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Raging Calif. fires burn scores of homes
2007-10-22
Wildfires blown by fierce desert winds Monday reduced scores of Southern California homes to ashes, forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee and laid a hellish, spidery pattern of luminous orange over the drought-stricken region. Muzi.com News 10052825-0 (muzi.com)At least one person was killed in the fires, and dozens were injured. Nearly 130 homes had burned in one mountain town alone, and thousands of other buildings were threatened by more than a dozen blazes covering at least 310 square miles. Muzi.com News 10052825-1 (muzi.com) "The sky was just red. Everywhere I looked was red, glowing. Law enforcement came barreling in with police cars with loudspeakers telling everyone to get out now," said Ronnie Leigh, 55, who fled her home at a mobile home park as smoke darkened the sky over the nearby ridge line. Muzi.com News 10052825-2 (muzi.com) Firefighters -- who lost valuable time trying to persuade stubborn homeowners to leave -- were almost completely overwhelmed as gale-force winds gusting to 70 mph scattered embers on the dry brush. California officials pleaded for help from fire departments in other states. Muzi.com News 10052825-3 (muzi.com) A pair of wildfires consumed 128 homes in the Lake Arrowhead mountain resort area in the San Bernardino National Forest east of Los Angeles, authorities said. Muzi.com News 10052825-4 (muzi.com) At least 14 fires were burning in Southern California, said Patti Roberts, a spokeswoman for the Governor's Office of Emergency Services. Muzi.com News 10052825-5 (muzi.com) From San Diego to Malibu, more than 150 miles up the coast, some 265,000 people were warned to leave their homes. More than 250,000 were told to flee in San Diego County alone, where hundreds of patients were moved by school bus and ambulance from a hospital and nursing homes, some in hospital gowns and wheelchairs. Some carried their medical records in clear plastic bags. Muzi.com News 10052825-6 (muzi.com) A 1,049-inmate jail in Orange County was evacuated because of heavy smoke. The prisoners were taken by bus to other lockups. Muzi.com News 10052825-7 (muzi.com) In San Diego, more than 194,000 reverse 911 calls -- calls from county officials to residents -- were made, alerting residents to evacuations, county Supervisor Ron Roberts said. Muzi.com News 10052825-8 (muzi.com) Many of those told to evacuate ended up at Qualcomm Stadium, home to the NFL's Chargers, where thousands of people huddled in eerie silence on the bleachers, staring at muted TV news reports of the wildfires. A lone concession stand served coffee and doughnuts. Muzi.com News 10052825-9 (muzi.com) Many evacuees gathered in the parking lot with their pets, which were banned from the stadium. Muzi.com News 10052825-10 (muzi.com) The sprawling Del Mar Fairgrounds on the coast was also turned into an evacuation center, along with high schools and senior centers. Muzi.com News 10052825-11 (muzi.com) At least one of the fires, in Orange County, was believed to have been set. And a blaze threatening the homes of the rich and famous in Malibu might have been caused by downed power lines, authorities said. Muzi.com News 10052825-12 (muzi.com) Mel Gibson, Kelsey Grammer and Victoria Principal were among the celebrities forced to abandon their homes over the weekend, their publicists said. Muzi.com News 10052825-13 (muzi.com) Another blaze was started by a car fire. Flying embers started new fires at every turn. Muzi.com News 10052825-14 (muzi.com) San Diego County fires were burning so fast that authorities did not have an accurate count of how many homes had been destroyed. Muzi.com News 10052825-15 (muzi.com) "It was nuclear winter. It was like Armageddon. It looked like the end of the world," Mitch Mendler, a San Diego firefighter, said as he and his crew stopped at a shopping center parking lot to refill their water truck from a hydrant near a restaurant. Asked how many homes had burned, he said, "I lost count." Muzi.com News 10052825-16 (muzi.com) Tom Sollie, 49, ignored evacuation orders in Rancho Bernardo to help his neighbors spray roofs on his street with water. His home was untouched, but he watched a neighbor's house reduced to nothing but the remnants of a brick chimney. "The house went up like a Roman candle," Sollie said. Muzi.com News 10052825-17 (muzi.com) He added: "If we weren't