So Cal fires

[Robinhood4x4]

How's the Socal crew doing? You guys doing alright?

Here's some info on the fires in San Diego:

Map of where the fires are, updated every few hours
www.sdcountyemergency.com


Google map showing more maps
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=114250687465160386813.00043d08ac31fe3357571

North County Times newspaper with a pretty good discussion going for the people of the area
http://www.nctimes.com/

Post up more info if you have it.

[Marc P]

I know Eric and I are ok here in Santee. The fires are in a horseshoe around us, but not too close. There are so many people displaced now....it is crazy down here.

I had my wife take my 2 kids to her parents house in AZ so they dont have to deal with the health risk that goes along with all the smoke and ash.

The firefighters are working non-stop to save homes...they are the heros.

[Robinhood4x4]

My parents were evacuated from fallbrook. From the maps I found, it looks like the fires stopped (hopefully) about 1/2 mile from their house.

[Jerm]

It always sucks to see those fires. The homes, land and lives that are lost just sucks. Big thumbs up to all those who risk there lives, they are the heros.

[calrockx]

On sunday I could see flames from my house of the Agua Dulce/Canyon Country "Buckweed" fire.

http://calrockx.com/etc/_temp/fire/DSC_0001.JPG


Last night, a small fire started just down the street from me, but was extinguished quickly.

Lots of smoke all around. Been seeing water-dropping aircraft flying around the past three days. Scary stuff, good luck to those displaced by the fires.

[MTL_4runner]

Wow, Charles, that is some scary stuff indeed!

[04 Rocko Taco]

Def scary, but a cool looking picture, you should send it to CNN. :)

[bamachem]

damn.

earthquakes, mudslides, and fires. i'll take a good ole hurricane any day. :D at least you know when a hurricane is coming and you can simply pack up your stuff and move you and your family our of it's way in plenty of time.

we're thinking of you guys and keep us posted.

[04 Rocko Taco]

I'm with you Andy, except here in Ga, we dont have hurricanes either. lol. I'll just stay here. :)

[slosurfer]

has anyone heard from Frank (elripster)?

[BruceTS]

When I lived in Georgia, I experienced floods and Hurricanes, in Alabama, went through the worst case of tornados in history 1974. I'd take earthquakes over them any day of the week. Fortunately where I live I just get to enjoy the ring of fires. With that said, at least I get a mini vacation, been off work for the past 3 days due to the conditions.....

[surf4runner]

malibu fires under some control

my parents/sister in-law didnt have to evacuate from it but the smoke had been thick!

the ash fallout from the malibu & buckweed fires in ventura was i had to suffer through this time.

hope everyone is safe, esp in SD

[Seanz0rz]

i havent had a chance to even drive down the street to look at the fires up in lake arrowhead, running springs.

my grandparents, who live in north san bernardino, have been here for the last two nights, 3 days. they didnt get evacuated like on 03, but decided that they couldnt just shut the windows and doors and turn on the ac... they left today, but i think the smoke might be worse. i slept in my truck one night, but the screws finally gave up the second night, so i ended up sleeping on the sofa, which has left me tired and sore.



i cant even imagine what these people are going through who have lost their homes. entire neighborhoods have been wiped out in the mountains. i think this spring and summer will be filled with helping out those who lost their homes, rebuilding some of our favorite trails, and planting trees, not to mention donating stuff in the coming weeks, as i dont think fema will come through, like in katrina.

[Phalanx]

Alex, A good friend of mine, he's wheeled with us a few times with his blue Rubicon.. unfortunately he lost his home Monday morning.

http://a97.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/53/l_09ac5a88e152ac334aac9b255105aca8.jpg
http://a799.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/66/l_19acbf2ff9428e3e163abb39423ca4de.jpg


http://a63.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/108/l_48260625116044c4dae975223743d56e.jpg
http://a147.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/95/l_6552b384dbed9c29b98339df8fd3e9a2.jpg
http://a763.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/47/l_e6058dc9b3f0286d719d9c854b73781a.jpg
http://a114.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/19/l_7e13dc2ad8f9d8761e302c40271802e1.jpg
http://a141.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/33/l_7269d28fc7f6ee10d38c67fbf71b75cc.jpg

[Erich_870]

That's very sad. The rest of the nation is watching with heartfelt condolences to all the homes lost and families displaced :(

Erich

[fustercluck]

FBI: al-Qaeda detainee spoke of fire plot
PHOENIX (AP) — The FBI alerted law enforcement agencies last month that an al-Qaeda terrorist now in detention had talked of masterminding a plot to set a series of devastating forest fires around the western United States.
Rose Davis, a spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, told The Associated Press that officials there took note of the warning but didn't see a need to act further on it.

