The Savvy Tourist

SoCal Still On Fire

Most of us have gone back to our regular routines and daily lives and the news coverage on the fires is all but non existent. The truth is, the fires are still burning and the firefighters are still working hard. For more information on the current status of the fires and for information on how to find assistance for relief, try visiting www.calfires.com

      

Southern California Fires at a Glance...       

San Diego County
            Poomacha Fire – 49,410 acres – 95% contained
            Witch Fire – 197,990 acres – 100% contained
            Harris Fire – 90,440 acres – 100% contained
            Rice Fire – 9,472 acres – 100% contained
            Horno/Ammo Fire – 21,004 acres – 100% contained
            Wilcox Fire – 100 acres – 100% contained
            Cajon Fire – 250 acres – 100% contained
            McCoy Fire – 300 acres – 100% contained
          Coronado Hills Fire – 300 acres – 100% contained              

San Bernardino County
            Slide Fire – 12,759 acres –100% contained
            Grass Valley Fire - 1,247 acres – 100% contained
            Martin Fire – 123 acres – 100% contained
            Walker Fire – 160 acres 100% contained                    

Orange County
            Santiago Fire – 28,400 acres – 90% contained                         

Los Angeles County
                Ranch Fire – 58,401 acres –100% contained
                Canyon Fire – 4,565 acres – 100% contained
                Magic Fire – 2,824 acres – 100% contained
                Buckweed Fire – 38,356 acres – 100% contained
          Meadowridge Fire – 40 acres - 100% contained                    

Santa Barbara County
            Sedgewick Fire – 710 acres – 100% contained          

Riverside County
        Rosa Fire – 411 acres – 100% contained
        Roca Fire – 270 acres – 100% contained                  

Ventura County
        Nightsky Fire – 35 acres – 100% contained      

San Diego County Fire Update

Taken from the SD County Emergency Homepage:

10-26-07 8:22 a.m.  CAL FIRE provides the following update:

The Harris Fire is 84,300 acres and 20% contained. Full containment on October 31st and full control on November 4th. There are 1,341 firefighters assigned. Cost to date $5.8 million. Approximately 500 more homes were ordered evacuated yesterday. 12 injuries to firefighters, 21 civilian burns and 5 civilian fatalities. Yesterday re-entry for residents only was allowed in the Thousand Trails, Potrero and Tecate neighborhoods.

No acreage change on Witch, but the fire is now 45% contained. Full containment on October 28th and full control on November 5th. 26 Firefighters have been injuries to firefighters and 2 civilian fatalities. 2, 883 firefighters have been assigned. Cost to date $7.5 million. Conditions have improved in these areas to allow return of residents Poway, Escondido, Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego and Rancho Bernardo. The town of Ramona has been repopulated. SDG&E is beginning to re-establish utility service to some affected areas.

No change on acreage for Rice, but it’s now 40% contained. 3 injuries to firefighters and there are 1,073 firefighters assigned. Full containment on October 31st and full control on November 4th. Cost to date $2,386,841. Portions of Fallbrook re-opened to residents today, anticipate gradual lifting of additional evacuations over the next several days.

The Poomacha Fire is 39,900 acres and 35% contained. Cost to date $1.7 million. 12 injuries to firefighters, 1,482 firefighters assigned. Full control and containment is expected on October 29th. Control strategies to minimize the fire spread within and overall impacts to the Aqua Tibia Wilderness.

10-26-07 8:19 a.m. Evacuation Order Lifted for Highway 67 Corridor
Residents living along the Highway 67 corridor from the Poway City limits to Maple View Street are now allowed to return home.
Evacuation Order Lifted for Areas of Wildcat Canyon
Areas in and around Wildcat Canyon Road south of the Barona Reservation are now open for repopulation.

10-26-07 8:09 a.m. Evacuation Order   Lifted for Western   Jamul
Residents from the western Jamul communities are allowed to return home. The area will be open to residents and IDs will be checked.
Residents will have access via Highway 94.    

Road closures will remain at Lyons Valley Road and the Skyline Truck Trail; Highway 94 at Honey Springs Road; and Highway 94 at Otay Lakes Road.