here, the whole neighborhood would go up. There just aren't enough fire trucks around." Muzi.com News 10052825-18 (muzi.com) The blazes in San Diego County and elsewhere erupted one after another over the weekend. Things got worse Monday, when several new fires erupted and other fires merged. Parts of seven Southern California counties were ablaze. Muzi.com News 10052825-19 (muzi.com) All San Diego police officers and detectives were ordered to return to work to help move people to safety and handle other fire-related emergencies. Muzi.com News 10052825-20 (muzi.com) Firefighters complained that their efforts to stop the flames were delayed when they were confronted by people who refused to leave their homes. Muzi.com News 10052825-21 (muzi.com) "They didn't evacuate at all, or delayed until it was too late," said Bill Metcalf, a fire boss. "And those folks who are making those decisions are actually stripping fire resources." Muzi.com News 10052825-22 (muzi.com) As flames, thick smoke and choking ash filled the air around San Diego County's Lake Hodges, Stan Smith ignored orders to evacuate and stayed behind to help rescue the horses of his neighbor Ken Morris. Muzi.com News 10052825-23 (muzi.com) "It's hard to leave all your belongings and take off, and the bad thing is you can't get back in once you leave," Smith said. Muzi.com News 10052825-24 (muzi.com) "I heard the cops come by, and I just ducked," Morris said. Muzi.com News 10052825-25 (muzi.com) Besides, said Smith, "Lots of time the fire doesn't ever come. It's come really close before. I've seen it so bad you couldn't even hear yourself talk over the flames and ash blowing everywhere." Muzi.com News 10052825-26 (muzi.com) Black smoke blanketed much of northern San Diego and nearby suburbs as flames hopscotched around homes in Rancho Bernardo, a community with many elderly people, destroying one of every 10 homes on one busy street. Muzi.com News 10052825-27 (muzi.com) Highways, canals and other features normally act as firebreaks. But the towering flames and flying embers rendered them useless this time. Muzi.com News 10052825-28 (muzi.com) Dozens of motorists gathered on an Interstate 15 overpass in San Diego to watch flames race up a hillside and engulf at least a half-dozen homes. Witnesses said they watched flames jump west over the 10-lane freeway. Muzi.com News 10052825-29 (muzi.com) "The flames were like 100 feet high and it moved up the hill in seconds. It was at the bottom, it was in the middle, and then it was at the top," said Steve Jarrett, who helped a friend evacuate his home in nearby Escondido. Muzi.com News 10052825-30 (muzi.com) Fire near the San Diego Wild Animal Park led authorities to move condors, a cheetah, snakes and other animals to the fire-resistant veterinary hospital on the grounds of the park. The large animals, such as elephants, rhinos and antelope, were left in irrigated enclosures. Muzi.com News 10052825-31 (muzi.com) The world-famous San Diego Zoo was not immediately threatened. Muzi.com News 10052825-32 (muzi.com) Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in the seven affected counties, opening the way for government aid. Muzi.com News 10052825-33 (muzi.com) "Its a tragic time for California," he said in Malibu, where a church, homes and a mansion resembling a medieval castle were destroyed over the weekend. Muzi.com News 10052825-34 (muzi.com) White House deputy press secretary Scott Stanzel said in an e-mail that President Bush called Schwarzenegger to make sure the state is getting the help it needs. Muzi.com News 10052825-35 (muzi.com) One person died in one of the fires near San Diego. More than a dozen people were hospitalized with burns and smoke inhalation, including four firefighters, three of whom were listed in critical condition, officials said. Some of the injured were hikers, while others may be illegal immigrants. Muzi.com News 10052825-36 (muzi.com) San Diego County spokeswoman Lesley Kirk said fire crews were stretched thin and were anxiously awaiting reinforcements from other parts of the state. Muzi.com News 10052825-37 (muzi.com) "The winds are up, it's very, very dangerous conditions," Kirk said. "Fires are popping up all over the place." Muzi.com News 10052825-38 (muzi.com) Flames forced the evacuation of the San Diego community of Ramona, which has a population of about 36,000. Muzi.com News 10052825-39 (muzi.com)
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