Hot times on the West Coast

[TheGeepster]

California Fire (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20031024-1144-wst-californiawildfires.html)

This is such a tragedy in so many ways. Not sure about much of what's going on there, and so I wanted to ask what others had heard about it.

My biggest question is what effect did the underbrush density and deadwood have on the seriousness of this, and could the situation have been prevented from being as large as possible with common sense policy?

I understand that many people have opposed the efforts to try and thin undergrowth which may have helped to limit the power and strength of this fire.

[*b*]

Well, I'm in Oregon, so this is REALLY big news. I haven't heard much on it though, but I don't really listen to the news or read the paper (exept for the Comics, of course), but I have heard that it's getting extremley and dengerously close to San Diego, and that it's threatening a Mobile Home Park... but that's all I know right now

[ShadowTiger]

I have heard about this many times. I fear for the lives of the many good people there. I have also heard that one may see the fires from space. (OK, THAT scares me.)

[Master Ghaleon]

15 dead, 1,100 some homes and about 500,000 acres up in flames. This shit is big. They said that there is a chance that these fires could join into one huge fire and head to the Pacific Ocean destroying like 10 more times as much.

[~cydlet~]

i've not heard much, but my friend Mike, who lives in Riverside, CA, emailed me to say the fires are within 15 miles of his house, and he and his wife and their animals would be leaving soon to get out of the ash and smoke. I can't even begin to imagine what this must be like...

[Michael Moore]

Yet here in Winnipeg, MB Canada, we are having cold weather now. Guess it beats being burnt alive.

[Radium]

http://radium3d.net:8080/images/misc/fire/03fire5.jpg
Photo: Escondido on Centre City Pkwy

I'm on the edge of Carlsbad, CA and San Marcos, CA which is right next to the Escondido fire. The smoke here is bad and it's been snowing ashes for about 3 days now on and off. I took some photographs and put them in the photography section of my gallery Gallery Here (www.radium3d.net:8080/gallery.html). The air quality around here is horrible, and it doesn't stay outside 'cause I'm feelin sick from the smell of it (but it's a LOT worse in Escondido when I was over there :| if I lived over there I'd leave to get fresh air somewhere). If you want to read a local source of news, here are a couple of good ones: North County Times (www.nctimes.com) and San Diego Union Tribune (www.signonsandiego.com). My college (Palomar College) has been closed for 2 days so far already and might be closed even more if the fires continue like this.

Fortunately for us we're going to be losing our record high temperatures and by the end of this week we're supposed to have record low temperatures and the marine layer will be returning to us which will help the firefighters along with their battle against the fires. It also means snow in the mountains for us snowboarders!!! woohoo! ;)

[Jigglysaint]

Is this the time to point out the prophacies in Mathew 24/Revelation *shot*

Umm, nevermind.

In BC there was a big fire as well. It seems that these fires are getting more common nowadays.

[Gerudo]

*Gerudo grabs some marshmellows and heads to Cali*

just kidding...

my 'rents house burnt down, so i know the feeling of those who lost a home :(

[Mitsukara]

That really sucks... I hate it when this kind of stuff happens. It seems so pointless... I mean, all those things lost, just... because. It's even worse that people lose their lives over things like this... 15 people, gone, just because of some fire. Those people almost certainly didn't deserve that... it wasn't their fault that the fire started, even. But that seems to be the way the world works...

It's depressing, though, you know? Sort of makes you feel like there's not a lot of reason to anything... but oh well... I guess all you can ever really do is try to help the people who've lost their homes and loved ones, and if you haven't lost anything yourself, consider yourself lucky...

Sorry if I sound sappy as hell ^.^

[Pablo]

Originally posted by Jigglysaint
Is this the time to point out the prophacies in Mathew 24/Revelation *shot*

Umm, nevermind.

In BC there was a big fire as well. It seems that these fires are getting more common nowadays.

This is maybe the hundred thousandth wildfire in California, where have you been? :eyebrow:

Speaking of the fire, I wish I still lived in California. Then something exciting would be happening in my area :(

[Radium]

Well pablo, this IS the biggest fire in San Diego ever recorded. I'm used to the fires though, I've had to evacuate and this house that I'm living in right now has burned down once before (not wildfires though) when I lived in it when I was 2 or 3 (it's my grandparents) I still remember watching it burn down. I'm used to this sort of thing though, and it is actually VERY good for the backcountry out here because it's getting rid of ALLLLLLLL of the chapparel out back. I consider it like formatting your computer. It gets rid of all the old stuff as well as some good stuff (if ya forget to back it up ;)) then when spring comes around everything is back fresh and new and you won't have to worry about huge fires like this again for quite a while which is a good thing. The worst part is when you lose life which is unfortunate, but it can always be prevented if you take the proper actions.

[Dracula]

The rest of the country better be prepared for skyrocketed insurence rates...
This is big. I feel terribly sorry for everyone who has to experience this in Cali.

Radium, those photos sent a chill down my spine, it reminds me of the time I first experienced a tornado... Touching.