Bush visits and things are getting back to normal

Things are definitely getting back to normal. The newest CALFire map shows lots of areas where people have been allowed to return to their homes, and there is absolutely no possibility of fire reaching our house now.

My friends in Orange County have seen more excitement. Two report being able to actually see fires, one from his office and the other from his home. Neither are evacuated. That must mean these are getting under control as well.


Bush visited the area today:
Bush ends whirlwind tour
Posted @ 1:43 PM
President Bush boarded Air Force One about 1:30 p.m. ending a four-hour whirlwind stop in San Diego County where he met with victims, volunteers and emergency responders.His tour took him to Rancho Bernardo and Escondido where he was scheduled to have lunch with firefighters but a surprise stop at the Rancho Bernardo-Glassman Recreation Center put him behind schedule so after greeting dozens of the 2000 firefighters gathered in Kit Carson Park he and his motorcade returned to MCAS Miramar to board the plane and took off moments later.

Posted @ 12:42 PM
President Bush's final stop included a briefing at Kit Carson Park in Escondido.In brief remarks he sought to reassure all of San Diego County that the federal government was here to help and to share words of appreciation about local emergency responders."We're not going to forget you in Washington DC ," Bush said. "We want the people to know that there is a better day ahead. Today your life may look dismal but tomorrow life is going to be better and to the extent the federal government can help you, we're willing to do so."He also thanked the numerous volunteers who have stepped up in recent days.

Posted @ 12:08 PM
President Bush is enroute to Kit Carson Park in Escondido where he will meet with some of the first responders.At an earlier stop in a Rancho Bernardo neighborhood, he was asked a questison about comparing this disaster to Katrina."I'm thinking about people whose lives are turned upside down. The experts can try to figure out whether the response was appropriate or not," he said. "All I can tell you is when the governor calls, I answer his phone."He also said: "There is all kinds of time for history to compare this response or that response."Those of us who are here from government, our hearts are right here with the Jeffcoat's (family),'' he said, referring to a family he visited.

Posted @ 10:22 AM
President Bush touched down at San Pasqual High School in Escondido shortly after 10 a.m. following an aerial tour of the fire danger surrounding Lake Hodges.Outside the windows of the helicopter convoy, you could see patches of scorched earth below, but you could also see rolling green golfcourses and houses that escaped the damage.The president's motorcade took him toward neighborhoods where he will tour more damage. A couple dozen people lined the road near the high school with cameras.

Alberto, who watched him speak on tv, said that he promised lots of money to come our way. We'll see...

Other items:

Countywide fire map as of 4 p.m.

Posted @ 4:21 PM
Due to changing winds and fire conditions, the perimeters shown here may not be exact. The fire perimeters are constantly changing and weather conditions make it difficult to define the fire boundaries.
This map was developed using preliminary CAL FIRE and field reports.

Click here: Fire map, 4 p.m.


Look, the big plane finally got here. A little late....
Water bomber waits at Lake Elsinore
Posted @ 12:23 PM
After some delays getting through customs, the Martin Mars amphibious water bomber has arrived from Vancouver, British Columbia and is in Southern California. Reader Dave Bohorquez snapped this shot of the big seaplane floating in Lake Elsinore, awaiting firefighting assignments.The World War II-era flying boat has been used for fighting fires in Canada since 1959. They can land on lakes or in the ocean, can fill their tanks in the water and have a capacity of 7,200 gallons.

Air quality is unhealthy but improves tomorrow
Posted @ 4:21 PM
County officials say air quality in San Diego County remains unhealthy, especially in Oceanside and Chula Vista.Tomorrow’s forecast is for slightly better air quality in the more populated parts of the county, they said, but the more smoky areas will continue to be unhealthy for everyone and the fire-damaged areas will be unhealthy for people with respiratory issues.
Limit prolonged outdoor exertion until the weekend, officials said.The county is advising people to take special precautions when cleaning up ash.

Most important: Lightly mist indoor and outdoor hard surfaces before gently sweeping ash. On lightly dusted areas, a damp cloth or wet mop may be all that is needed.

And here is a bit of a disturbing story:
4 bodies found in East County
Posted @ 3:59 PM
Four badly burned bodies have been found in a burned out rocky canyon near state Route 94 and Highway 188 just west of Potrero.
Law enforcement officials are at the scene and are trying to figure out the logistics of how to get down a very steep canyon wall.A Border Patrol driving by saw one of the bodies on the canyon slope about 3:30 a.m. When he stopped to investigate he saw the other bodies about 75 to 100 yards down at the bottom of the deep ravine.
Two Border Patrol agents with a cadaver dog are sweeping the canyon right now to make sure there are no other bodies in the area.
The fire apparently just overtook the people, said Sheriff's Lt. Dave Myers."It's indicative of the extreme speed and intensity of the fire, " he said.
The bodies are of three men and one woman, said Border Patrol supervisor Joseph Mason.