Evacuation Order  Lifted for Areas of Valley Center

 

The Rincon and San Pasqual Reservations and areas north of Lake Wohlford are now open to residents and   businesses only.    
The   approximate area is represented by the following Thomas Brother Map   Coordinates:  
MP 1071: C-2   to C-7; D-1 to D-7; E-1 to E-7; F-1 to F-4  
MP 1091: A-5   to A-7; B-2 to B-7; C-2 to C-7; D-1 to D-5; E-1 to   E-4  
MP 1110: G-1   to G-3; H-1 to H-3; J-1  
MP 1111:   A-1, A-2, B-1, C-1    

The following areas will remain closed:    
Paradise   Mountain/Skyline Ranch

 

Palomar Mountain (Highway 76 corridor from the Pala area to Highway 79)  
Pala   Reservation  
Pauma   Reservation  
La Jolla Reservation  
Rancho Heights (Areas south of Lake Wohlford, including Bear Valley and Guejito   
Ranch   areas)

10-26-07 4:15 a.m. Bottled   water is available for Ramona residents at the Ramona Rodeo Grounds at

434 Aqua Lane

. Water from the Ramona Municipal Water District is currently unsafe, and   residents have been advised not to drink or use the water in their homes and   businesses until further notified.            

10-26-07 3:56 a.m. Residents at the Qualcomm Stadium shelter will be relocated to the Del Mar Fairgrounds around noon today, Oct. 26.

10-26-07 2:35 a.m. A Boil Water Order has been declared by the County Department of Environmental Health for Jamul, CASkyline Ranch Campground located at 17120 Skyline Truck Trail in Jamul  CA 91935 effective immediately

10-26-07  2 a.m. Only 350 people remain at the shelter at Qualcomm Stadium and the City of San Diego is planning to close the shelter at noon today, Oct. 26.

Poomacha' Fire Bearing Down on Temecula

'

October 26, 2007, 8:35 PM PDT by KTLA NEWS

                                Firefighters tonight were battling to keep the Poomacha fire, which originated in San Diego County, from moving into Riverside County, keeping it about two miles south of the border.

The fire has burned 42,000 acres in San Diego County and cost $1.7 million to fight, said Fred Daskoski, with the California Department of Forestry, or Cal Fire.

Full Coverage on the SoCal Fires

The Poomacha blaze, which started Wednesday in northeast San Diego County, was 35 percent contained, moved north from the La Jolla Indian Reservation, jumped to Palomar Mountain and made a beeline northwest to just south of the Riverside County line, according to Cal Fire.

It has injured 12 firefighters and destroyed 60 homes and 19 outbuildings and is threatening 2,000 more structures in the northernmost areas of San Diego County, such as Rincon, Valley Center and De Luz, Daskoski said.

Today in Riverside County, Cal Fire officials sent up a DC-10 -- a jumbo jet that can hold 300 people -- with a 12,000-gallon load of retardant, according to Ed Gonzalez of the Cal Fire operations information center.

Each drop covers one mile, said Cal Fire tanker base Capt. John Romero.

However, pilots could only make four trips because the thick smoke coming from the fire affected visibility.

Roxanne Provaznik, with Cal Fire in San Diego, said firefighters were setting back fires in an attempt to stop the Poomacha's progress by burning off the fuel feeding the blaze.

The flames have stayed at the bottom of the Santa Margarita Creek bed and firefighters hope to stop it in its tracks before it climbs up the other side and into Riverside, Doskoski said.

Afternoon winds, called "diurnal winds" by National Weather Service Meteorologist Noel Isla, picked up today and were blowing steadily at about 15 mph. Humidity levels were steadily rising, helping the firefighting effort, he added.

Cal Fire officials said the agency was prepared for any contingency and was optimistic the blaze can be kept at bay because of favorable weather conditions.

"We have everything we need available," Hagemann said.

Double-digit humidity and moist, lighter winds from the west have contributed to halting the spread of the fires, officials said.

The temperature in Temecula at noon was 75 degrees, with humidity at 25 percent. In Murrieta, the temperature was 80 degrees, with humidity at 23 percent, according to the NWS.

By 2 p.m., humidity had risen into the 30 percent bracket, Isla said.

Meanwhile, the Rice fire -- which was caused by arcing power lines -- has held at about 9,000 acres and was 60 percent contained, though it is moving east, fire officials said.

Anyone traveling between northern San Diego County and southwest Riverside County was forced to contend with a blanket of smoke and ash, which could pose a health hazard, according to the county Public Health Department.

