be walked.
The ash is raining on top of us. You can see it very clearly here, taken from our back yard -
I took a walk with Dudley this morning, not too far but he needed to be walked.
The ash is raining on top of us. You can see it very clearly here, taken from our back yard -
The horizon over the wildlife refuge has changed dramatically. Here is a sunrise photo
The smoke is pretty strong. I tried to make the walk as brief as possible because I didn't want Dudley to breathe it since he seems to have some respiratory issues.
And, I know now why all the reporters have those goofy googles on their faces - it stings when you get ash in your eyes!
Matt Lauer from the Today show is here. I love him! It made me smile this morning to see that he is here with us. Goofy, I know...
a new day...
It is 6 am here, and much has changed overnight.
The smell of smoke outside is strong now, and has permeated throughout the lower level of the house.
Outside, it's raining ash. There is a dull red glow on the horizon behind our house - I can't tell whether that's the sunrise or fire.
There are now two large advisory evacuation zones that are side by side and envelope over half the county.
The border of those zones is about 3 miles from our house. That mean we are included in one of the zones. We haven't gotten any calls though, so we will continue to monitor for now and watch how traffic in our neighborhood happens.
Alberto has asked that we stay together until this is over and I agree. Continental is offering a one-time change option if you are flying to/from San Diego without fee, as long as your rescheduled flight starts before your original flight would have ended. I will be exercising that option.
Here is a link to maps of the evacuation zones. The fire that is now of greatest concern to us is the Witch Fire. Originally, it was the Coronado Hills Fire, but that one has been 100% contained, and the Witch Fire still burns out of control, creeping closer all the time:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/images/071022witch.gif
Other relevant posts today:
Witch Creek Fire continues out of control
Posted @ 5:44 AM
The biggest wildfire burning in San Diego County continues to rage out of control today. The so-called Witch Creek Fire, which started Sunday with a transformer explosion near Highway 78 and Bandy Canyon Road and eventually destroyed about 70 homes, merged yesterday with another fire that started about the same time in the San Pasqual Valley, fire officials said. All together, more than 145,000 acres have been scorched, and about 500 homes have been destroyed, along with 50 "outbuildings" ' and 100 commercial buildings, according to the California Department of Forestry, or Cal Fire. Seven firefighters and one civilian have been reported injured. With strong winds expected again today, some fire officials warned that the conflagration could prove more disastrous than the 2003 Cedar Fire that charred 280,278 acres and killed 15 people. Among the hardest-hit areas is northern Rancho Bernardo, where as many as 300 homes went up in flames Monday, according to a group of firefighters taking a break at a strip mall on West Bernardo Drive last night.Rob Lukaszewicz described the conditions he and his colleagues were facing as "twice as bad" as the Cedar Fire. "We triaged the houses out into what we could save and what we couldn't,'' he said. About 70 houses in Escondido were lost, along with about 50 in Poway and six in Rancho Santa Fe, according to Cal Fire.The blaze prompted the evacuation of Fallbrook and Pomerado hospitals, and most area schools were closed Monday. About 34,000 San Diego Gas & Electric customers were without elecricity last night. About 1,200 National Guard troops are expected to help with la enforcement, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said Monday. The San Diego Fire Department committed about 450 firefighters and 98 trucks to the fire. Shelters were set up at Qualcomm Stadium, Santana High School, Poway Community Park, Poway Girls & Boys Club, Campo Community Center, Mission Hills High School, Mira Mesa High School, Escondido High School, the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Steele Canyon High School and San Marcos High School. The fire, formerly known as the Witch Creek Fire, has been fueled by thick, old-growth brush just outside the burn area of the Cedar Fire, considered one of the worst wildfires in state history. That conflagration, which broke out the evening of Oct. 25, 2003 after a lost hunter set a signal fire, destroyed more than 2,200 homes and caused $1.06 billion in insured losses.
Fire boundaries unclear
Posted @ 3:57 AM
Fire authorities said they won't be able to provide street-by-street damage tolls for some time, and that they don't even have the information for their own use. They said their goal was getting a handle on the county's wildfires.Given the wild winds and the fire's unpredictable spread, the firefighters are likely too busy trying to save homes.Here's a breakdown of the fires, from Tuesday's U-T:
WITCH CREEK FIRE
As of 10:30 p.m. Monday
First reported: 12:37 p.m. Sunday
Acres burned: 145,000
Containment: 0 percent
Structures lost: 500 homes, 50 outbuildings, 100 commercial buildings
Resources: 625 firefighters, 89 engines, six helicopters, five air tankers shared with Harris fire
Deaths: zero
Injuries: eight, including seven firefighters
SOURCE: Cal Fire
Coronado Hills Fire
As of 10:30 p.m. Monday
First reported: 1:50 a.m. Monday
Acres burned: 300
Containment: 100 percent
Structures lost: at least two
Resources: 40 firefighters, 25 engines
Deaths: zero
Injuries: zero
SOURCE: San Marcos Fire Department
RICE CANYON FIRE
As of 10:30 p.m. Monday
First reported: 4:16 a.m. Monday
Acres burned: 1,500
Containment: 0 percent
Structures lost: close to 100
Resources: 50 firefighters, five engines
Deaths: zero
Injuries: zero
SOURCE: Cal Fire
McCOY FIRE
As of 10:30 p.m. Monday
First reported: 11:37 p.m. Monday
Acres burned: 400
Containment: 100 percent
Structures lost: one
Resources: 30 firefighters, five engines
Deaths: zero
Injuries: zero
SOURCE: Cal Fire
The smell of smoke outside is strong now, and has permeated throughout the lower level of the house.