Border Patrol: Four bodies may have been border crossers
Posted @ 5:10 PM
The U.S. Border Patrol said four bodies discovered near state Route 94 may be those of people who were trying to cross the border illegally.
Agent Matthew Johnson said that earlier in the week agents rescued a group border crossers in the area who said there were more people. "We looked for them, but the fires came up, and we didn't find them," he said.
There were three men and one woman found, Johnson said, and their deaths appeared to be fire-related. He added that it is possible that these were not illegal border crossers, but local residents trying to flee their homes.
Since the fires began Sunday, the agency has apprehended more than 200 individuals in the fire zone, many of whom have given themselves up to agents and firefighters to be rescued.
According to the Mexican consulate in San Diego, six Mexican nationals rescued Monday while trying to cross illegally near Tecate were hospitalized with burn injuries, with one in critical condition with second-degree burns.

Lastly, the latest satellite image of the fires collected from the Terra satellite shows smoke blanketing nearly all of southern California:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6N55Ci3jzht-7S96ggyb8B10Wk3oZKPml6KLoaEVhMN075ulYFWGqF90f0bDzTXAzPc0tuoGz-957cIbe4jTPqrcHok2zwNdvwuP9C9FKkwUN6K0KR4clBldMirXzamSH6E-Bv16TbG0/s1600-h/smoke.jpg

Check it out!

Thursday updates

Alberto tells me there is still nothing new for us and our house in San Diego County. I flew out to Houston yesterday at 11:40, and so am now monitoring things from a distance.

Here are some of the news headlines from yesterday. These and the rest paint kind of a confusing picture - the lines between who is evacuated and who can go home are becoming very blurred.

Also, apparently some reports from yesterday were incorrect, like the Poomacha and the Witch Creek fire merging:
Correction: Fires have not merged
Posted @ 4:35 PM
Fire officials say the Witch and Poomacha fires have not merged, contrary to earlier official reports.

Here are a few other posts I picked out:

Latest story, map and updates
Posted @ 1:55 AM
Here's our breaking news story on the fires.
And here's an interactive map that includes a partial list of the destroyed houses. County officials said they are providing updates on the ongoing disaster assessments on the county's emergency page.


Fire evac surpasses Katrina
Posted @ 10:05 PM
San Diego County Sheriff Bill Kolender says more people have been evacuated because the county's wildfires than were evacuated from New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. He urged residents to remain patient until they can safely be allowed to return to their homes.
While more than 150,000 evacuees have been allowed to return home, Rancho Santa Fe has not been one of the communities declared safe yet. Many anxious residents have been trying to get past the roadblocks, said Rancho Santa Fe fire authorities.
"We can't let people in yet, there's live wires on the ground and hot spots still burning," a spokeswoman said. By tomorrow morning, Rancho Santa Fe fire plans to have a better assessment of which areas can be lifted from mandatory evacuation.
All areas affected by the nearly 200,000-acre Witch fire have started their own assessments.

How to find out if you can go home
Posted @ 8:07 PM
County officials say they have reopened several areas that had been under mandatory evacuation.But they don't have a master list that would allow residents in those areas to know if their specific street has OK'd for their return.The county is directing people to this evacuation map, which highlights reopened areas in green. The county's map does little, however, for those looking to find their streets.

Border Patrol pitches in
Posted @ 4:43 PM
Border Patrol agents from San Diego are helping with the wildfire effort, agency officials said.Since Sunday morning, agents have aided more than 200 illegal border crossers encountered in the path of the Harris Fire.
Many of the border crossers surrendered to agents after being surprised by the fast-moving fire, officials said.Agents treated people for severe burns and evacuated them to local hospitals.
The Border Patrol is also contributing more than 300 agents a day to the San Diego County emergency effort. Agents are assisting local law enforcement officials with evacuations, traffic control, and perimeter control.
The Border Patrol’s horse unit has rescued more than 50 horses and transported them to local animal shelters, officials said.

Infrared images of fires
Posted @ 3:54 PM
The U.S. Forest Service is providing online infrared imagery that shows the location and intensity of the Poomacha, Rice and Harris Fires.Current images can be seen at http://www.fireimaging.com/



And the blame game begins.....
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071025/news_1n25aircraft.html

Last post for the day

I am about to leave for the airport, and Alberto isn't too keen on making posts, so this will probably be the last post of the day.

Not much has changed, the Horno fire seems to be going north which is good for us, and the other fires don't seem to be going anywhere at all, which is also good.

The skies are much clearer today, and the raining ash is much smaller and finer than yesterday.

The smell of smoke is still everywhere, but it is easier to breathe.

The temps are much cooler too, and there is almost no wind. I really think that we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Here a few of the latest posts:

Six deaths have occured during wildfires
Posted @ 8:42 AM
Six fire-related deaths of San Diego County residents have occurred during the 2007 Wildfires. This includes one death directly related to the fires, two that occurred during evacuation activities and three that happened after the decedents were evacuated.

The most recent fatality is James Sharp, 64, a resident of the La Costa Glen nursing home in Carlsbad who was admitted to Alvarado Hospital upon evacuation. His condition rapidly declined and he did not recover, dying on October 23. (Cause of death is pending.)

Previously reported fatalities are as follows:

Thomas James Varshock, 52, of Tecate, died on his property during the Harris Fire on Sunday, Oct. 21.

