[D9640general] [eFlash_Rotary] Digest Number 722

[Garry & Anne Krischock]

 Messages In This Digest (2 Messages) 
  1. 1387: California fires force 500,000 to flee From: Sunil K Zachariah 

  2. 1388: ROTI Past President Art McCullough evacuated; his house burns From: Sunil K Zachariah 
Messages 
  1. 1387: California fires force 500,000 to flee 
 Wed Oct 24, 2007 2:30 am (PST) 
California fires force more than 500,000 to flee; at least 1,800 
houses burned

SAN DIEGO - Faced with unrelenting winds whipping wildfires into a 
frenzy across southern California, firefighters conceded defeat on 
many fronts Tuesday to an unstoppable force that has chased more than 
500,000 people away.

Unless the shrieking Santa Ana winds subside, and that's not expected 
for at least another day, fire crews say they can do little more than 
try to wait it out and react - tamping out spot fires and chasing 
ribbons of airborne embers to keep new fires from flaring.

"If it's this big and blowing with as much wind as it's got, it'll go 
all the way to the ocean before it stops," said San Diego Fire Capt. 
Kirk Humphries.

"We can save some stuff but we can't stop it."

Tentacles of unpredictable, shifting flame have burned across more 
than 1,550 square kilometres, killing one person, destroying more 
than 1,300 homes and prompting the biggest evacuation in California 
history, from north of Los Angeles, through San Diego to the Mexican 
border.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the flames were threatening 68,000 
more homes.

"We have had an unfortunate situation that we've had three things 
come together: very dry areas, very hot weather and then a lot of 
wind," Schwarzenegger said.

"And so this makes the perfect storm for a fire."

In Rancho Santa Fe, a suburb north of San Diego, houses burned just 
metres from where fire crews fought to contain flames engulfing other 
properties. In the mountain community of Lake Arrowhead, cabins and 
vacation homes went up in flames with no fire crews in sight.

"These winds are so strong, we're not trying to fight this fire," 
said firefighter Jim Gelrud, an engineer from Vista, Calif.

"We're just trying to save the buildings."

More than a dozen wildfires blowing across southern California since 
Sunday have also injured more than 45 people, including 21 
firefighters. The U.S. Forest Service earlier reported a fire death 
in Los Angeles County's Santa Clarita area but officials said Tuesday 
that information was erroneous.

In San Diego County, authorities placed evacuation calls to more than 
346,000 homes, said Luis Monteagudo, a spokesman for the county's 
emergency effort. Based on census and other county data, 560,000 
people were ordered to leave, said Ron Roberts, chairman of the San 
Diego Board of Supervisors.

"It's basically a mass migration here in San Diego County. The 
numbers we're seeing are staggering," said Luis Monteagudo, a 
spokesman for the county's emergency effort.

By Tuesday evening, some 50,000 people in San Diego were being 
allowed to return homes near the ocean, as well as portions of the 
city Poway, Roberts said. No homes were lost in these neighbourhoods.

U.S. President George W. Bush, who plans to visit the region 
Thursday, declared a federal emergency for seven counties, a move 
that will speed disaster-relief efforts.

The sweeping devastation was reminiscent of blazes that tore through 
southern California four years ago, killing 22 and destroying 3,640 
homes.

The ferocity of the Santa Ana winds in 2003 forced crews to discard 
their traditional strategy and focus on keeping up with the fire and 
putting out spot blazes that threatened homes.

Fire crews were especially concerned about dense eucalyptus groves in 
Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe, fearing the highly flammable trees could 
turn neighbourhoods prized for their secluded serenity into potential 
tinderboxes.

The usual tactic is to surround a fire on two sides and try to choke 
it off. But with fires whipped by gusts that have surpassed 160 
kilometres an hour, that strategy doesn't work because embers can be 
swept ahead of the fire's front line. In those cases, crews must keep 
three to 10 metres back from the flames or risk their own lives, Los 
Angeles County firefighter Daryl Parish said.

Added Rocklin Fire Department Capt. Martin Holm: "We do what we can. 
A life's a lot more important than a house."

Any flame longer than two metres is considered unstoppable and even 
water and fire retardant will evaporate before they reach the ground, 
said Gordon Schmidt, a retired U.S. Forest Service deputy director of 
fire management.

"In these situations, the strategy generally is to fall back," he 
said.

"You pick and choose your priorities in terms of what you can 
protect. Instead of trying to stop the fire, you try to prevent it 
from burning resources."

In the suburbs north of San Diego, firefighters did just that as 
fingers of flame pulsed across a 10-lane freeway and raced up a hill 
on the opposite side in just seconds. The fire engulfed white-washed 
homes at the top of the ridge.

