California Fires

Red Cross has set up a website/call center so that people can check on their friends & family.

Either call 1-800-REDCROSS or go to disastersafe.redcross.org

Red Cross has set up a website/call center so that people can check on their friends & family.

Either call 1-800-REDCROSS or go to disastersafe.redcross.org

These fires are so scary!

These fires are so scary!

My poor friend just called again and had to get off because she was being pulled over by a state trooper. She is not having a good day.

Very scary!

Also very frustrating because of people not being considerate - firefighting resources are being used to evacuate folks who were told to leave & didn't, instead of fighting fires, gawkers are clogging roads and hampering the movements of emergency personnel & their equipment, and many homes are in more danger than necessary because folks chose to have lots of foliage rather than follow the fire guidelines.

About 800 Marines, some of them back from Iraq, from Camp Pendleton have been volunteered to fight the massive fires. About 1,500 California National Guardsmen already are fighting fires.

It's strange how something like this effects so many of us even at a distance. I have 2 friends with children who attend college there, 1 at Occidental and 1 at Pepperdine. They've both been evacuated. Both mothers are beside themselves.

I heard a report that FEMA had arrived a few hours ago. And some friends on another board are going crazy. They said that they were able to drop water today finally but that when the winds picked up in the afternoon that those would be stopped. I also heard that is is getting close to 75k acres burning and only about 8% contained.

/snip....literally a wall of fire and smoke coming right at my house. I can see the Arrowhead fire from my window and it looks bad... the sky in that direction is pink and brown and even though we are miles away the ash and smoke make their way toward where I live. That is the major fire in my area, ... little spot fires seem to pop up left and right .... Highways are being shut down due to spot fires and extreme wind events (the Santa Ana's are wicked through here). I've lived in SoCal all my life and have never seen a fire event this bad, so many fires at once in so many different counties is frightening.

Quoted from someone I know elsewhere.... hopes she stays safe!

Quoted from someone I know elsewhere.... hopes she stays safe!

It's strange how something like this effects so many of us even at a distance. I have 2 friends with children who attend college there, 1 at Occidental and 1 at Pepperdine. They've both been evacuated. Both mothers are beside themselves.

I bet the firefighters are getting so tired. I just heard the fire has burned twice the size of New York.

Nobu Malibu is serving free food to firefighters.

It's really miraculous that so far only 2 lives have been lost in all that devastation. Good thing they evacuated when they did!

Nobu Malibu is serving free food to firefighters.

Kimmi...Is it really going as smoothly as the news channels are reporting? I hope so because maybe they did learn something from Katrina!!

It's really miraculous that so far only 2 lives have been lost in all that devastation. Good thing they evacuated when they did!

Kimmi...Is it really going as smoothly as the news channels are reporting? I hope so because maybe they did learn something from Katrina!!

Kristi...It is amazing !!​

Um...I think so? I was more in tune with the Malibu fires, as that hit more to home. The winds just made it impossible to do anything. My friend in Santa Monica said it was insane, and you could barely stand up. I did see some news reports saying the response was too slow. But in defense, they didn't want to risk the lives of the firefighters in some cases. And then they were saying they were short on planes and some resources.

Everyone's crammed into the Chargers stadium in San Diego now...

And then they were saying they were short on planes and some resources.

I heard that also, but you have to take into account that we are talking HURRICANE force winds there the last few days. You cant fly those water thingy planes in that kind of wind. But at least they seem to have died down some and hopefully the firefighters will be able to get them contained. But what I heard from someone else out there is that they do not do any kind of prescribed burns. I realize it is a HEAVILY populated place but you wouold think they could do something to prevent them from getting this bad. Is there a time of year that the winds are more favorable to do control burns?

I heard that also, but you have to take into account that we are talking HURRICANE force winds there the last few days. You cant fly those water thingy planes in that kind of wind. But at least they seem to have died down some and hopefully the firefighters will be able to get them contained. But what I heard from someone else out there is that they do not do any kind of prescribed burns. I realize it is a HEAVILY populated place but you wouold think they could do something to prevent them from getting this bad. Is there a time of year that the winds are more favorable to do control burns?

Yep. Winds were 80 MPH. I don't know how the news choppers are up there. This is the time of year for the Santa Anas. It's also 94 degrees here.

someone directed me to this map that shows where and gives stats on the fires..click on it for larger image.

someone directed me to this map that shows where and gives stats on the fires..click on it for larger image.

I just heard on the radio a sound bite of Arnold S. speaking about this disaster. He said they have everything they could think of to help those in the stadium - - food, water, baby diapers, yoga... :shock:
Only in Calif would yoga be considered an essential life support component.

I also heard that there are live bands playing - - it's a real party! Seriously tho, that has to help some (hopefully). But again, only in Calif.

I just went outside and you can barely breathe. It smells like smoke. Gross...and HOT

I just went outside and you can barely breathe. It smells like smoke. Gross...and HOT

Stay safe kimmi!!!!!

I just went outside and you can barely breathe. It smells like smoke. Gross...and HOT

hope all is ok with you there. Stay inside and stay on alert. If all else fails.....head to SOWAL! Cause its cool here. 55 degrees when I got up this morning.

I just went outside and you can barely breathe. It smells like smoke. Gross...and HOT