The contents of the June 25 memo from the FBI's Denver office were reported Friday by The Arizona Republic. Davis declined to share a copy of the memo and an FBI spokeswoman in Denver didn't immediately return a telephone call.

The Republic reported that the detainee, who was not identified, said the plan involved three or four people setting wildfires using timed devices in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming that would detonate in forests and grasslands after the operatives had left the country.

The memo noted that investigators couldn't determine whether the detainee was telling the truth.

The newspaper said many forest law enforcement officers it contacted had no idea the warning had been issued.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-07-11-alqaeda-fire_x.htm

[Texas Jim]

Who really know's? TJ

[Seanz0rz]

based on everything i have heard down here, besides the irvine fire, all were caused my sparks from downed power lines in the high wind, sparks from nearby construction or the like...

never ruled it out before, and ive always said, that would be a good target for them.

[Marc P]

Alex, A good friend of mine, he's wheeled with us a few times with his blue Rubicon.. unfortunately he lost his home Monday morning.

http://a97.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/53/l_09ac5a88e152ac334aac9b255105aca8.jpg
http://a799.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/66/l_19acbf2ff9428e3e163abb39423ca4de.jpg


http://a63.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/108/l_48260625116044c4dae975223743d56e.jpg
http://a147.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/95/l_6552b384dbed9c29b98339df8fd3e9a2.jpg
http://a763.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/47/l_e6058dc9b3f0286d719d9c854b73781a.jpg
http://a114.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/19/l_7e13dc2ad8f9d8761e302c40271802e1.jpg
http://a141.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/33/l_7269d28fc7f6ee10d38c67fbf71b75cc.jpg







Wow Josh, that sucks!! Let us know if he needs help with anything.

[ecchamberlin]

FBI: al-Qaeda detainee spoke of fire plot
PHOENIX (AP) — The FBI alerted law enforcement agencies last month that an al-Qaeda terrorist now in detention had talked of masterminding a plot to set a series of devastating forest fires around the western United States.
Rose Davis, a spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, told The Associated Press that officials there took note of the warning but didn't see a need to act further on it.

The contents of the June 25 memo from the FBI's Denver office were reported Friday by The Arizona Republic. Davis declined to share a copy of the memo and an FBI spokeswoman in Denver didn't immediately return a telephone call.

The Republic reported that the detainee, who was not identified, said the plan involved three or four people setting wildfires using timed devices in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming that would detonate in forests and grasslands after the operatives had left the country.

The memo noted that investigators couldn't determine whether the detainee was telling the truth.

The newspaper said many forest law enforcement officers it contacted had no idea the warning had been issued.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-07-11-alqaeda-fire_x.htm




You know this is one of those times when it probably would not have mattered what they did if this is infact credible at all.

The areas here that are effected by the fires would be impossible to isolate and protect. It would literally be as easy as throwing an ignition source out the window of a car going 60mph. Just no way to stop that sort of thing when mother nature has made conditions so dangerous.

Anyway.

What is so impressive is how well the emergency services have responded and how organized it has been so far. Absolutely amazing how something like this brings out the very best in our country and our citizens. Those fire fighters are Warriors! So much work in hellish conditions, most of which is done for complete strangers. I Love Our Country!

Josh,
Like Marc said, if Alex needs anything please tell him not to even hesitate in asking for help of any kind.

That was a beautiful home indeed. I imagine they are already looking towards rebuilding it better than ever.

[elripster]

has anyone heard from Frank (elripster)?


I'm here, I have been busy. Thanks for inquiring though! Claire is off all week, the school she works at is closed because so many kids are out.