Schools were closed because of poor air quality, and residents, especially those with chronic respiratory problems, were advised to limit their time outdoors.

The Rice fire, which started south of Rainbow Valley about 4:15 a.m. Monday and jumped Interstate 15 to Fallbrook, has destroyed about 200 homes and prompted about 35,000 evacuations.

Three firefighters have been injured fighting the blaze.

Another fire being watched in Riverside County was the Santiago fire in Orange County, which tonight was less than one mile from the Riverside County border, burning up the Cleveland National Forest, officials said.

Meanwhile, an arsonist was being sought for setting the Rosa fire, which started Monday night near Via Santa Rosa and Rancho California Road in the Temecula area and burned 411 acres before being contained Wednesday evening.

San Bernadino Mountain Fire

Statistics taken from KNBC NEWS:

The Grass Valley Fire has burned 1,100 acres and is 70 percent contained. More than 100 homes have been destroyed. There are nearly 800 firefighters working on that blaze, and they hope to have full containment by Sunday.

The Slide Fire is 10 times bigger than the Grass Valley Fire and has burned more than 11,000 acres. It was just 15 percent contained Friday morning, but that was up from zero containment 24 hours earlier. More than 200 homes have been destroyed, and more than 1,300 firefighters from across the country are involved in that fight.

Damage assessment put the number of homes destroyed in Grass Valley at 113; 80 were destroyed in Green Valley Lakes; and more than 100 were destroyed in Running Springs and Fredalba.

Rice Canyon Fallbrook Fire Update

It seems that when it comes to news in the Temecula and Fallbrook areas, we are left out in the cold. As a concerned citizen in the Temecula Valley with friends in Fallbrook, it has been more than frustrating trying to keep up with the latest fire updates and evacuations. As it turns out, the local community of Fallbrook came together in their own time of need and tried their best to keep each other updated and comforted using blogs and comment sections in online news stories. Some of the best information came from within the town itself while being burned through by a devastating fire. Some very brave people that just couldn't face leaving their homes, stayed and reported from within. I have no doubt that this community support will continue through the long and difficult process of recovery that is soon to follow. My hats off to all of you Fallbrookians that stuck together during this time of uncertainty. The North County Times was very helpful in allowing their online news comments section to become a community bulletin board, and a great guy by the name of Brian Chupp converted his game fishing website to a Fallbrook Fire Update site for the purpose of keeping everyone in the know. What a week!!!! 

Santiago Fire Heads Toward Silverado Canyon

October 26, 2007, 5:48 AM PDT posted by KTLA NEWS   

  Firefighters in the hills east of Irvine sought to contain the Santiago fire Friday as the it headed toward about 750 homes Silverado Canyon.

The Santiago fire, set Sunday evening near Silverado Canyon and Santiago Canyon roads, was about 30 percent contained and moving east into the Cleveland National Forest.

According to the OCFA, 14 homes have been destroyed and eight were damaged. Eight outbuildings were destroyed and 12 others were damaged.

Fire commanders told the Los Angeles Times the fate the fire depended on the winds.

"If the wind stays normal, everything will be fine," Mike Rohde, an OCFA battalion chief, told the newspaper. If not, it will be a totally "different story," he said.

As of 3:30 a.m. no homes had caught fire in Silverado Canyon, Angela Luedtke of the OCFA said.

Flames were expected to reach Modjeska Peak about sunrise today, Luedtke said.

"We've got a little over 1,000 personnel on the line, we have sufficient ground and air resources to handle this incident and we've got the plans in place to hopefully control it as it heads up into the wilderness area," OCFA Fire Chief Chip Prather said.

The arson affected not only Orange County but took resources from other fires, he said.

"I wonder, frankly, if we didn't have this arson-caused fire here how many of our resources might have been available to respond to other parts of the state and how many people might be alive today had our firefighters fighting fire here been able to be in San Diego," Prather said.

"This arsonist not only caused that but they prohibited us from responding to our neighbors to help," Prather said. "And that is another reason that I am committed to capturing these people."

Thursday, the reward for catching the arsonist who started the fire increased to $250,000 as the fire grew to 26,000 acres.

Radio station KFI-AM (640) pledged $100,000 to boost the reward.

"If we're going to find the individual or individuals responsible, it's going to take a clue from the public," Sheriff Mike Carona said.