Groves of eucalyptus trees exploded in the heat in one ritzy cul-de-
sac in Rancho Santa Fe, sending off a scattered popping that sounded 
like machine-gun fire.

Firefighters parked their rigs in the driveways of the most 
threatened homes and hosed down fences and open space around homes as 
a blood-red sun set over a sky choked with smoke and falling ash.

Firefighters battling two fast-moving blazes in Lake Arrowhead, in 
the San Bernardino Mountains about 210 kilometres east of Los 
Angeles, were also taxed by steep terrain, winding roads and a forest 
packed with dead or dying trees. More than 300 homes burned, fire 
officials said.

At least three times in the past two days, fire crews have been 
forced to "pull off, and wait for things to calm down" because of 
danger, said San Bernardino National Forest Ranger Kurt Winchester.

"In a lot of places, you just have to back off and let the fire go," 
he said.

"There's nothing we can do."

The one person confirmed dead was identified as Thomas Varshock of 
Tecate, a town on the U.S. side of the border southeast of San Diego. 
He died over the weekend after he ignored warnings to evacuate and 
authorities left to take care of other evacuations, the San Diego 
Conty Medical Examiner's Office said.

The San Diego medical examiner's officer also listed four other 
deaths as connected to the wildfires because they occurred during or 
after evacuations. Three people were in their 90s and died from 
natural causes; the fourth was a woman who died after falling at a 
restaurant.

In Rancho Santa Fe, neighbours tried to protect a friend's home with 
a garden hose Monday night as flames raced up a ridge directly behind 
the house. metres away, an engine crew kept watch as another home, 
already fully engulfed, burned to the ground.

"We told the firemen about (this house) and we put out a few hot 
spots," said friend Gary Rich.

"They told us once they put out that house, they'd come over here."

But, Rich said, encroaching flames were making him nervous and he 
might leave before then.

Fighting a gusty blaze also puts the firefighters in harm's way. At 
least twice in the last two days, firefighters have had to unfurl 
their emergency fire shelters - small fire-resistant tents to shield 
them when they can't escape a fire.

Weather conditions only grew worse, with temperatures across southern 
California above average. Temperatures were in the 30s C by mid-
afternoon and wind gusts up to 160 km/h were expected in mountains 
and canyons.

In the San Diego suburb Del Dios, fire completely destroyed one home 
but seemed to touch other items at random. Two lawn chairs and an 
umbrella were left in a burnt, melted heap on the patio. But behind 
the house, near a murky brown swimming pool, two chaise lounges and a 
two-metre-tall decorative fountain survived unscathed.

J.C. Playford, an evacuee from the nearby community Ramona, surveyed 
the damage and wondered whether his own home was still standing.

"I've got two reports, one person told me it's gone and one person 
said it's still there," he said.

"So I have no idea."

Source: The Canadian Press
Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary


2. 1388: ROTI Past President Art McCullough evacuated; his house burns 
 Wed Oct 24, 2007 2:33 am (PST) 
Here is a posting by Art McCullough to ROTI members:

Hi all 

We were evacuated from our Home Sunday night at 10 PM and have bee 
out ever
since.

Just got my computer set up and running thanks to my Son Greg.

The good news : Averill and I are safe and in Palm Desert about 100 
miles
east and over the mountains in the desert near Palm Springs CA , 
Because of
the road closes we had to drive to Orange County and back to the 
Desert for
a total of 200 miles in 5 hours We are staying at a Marriott Time 
share
for this week or longer until the fires and smoke are gone, We came 
her
because it is out of the smoke and fires and is save for Averill who 
has
COPD and could not breath in San Diego area.

Over 500 thousand to 1 million are evacuated from their homes . 

Bad news : Our home for the last 27 years and all of the things and
memories are gone .

This includes all of the checks everyone sent to me for your 
reservation for
the hotel so we will have to start this over again. 

I would suggest the tomorrow morning that you all start putting 
together
your inventory of everything in your homes and have that outside the 
home.
Now we know. 

But it is going to be a clean start for everything, our Ins company 
is going
to help us find a replacement home until we rebuild or buy another 
one ,over
1000 homes are gone also in San Diego area. 

For anyone who wish to contact our cell number is 760-317-0334 ,and My
e-mail is running and I have 150 to catch up tonight.

Remember we are fine and just need to buy all new clothes as I have 
1 pair
of socks ands 2 pair of unders.

Our temp address next week will be at our Son Greg's home at 11912 
Willow
Dr. Vista ,CA 92081

Arthur (Art ) McCullough
MPH, P. P.& Bulletin editor of the
Escondido Sunrise RC, Escondido, CA. USA
District 5340 SKYPE name "rotaryart"

Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary

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