Well Mission Valley was fortunately never in danger. I did get some valuables from my parents house in Vista because they are in Italy right now and with they way the freeways were getting closed/opened, I didn't know if I'd be able to get there in time if the fires keep on moving west. Basically they had fire to the north east and to the south. The Witch wire might have been a problem if it kept burning through Hidden Meadows because they are on the other sides of those mountains west of I15.

On the upside, I enjoyed cruising the old man's Chrysler 300C Heritage. That thing hauls even when I have it full of documents, pictures, my mom's paintings, and a cubic butt ton of wine.

SDSU is closed all week so I have been trying to catch up on all those little things just never seem to get around to doing.

Today I learned Dreamweaver and rebuilt my hybrid team's website. www.socalhybrids.com

Now I'm going to post about my wrenchathon on Sunday because my truck runs GREAT!


Frank

[wifesaysimadumbass]

well i finally found out my dads house is ok... he lives in lake arrowhead and the fire burned all around his house but didn't get the house so he is stoked... i just got back from mexico on wed night and you can imagine my suprise when i hit the border... there was a large fire south of ensenada so we thought it was just that that was causing all the smoke in the air....!!!!!

[Robinhood4x4]

Well, my parents answering machine still answers so either their house is ok or everything around the answering machine is gone.
:)

[slowheelin]

We saw a couple very tired CDF guys on the back of a fire truck this morning. Gave them the thumbs up as we drove by. Those guys (and gals) do a hell of a job and they deserve big thanks.

[Tanto]

Well, being in Mission Valley, I made sure to donate to the group at Qualcomm and the last that I saw driving by the stadium, they quickly received all the donations they needed and the place is getting cleaned up for the Chargers game this Sunday. I didn't look in the parking lot to see if anybody is still there but I would really hate to see people displaced from their temporary home at the stadium due to a football game.

My hat is off to everyone who fought, and is still fighting, those fires.

[Bob98SR5]

Ryan,

When did you get back?

Steve: whats the latest re your parent's place?

Mikey: good news re your parent's place.

Man, this was really terrible week. :(

[Tanto]

Bob,

I've been back since the 30th of September. It's been a rush getting things moved and only recently have things settled down enough to get back on the forum.

[Robinhood4x4]

My parents were allowed to go back on Friday and they said their house was fine. It was real smoky inside even though the windows were closed and there was a lot of ash outside. I guess the ash wasn't the normal wispy stuff that floats off a campfire but big embers of wood. Anyway, they're glad to be home.

[Bob98SR5]

based on everything i have heard down here, besides the irvine fire, all were caused my sparks from downed power lines in the high wind, sparks from nearby construction or the like...

never ruled it out before, and ive always said, that would be a good target for them.


on a somewhat tangential note, a bit of history: the same idea of creating huge wild fires to paralyze the west coast was first tried by the japanese during ww2. here's a wikipedia link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_balloon

most interesting to me was this little excerpt:

The bombs caused little damage, but their potential for destruction and fires was large. The bombs also had a potential psychological effect on the American people. The U.S. strategy was not to let Japan know of the balloon bombs' effectiveness. Cooperating with the desires of the government, the press did not publish any balloon bomb incidents. As a result, the Japanese only learned of one bomb reaching Wyoming, landing and failing to explode, so they stopped the launches after less than six months.

that'll never happen with today's press. shame.

Ryan: good to hear you are back. how long will you be staying if that is not a matter of national security? :)

Steve: good news as well. i guess a celebratory bbq is out of the question? :hillbill:

Bob

[Tanto]

Bob,

I will probably be around for a good bit now, but likely to be very busy in the next coming months. There is a 90% chance that I will not be making the annual Death Valley trip and may have to plan my own trip for an extended weekend.

[Bob98SR5]

Ryan,

Ok, cool. Good to hear you are back stateside. RE DV: it might be hard for me to get out as well this year. Working full time again and still running hte export business is taking a serious crunch out of my free time

bob

[Phalanx]

http://a185.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/l_6fdae1d2a8d4008502305418b7a74ad8.jpg

[wifesaysimadumbass]

ooh man that thing got cooked!!!