Wow, SoCal is getting toasted...

[Manedwolf]

This isn't the sort of news headline pic you see often...



80mph gusts of hot winds? That can't be helpful.

[K Frame]

It's George Bush's fault.

[longeyes]

I suspect arson is involved in some of these cases.  It's a new form of terrorism.

[Manedwolf]

I suspect arson is involved in some of these cases.  It's a new form of terrorism.

I'm actually starting to wonder, since apparently a bunch of unrelated fires in the area started in the middle of the night and are now spreading. They were too far for embers. Someone driving around with some road flares could ignite the whole area!

[Euclidean]

It's George Bush's fault.

That made me laugh.  I swear to Don Pohanan, people blame everything on George Bush that has nothing to do with George Bush.

[K Frame]

Actually, I'm kind of worried about these fires. A good firiend of mine lives in San Diego. So far the evacuation zone is considerably north of him.

[Manedwolf]

Dramatic picture of a firefighter. Those look like eyes of flame staring at him. Guy is being all "Gandalf vs the Balrog" at it.



And I have nothing but respect for these guys. The whole street of houses is on fire, and they're still trying. It looks like hell on earth.

[Tallpine]

We watched a training video that had a lot of aerial views of neighborhoods in California.  I could not believe the places where houses and even apartments had been built - down in box canyons or up on ridges and cliffs with extremely limited access/egress, no safety zones, and absolutely no clearance between structures and vegetation.  

[onions!]

Doesn't RileyMC live in San Diego?& Dasmi too?
Toasted,I'd rather hope not.

[Thor]

I really liked the Tecate/Dulzura area. It's rather remote, but not terribly far from San Diego.

[The Viking]

Doesn't RileyMC live in San Diego?& Dasmi too?
Toasted,I'd rather hope not.

Both has logged in today.

[Antibubba]

80mph gusts of hot winds? That can't be helpful.

The Santa Ana winds happen every year.

I guess I'd have more sympathy if these people didn't do it to themselves, year after year.  It's a known wildfire zone--hell, the flora in the area uses fire as part of its reproduction cycle!  If they'd build with stone and concrete instead of virgin redwood, they wouldn't be in it this deep.

Idiots.

[charby]

80mph gusts of hot winds? That can't be helpful.

The Santa Ana winds happen every year.

I guess I'd have more sympathy if these people didn't do it to themselves, year after year.  It's a known wildfire zone--hell, the flora in the area uses fire as part of its reproduction cycle!  If they'd build with stone and concrete instead of virgin redwood, they wouldn't be in it this deep.

Idiots.

Or at least cut a fire barrier around their property. True the flora needs fire to reproduce/reestablish itself.

-C

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

Yes, the *expletive deleted*it is hitting the fan here in San Diego.  100,000 acres burned, 250,000 evacuees at this point. 
My home and office are currently safe, but two of my clinics are threatened.  It's not good.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

I really liked the Tecate/Dulzura area. It's rather remote, but not terribly far from San Diego.

That area is on fire, or will be on fire shortly.  Mandatory evac right now.  It is a beautiful part of the county.

[Jamisjockey]

The MSM always acts surprised @
Hurricane season
California earthquakes, fires or mudslides, and Santa Ana winds
Wildfires in the West
Summer heatwaves, even when they don't set records (hey, wasn't it 95* last year too?)
Tornados in the Midwest
Heavy snowstorms in the north.

Some of the building in Calif boggles the mind.  Places that are prone to fires are built on.  Fire roars through, homes are saved by heroic firefighters, then the next year the scorched earth gets rained on and then lets go.  Hmmmm.  Its like building a home on Topsail beach in NC and being surprised when you lose it in a Hurricane.
 

Burn, California, burn!

[Manedwolf]

This all is why I live in New England. A snowstorm isn't so bad. You just get bored, then dig out, or if you live in a townhouse thing as I do, the staff digs out. 

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

I was in Boulder, CO all weekend.  Odd to step on a plane in the snow and 34 degrees, and step off in 85 degrees, smoke, and fire.

[Paddy]

I'm in San Luis Obispo County, halfway between LA & SF, 12 miles from the coast, so I'm well north of San Diego.  Looking south from the City of SLO, you can see considerable smoke from the Santa Barbara County fire, though.

[Manedwolf]

News says they're preparing residents of Solana Beach, on the coast, to evac. And also clearing out a hospital. That it might go all the way to the shore...

wow.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

Well, my medical director just ordered us out of the office.  The location I work at is currently still safe, but there's talk of closing the I-8, which is the only way in our out of this area.  She wants us gone just in case.  I'm pulling my backup drives and tapes, and hitting the bricks.

[Manedwolf]

Well, my medical director just ordered us out of the office.  The location I work at is currently still safe, but there's talk of closing the I-8, which is the only way in our out of this area.  She wants us gone just in case.  I'm pulling my backup drives and tapes, and hitting the bricks.

News also said Pomerado Hospital is being evacuated. Be safe.

[Rocketman56]

Yes, my daughter lives in Escondido.. (Senior in HS..)  They've been ordered out..

A colleague lives in Tierra Santa, they just got ordered out..

Another colleague lives near the San Marcos/Carlsbad border.. (Just west of Harmony
Grove area..)  They are packed and ready to roll..

My wife's parents used to own a house in San Marcos, West of CSU-San Marcos..
It's survived the last two attempts from the Harmony Grove area, not sure about this one..
(It's stucco with a tile roof, but.....)

I lived in West Escondido (think Home Depot, which went up a year or so before I left.. used
to be a dairy farm..)  for 17 years..  Even that area is threatened coming up out of Lake
Hodges..  I think this is going to be even bigger than the Cedar fire 4 years ago..
(More homes to burn now, too.. Reason I left! Too many people!)

ETA: My daughter was born at Pomerado.. This isn't good!
Steve

[Manedwolf]

Fire officials said it's already worse than the Cedar fire, and it's not even remotely close to controlled in any way. Wind is too strong...and from the NE. So the fire is moving towards the coast, lots quicker than they thought it would.

[Tallpine]

All they need now is a tsunami to put out the fires