KFI program director Robin Bertolucci expressed hope that the new amount "helps bring someone forward to solve this terrible crime."

Meanwhile, several groups announced fund-raisers to help victims.

KCAL9/CBS2 news vans will be in the parking lot of the Stater Bros. supermarket, 22351 El Toro Road, at 5 a.m. today and on Monday to collect money.

Also today, the Anaheim Ducks, ABC7, KABC-AM (790) and KLOS-FM (95.5) are teaming with the American Red Cross and Honda Center to collect money from the public at the Honda Center, Parking Lot 5, 2695 E. Katella Ave., in Anaheim.

In addition, the Samueli Foundation, Honda Center and Anaheim Ducks will make a $100,000 contribution, officials said.

The reward also consists of $50,000 from the state government and $50,000 each from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI.

At 8 a.m. today, the county will open a "one-stop" Local Assistance Center where representatives from multiple agencies will be available to offer assistance.

The center, at 125 Technology Drive West, Suite 200 in Irvine, will be open until 7 p.m. tomorrow. Additional hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, according to the OCFA.

Prather told reporters at the news conference that investigators have concluded that "there are two points of origin rather than three" of the fire set Sunday evening at Santiago Canyon and Silverado Canyon roads.

The task force investigating the fire has expanded to include the OCFA, Orange County Sheriff's Department, ATF and FBI because "we have a number of leads to follow."

"This is a complex incident and we desperately want to catch the people or person that did this," he said.

"It is a confirmed arson," Prather said. "There was evidence found at the scene."

More than 250 tips have been called in, Prather said, and authorities are "tracking down each of them."

A toll-free hotline -- (800) 540-8282 -- was set up to receive tips.

California Wildfires

As I am sure the entire nation knows by now, California is under attack of raging wildfires. This is our fire season and we all expected some problems, but this is just out of control. There are close to 20 individual fires that are being fueled by the seasonal Santa Ana winds and lack of humidity. We all thought 2003 was a bad fire year but this makes those fires look like a birthday cake. I have been trying to pay close attention to the San Diego fires for several reasons. First of all, friends of mine have been evacuated from their homes, along with about 340,000 other San Diego County residents. Secondly, those fires are closer to me. Temecula is the closest. I can even see the flames from what they refer to as the DeLuz Fire right now. I have been up all night reading a blog that was attached to The North County Times. At one point this was the best way to get accurate information. Fellow bloggers were posting comments on articles that the newspaper was running and it turned into a community support group. People were posting about locations of the fire and elderly and animals that had been removed safely. They were able to leave messages for family members that they couldn't get in touch with via phone. There were Fallbrook residents that refused to leave and were actually driving around town and phoning in reports of the fire and homes that were lost. It was incredible to feel the love and support that was spreading through the poor little town of Fallbrook faster than that raging fire. The newspaper got on board and started posting answers to questions as fast as they could get some answers. For some, it was the only connection they had.

I want to share with you all what I believe to be a current list of all the fires burning in SoCal and some resources for finding more information. For those of you not from around here, you may not know which news station is covering which fire. Any updates that anyone may have that will assist us in spreading news and assistance, please share also. I am trying to find the sites that are posting the most recent info.

So far one of the best news feeds can be found at KTLA for most of the fires. They have good video too! The LA Times also has a lot of current info for the more northern county fires.

• Agua Dulce (Buckweed Brush Fire) - CBS News 
• Castaic - KEYT3 Santa Barbara News
• Soledad Canyon - KHTS Local News
• Sedgwick Ranch - Santa Barbara Independent
• Stevenson Ranch (Magic Fire) - FOX Los Angeles
• Malibu -  KTLA
• Lake Arrowhead - KTLA and KNBC
• Running Springs - KTLA and KNBC
• Irvine (Orange County-Santiago Fire) - Orange Co. Register
• Temecula (DeLuz Fire) - North County Times 
• Fallbrook (Rice Canyon) - North County Times and Fallbrook Blog
• San Marcos (Coronado Hills Fire) - Sign On San Diego
• Rancho Bernardo and Rancho Santa Fe - Sign On San Diego
• Ramona - Sign On San Diego
• Boulder Creek
• Potrero (Harris Ranch) - Sign On San Diego
• Chula Vista - Sign On San Diego  

I will try to add more resources and information throughout the day. Let's say our prayers for the brave firefighters and the folks who are losing their homes.