Outside, it's raining ash. There is a dull red glow on the horizon behind our house - I can't tell whether that's the sunrise or fire.
There are now two large advisory evacuation zones that are side by side and envelope over half the county.
The border of those zones is about 3 miles from our house. That mean we are included in one of the zones. We haven't gotten any calls though, so we will continue to monitor for now and watch how traffic in our neighborhood happens.
Alberto has asked that we stay together until this is over and I agree. Continental is offering a one-time change option if you are flying to/from San Diego without fee, as long as your rescheduled flight starts before your original flight would have ended. I will be exercising that option.
Here is a link to maps of the evacuation zones. The fire that is now of greatest concern to us is the Witch Fire. Originally, it was the Coronado Hills Fire, but that one has been 100% contained, and the Witch Fire still burns out of control, creeping closer all the time:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/images/071022witch.gif
Other relevant posts today:
Witch Creek Fire continues out of control
Posted @ 5:44 AM
The biggest wildfire burning in San Diego County continues to rage out of control today. The so-called Witch Creek Fire, which started Sunday with a transformer explosion near Highway 78 and Bandy Canyon Road and eventually destroyed about 70 homes, merged yesterday with another fire that started about the same time in the San Pasqual Valley, fire officials said. All together, more than 145,000 acres have been scorched, and about 500 homes have been destroyed, along with 50 "outbuildings" ' and 100 commercial buildings, according to the California Department of Forestry, or Cal Fire. Seven firefighters and one civilian have been reported injured. With strong winds expected again today, some fire officials warned that the conflagration could prove more disastrous than the 2003 Cedar Fire that charred 280,278 acres and killed 15 people. Among the hardest-hit areas is northern Rancho Bernardo, where as many as 300 homes went up in flames Monday, according to a group of firefighters taking a break at a strip mall on West Bernardo Drive last night.Rob Lukaszewicz described the conditions he and his colleagues were facing as "twice as bad" as the Cedar Fire. "We triaged the houses out into what we could save and what we couldn't,'' he said. About 70 houses in Escondido were lost, along with about 50 in Poway and six in Rancho Santa Fe, according to Cal Fire.The blaze prompted the evacuation of Fallbrook and Pomerado hospitals, and most area schools were closed Monday. About 34,000 San Diego Gas & Electric customers were without elecricity last night. About 1,200 National Guard troops are expected to help with la enforcement, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said Monday. The San Diego Fire Department committed about 450 firefighters and 98 trucks to the fire. Shelters were set up at Qualcomm Stadium, Santana High School, Poway Community Park, Poway Girls & Boys Club, Campo Community Center, Mission Hills High School, Mira Mesa High School, Escondido High School, the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Steele Canyon High School and San Marcos High School. The fire, formerly known as the Witch Creek Fire, has been fueled by thick, old-growth brush just outside the burn area of the Cedar Fire, considered one of the worst wildfires in state history. That conflagration, which broke out the evening of Oct. 25, 2003 after a lost hunter set a signal fire, destroyed more than 2,200 homes and caused $1.06 billion in insured losses.
Fire boundaries unclear
Posted @ 3:57 AM
Fire authorities said they won't be able to provide street-by-street damage tolls for some time, and that they don't even have the information for their own use. They said their goal was getting a handle on the county's wildfires.Given the wild winds and the fire's unpredictable spread, the firefighters are likely too busy trying to save homes.Here's a breakdown of the fires, from Tuesday's U-T:
WITCH CREEK FIRE
As of 10:30 p.m. Monday
First reported: 12:37 p.m. Sunday
Acres burned: 145,000
Containment: 0 percent
Structures lost: 500 homes, 50 outbuildings, 100 commercial buildings
Resources: 625 firefighters, 89 engines, six helicopters, five air tankers shared with Harris fire
Deaths: zero
Injuries: eight, including seven firefighters
SOURCE: Cal Fire
Coronado Hills Fire
As of 10:30 p.m. Monday
First reported: 1:50 a.m. Monday
Acres burned: 300
Containment: 100 percent
Structures lost: at least two
Resources: 40 firefighters, 25 engines
Deaths: zero
Injuries: zero
SOURCE: San Marcos Fire Department
RICE CANYON FIRE
As of 10:30 p.m. Monday
First reported: 4:16 a.m. Monday
Acres burned: 1,500
Containment: 0 percent
Structures lost: close to 100
Resources: 50 firefighters, five engines
Deaths: zero
Injuries: zero
SOURCE: Cal Fire
McCOY FIRE
As of 10:30 p.m. Monday
First reported: 11:37 p.m. Monday
Acres burned: 400
Containment: 100 percent
Structures lost: one
Resources: 30 firefighters, five engines
Deaths: zero
Injuries: zero
SOURCE: Cal Fire
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