Alla M. Robinson, 91, was an in-patient at Fallbrook Hospital who died of
natural causes while in the process of being evacuated to Tri-City Medical
Center on Monday, Oct. 22.

Suzanne Elizabeth Casey, 62, died from a fall at a restaurant on Monday, Oct. 22 after being evacuated from her Rancho Bernardo home.

Donald Swarting, 92, died of natural causes at the Mount Miguel Covenant
Village Nursing Home in Spring Valley on Tuesday, Oct. 23 after becoming
unresponsive during the evacuation process.

June E. Brewer, 95, died of natural causes in her room at an Old Town hotel on Tuesday, Oct. 23, after being evacuated from her Rancho Bernardo home.


Presidents signs disaster declaration for San Diego
Posted @ 8:41 AM
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said
Wednesday that a federal disaster declaration has been signed by President Bush
clearing the way for assistance to make its way to San Diego.

Alberto and Dudley will continue to monitor things and they are ready to pack up and go if needed.

Big plane on its way!

Here's something I know that plane enthusiasists will enjoy:
Huge firefighting plane on its way
Posted @ 7:24 AM
A Martin Mars waterbomber is expected to arrive in San Diego County this afternoon to help fight the area's wildfires.
The plane, which is based in Canada, is capable of dropping 7,200 gallons of water in a single drop, enough to drench three acres.
The plane also can drop a gel that can coat structures in the path of fires, said San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman.The plane is amphibious and can land on water .

Another fire, this one in a much more familiar place...

Just woke up, and checking the news I see reports of a new fire that must have sprung up overnight. This one is on the base of Camp Pendleton and is called the Horno fire.

Horno is Spanish for "oven"

This fire was first reported around 1:00 am.

Here is what I have found:

Camp Pendleton fire spread to 6,000 acres
Posted @ 4:00 AM
The fire burning in Camp Pendleton has charred 6,000
acres and is moving north and west between Las Pulgas Road and the Border Patrol
checkpoint.

The blaze, dubbed the Horno fire, has caused the closure of Interstate 5.
Camp Pendleton has requested the closure of train service, and Metrolink has
confirmed that service is shut down from Oceanside to San Clemente.

I am very familiar with this area and the Metrolink, I used to pass through here every day and still do whenever I need to go to the office. Maximum distance from us is 10 miles, but probably a bit less.

Here are some other details:

Witch Creek and Poomacha fires merge
Posted @ 6:34 AM
The Witch Creek and Poomacha fires have merged, the
San Diego Office of Emergency Services says.
The county also just released this updated map of the fires.

http://www.sdcountyemergency.com/newsreleases/10242007_0500hrs_Evac_FirePerem.pdf (note: this map is huge - 2 MB. Launch it in a separate window because it will take several minutes to download)

I have included screen shots - regular size and close up of our area. Hope you can see it!

A chilling radio call
Posted @ 4:30 AM
Radio report from an engine company, location unclear, what
sounded like a fire captain ordering a crew to flee.The reply: "We just cut our
lines and left."NOTE: When firefighters know they're about to be overrun by
flames, they chop off their hose lines with axes and leave. If they stay long
enough to uncouple them, they might not get out in time.
--Greg Gross, Breaking News Team

Poomacha fire straddling SR-76
Posted @ 1:09 AM
The Poomacha fire is straddling state Route 76 just south of Palomar Mountain.The road is closed in both directions. The flames were about a mile away from the Witch fire and fire officials expect the two fires may have already converged.

fiery orange

I decided to change the blog template to fiery orange to commemorate these crazy days in San Diego County. Like it?

Nothing new for us, but fires are still blazing

I feel good about having booked the trip to Houston for tomorrow. Today's events showed that though the fires aren't out, they show little signs of moving anymore. In fact, the winds have started blowing the other direction, causing the fires to start doubling back, and things have cooled considerably which also helps ease the situation.

Right now, there has been hardly any additional movement toward our part of Oceanside. We are comfortable that the fires will be put out over the next few days without coming near our home.

However, that doesn't mean things are over:

Witch Creek fire update

Posted @ 8:03 PM
The Witch Creek fire has spread to 196,420 acres and is 1 percent contained.Twelve firefighters have been hurt. There are 1,492 firefighters fighting the blaze which continues to move west and southwest.It is threatening the following communities: San Diego, Poway, Ramona, Escondido, Lakeside, Valley Center, San Marcos and Rancho Santa Fe.

The fire has also spread to the east threatening Julian and Pine Hills.Fire officials are still tyring to determine a more accurate perimeter of the fire. Firefighters made minimal progress on the western front of the fire Tuesday.

There was active burning all day and winds did not let up until about 6 p.m., said Holly Crawford, a spokeswoman for the Office of Emergency Services.As it spread, the blaze destroyed 480 structures and damaged 65. It ravaged the community of Del Dios and destroyed 100 homes alone in that area, Crawford said.

The San Diego River drainage is a concern for firefighters for the night. At the moment, the fire is also burning north and west of state Route 76.

For now, we are just sitting tight and continuing to cross our fingers and toes :)

Here's a sunset picture from today:

Front of the House

Back of the House