My thoughts are with the scorched Left Coast...

[Asylum Steve]

It's hard to believe the television images that I keep seeing of the wild fires that are raging in the LA and San Diego areas. Terrifying what little control we have over nature sometimes...

I've already checked on a friend in LA and relatives in the burbs of SD, and luckily they have all been largely unaffected by the fires. Thankfully.

My thoughts go out to those already devistated by this tragedy, and wish the best to those here who live near those areas, or have friends or family there...

[Asylum Steve]

My thoughts go out to those already devistated by this tragedy, and wish the best to those here who live near those areas, or have friends or family there...

Hmmm, 12 hours and not one comment. Ok, maybe no one else here watches tv...

[mjs1973]

Hmmm, 12 hours and not one comment. Ok, maybe no one else here watches tv...

I'm kind of surprised too. I have been checking cnn.com off and on all day, and it seems that the fire is the only story they are covering. That and Eric Claptons new autobiography. Hopefully I will be around tonight to catch up on the news from the national news shows.

[drg]

I've been trying to find out about friends in SD. The only news over the weekend was that as long as the wind did not shift, they would be fine. Damn wind.

[jgredline]

Really it is un real here..I am about 15 miles away from the fire in Malibu and am amazed at how dark and hot and ugly and ashy and awful it is right now...

It seems better today than yesterday, but it is like an earthquake that never ends...

Really, it is in Gods hands right now.

[walterick]

I am waiting for the smell of sutt to blow over the desert into Phoenix...

It's sad, and the devastation is tremendous. $1,000,000,000 was the total I heard this morning. I have not heard a loss of life total but the human agony and displacement is enough. I hope the wind stops soon and those courageous fire fighters can get an edge on this thing.

Don't know if this was human-started or not, but let's be careful with our cigarettes and fire, huh? It's not worth the loss.

Rick

[Frog]

Hmmm, 12 hours and not one comment. Ok, maybe no one else here watches tv...

You got more than I.
Southern California

[jgredline]

One of the things that bothers me, is all the pictures being posted here and else place of these beautiful sunsets and landscapes, but lets not forget those pictures are at the expense of folks homes...

[Liz]

Steve,

Thanks for posting this. I read your post early this morning but had to leave for appointments - just got back.

I've been watching the news also - you can't miss it on TV - that's for sure. I've been praying for all the people who are in any way affected by this terrible tragedy. I heard at least one fire was started by an arsonist. Then either this morning or last night one person got caught in the act of setting a fire and was arrested. He was seen by a helicopter. They didn't know if he was responsible for any of the fires that were already burning. Wow! sure makes one angry.

I saw a reporter right in front of his house that was in the process of burning. The reporter was extremely upset obviously. He and his family had lived there for 25 years.

Then there is some good news - I heard on the radio this afternoon on the way home that "miraculously" in one area the fire just stopped in it's tracks (forgot where), and no one could believe the nearby houses were not burned, except for some grass, etc. The reporter said over and over "I just couldn't believe my eyes.....none of these houses that we thought were going down were touched." And thankfully, some people have also shared how they escaped - narrowly - but made it along with their families.

Liz

[another view]

Hmmm, 12 hours and not one comment. Ok, maybe no one else here watches tv...

Didn't know what to say. I saw the story on CNN over the weekend when it had just started and was only about 300 acres, but they really sounded worried that it would get out of control quickly. What they feared came true, and more. Just insane - but it sounds like the aid agencies have their act together.

[Medley]

Anyone else see 60 Minutes on Sunday where they talked about fighting fires in the west? Fifteen to twenty years ago, the "big" fires were about 100,000 acres, and they might have three or four in a season. Today, the fire season is two months longer than it was then, a 100,000 acre fire is another day at the office, and they get a half dozen in the 500,000 acre size range. All of this with an average one or two degree temperature increase, depending on the month.

However, a spokesperson for the forest service also said that their policy on fighting forest fires in the past has had the effect of making today's fires harder to combat. The policy had always been to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible, and that seems reasonable. However, it has had the effect of allowing the underbrush to grow, without the thinning effect that a smaller fire would have. It's my understanding that this has made it much more difficult to create and hold a fire line, making these larger fires all the more dangerous.

It was a very interesting segment, and while I understand that the comments were made about the western U.S. in general, and not California specifically, it still makes you wonder.

- Joe U.

[Canuck935]

Hey everyone,

I am down in San Diego right in the middle of it. I was evacuated from my home on Monday, but we were allowed to return yesterday afternoon. More than 500,000 people have been evacuated due to the fires around the county. The Santa Ana winds have calmed now and they're really starting to fight it back now. There are still parts of the county on fire, so we're not through this yet...

For anyone interested, here's an interactive map for San Diego county. For some reason it seems to center over Texas, but move it on over to San Diego, CA and you'll see the icons..

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0...=UTF8&z=8&om=1

[Liz]

Canuck - I'm glad you're home safe. I'm assuming your house is okay. What about your neighbors. You must be relieved, but concerned about your friends and neighbors also.

Glad you posted - thanks for updating us and for the map.

Liz

Hey everyone,

I am down in San Diego right in the middle of it. I was evacuated from my home on Monday, but we were allowed to return yesterday afternoon. More than 500,000 people have been evacuated due to the fires around the county. The Santa Ana winds have calmed now and they're really starting to fight it back now. There are still parts of the county on fire, so we're not through this yet...

For anyone interested, here's an interactive map for San Diego county. For some reason it seems to center over Texas, but move it on over to San Diego, CA and you'll see the icons..

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0...=UTF8&z=8&om=1

[WesternGuy]

Steve, even being in Canada, I watched an ABC news special last night on the California fires. I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to sit and watch your house being consumed by wild fires. My thoughts are with them all.

WesternGuy

[Canuck935]

Canuck - I'm glad you're home safe. I'm assuming your house is okay. What about your neighbors. You must be relieved, but concerned about your friends and neighbors also.

Glad you posted - thanks for updating us and for the map.

Liz

Hi Liz,

My neighborhood made it through untouched, but the area just north of here got hit bad. So far all of my friends and family in the area have not lost their homes.

This is the worst fires in California history. The loss of homes was estimated at more than a thousand last I heard. The good thing is that people are making it through this with their lives...

[freygr]

The Santa Ana winds are something else. I saw photos in the paper which were unbleaveable but for the wind. Many persons don't think about fire and the landscaping can cause your house to burn just as the placement on the land, like the side of hills (view lots). And lets not forget the biggest fire hazard ever invented Cedar Shake Roofs.