Los Angeles Times Nov 17, 08 6:52 PM CST
(Newser)
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Residents of Yorba Linda, Calif. sifted through their charred belongings today amid 113 houses razed by the so-called "Freeway Complex Fire," the Los Angeles Times reports. Meanwhile fire officials shuttled residents into a mobile home park near the Sylmar fire, which has destroyed 477 houses and 10 commercial buildings. Both blazes are 40% contained, while the Montecito fire is 90% contained.
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"All accidental causes" eliminated in Santa Barbara wildfire
CNN Nov 17, 08 6:26 AM CST
(Newser)
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Officials suspect arson in one of the three major fires currently blazing in California, CNN reports. Investigators have eliminated “all accidental causes” of the fire that has charred 1,940 acres and 210 homes in the Montecito area of Santa Barbara since Thursday, which officials now believe was sparked on the grounds of the private, multi-acre Tea Garden Estate.
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As gusts slow, firefighters get reprieve, take preventative measures
Associated Press Nov 16, 08 11:54 AM CST
(AP)
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The winds have let up in Southern California, giving some relief to firefighters battling wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of residents to flee. Gusts in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles were down to 39mph, much lower than the roughly 80mph winds that fanned the huge wildfire there yesterday, the National Weather Service reports.
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updated
Worst blaze in nearly 50 years is only 10 percent contained
Los Angeles Times Nov 15, 08 4:38 PM CST
(Newser)
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The worst LA wildfire in nearly 50 years has forced 10,000 people to flee and charred more than 500 homes in Sylmar, Calif., the LA Times and LA Daily News report. Flames also swept into Orange County today, burning at least 40 more homes and surrounding a high school. Meanwhile, power outages struck San Fernando Valley neighborhoods and the city warned it may have to engineer rolling blackouts.
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Blaze overwhelms firefighters in enclave of the rich and famous
Los Angeles Times Nov 14, 08 3:19 AM CST
(Newser)
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A wildfire ripped through the wealthy enclave of Montecito in Santa Barbara County last night, destroying some 80 homes, the Los Angeles Times reports. Firefighters were overwhelmed as the wind-driven brushfire spread out of control. Much of the area, home to dozens of celebrities, was evacuated as the blazes spread toward the city of Santa Barbara and firefighters scrambled to stop it.
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They hope to contain Goleta blaze; Big Sur still surly
Los Angeles Times Jul 5, 08 1:33 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Today will be “critical” for battling the Goleta fire, one of more than 330 still raging across California, a fire commander told the Los Angeles Times . The blaze has already scorched 8,300 acres, sparked more than 2,500 evacuations, and razed four buildings—but it is now 24% contained. "We want to be vigilant, we want to stay persistent," the commander said. "Our hope is to close this off."
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Canyon residents ordered to leave for fear of mudslides
Los Angeles Times Jan 4, 08 11:35 PM CST
(Newser)
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A storm that battered Northern California and knocked out power for more a million people today is drenching Los Angeles tonight, sparking evacuation calls for an estimated 3,000 people, the Los Angeles Times reports. Torrential rain is expected and residents of canyon areas scorched by the October wildfires have been ordered to leave for fear of mudslides.
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Buckweed fire burned more than 38,000 acres
CNN Oct 31, 07 7:22 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Playing with matches went horribly wrong for a Southern California boy who has admitted to inadvertently starting one of last week's sprawling fires. The Buckweed fire, which forced more than 15,000 to evacuate and burned 63 structures, started October 21; the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department had identified the suspect a day later, CNN reports. Sheriffs released the boy, whose name and age were withheld, to the custody of his parents.
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Winds could still flare up, officials warn
Los Angeles Times Oct 29, 07 12:35 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Firefighters have contained most of Southern California's ferocious wildfires, and shelters emptied rapidly as evacuation orders were lifted and residents began pondering the next step. The fires had destroyed 2,813 structures and more than a half-million acres as of last night, reports the LA Times, and will go down as among the most destructive in California history.
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Lack of equipment, manpower allowed Santiago fire to grow into monster
Los Angeles Times Oct 28, 07 2:11 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Orange County firefighters might have contained the fire that ripped through Irvine, the county fire chief says, if only there were more of them. Orange County was short on manpower and fire engines even before it sent crews to help contain Malibu’s fires. With state reinforcements busy elsewhere, and aircrafts grounded by red tape, the Santiago fire grew into a monster, destroying 16 homes.
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Returning SoCal residents face weeks
of hardships
Associated Press Oct 27, 07 6:24 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Thousands of Southern California residents have returned to their homes—those fortunate enough to find them standing—to find no electricity and no drinking water, with town reservoirs drained to fight fires, and air choked with smoke and ash. The threat of changing weather also looms: the hot winds that fueled the fires are predicted to return tomorrow, ending the lull that allowed firefighters to battle back the blazes.
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Residents pick up the pieces after blaze
Associated Press Oct 26, 07 1:26 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Firefighting helicopters sat idle as wildfires broke out across California, an AP investigation concludes, thanks to a web of bureaucracy. By the time Navy, Marine, and National Guard aircraft got clearance, up to a day after blazes started, it was already too dangerous to fly. Others were missing crucial equipment that had been promised for 4 years.
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Six more found dead; 60 injured
Reuters Oct 26, 07 2:54 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Four charred bodies found in the mountains near the Mexican border and two others discovered in a house in San Diego County boosted the death toll of the California wildfires to 12, with 60 others injured. Authorities confirmed yesterday that the 25,000-acre Santiago Fire in Orange County was arson, set by someone with particular knowledge of how wildfires spread.
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President tours affected areas by helicopter
New York Times Oct 25, 07 3:23 PM CDT
(Newser)
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“There will be help for the people of California,” said President Bush today, promising federal aid while on a tour of areas devastated by days of wildfires. Bush, accompanied by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other politicians, had already declared seven counties in Southern California to be disaster areas, the New York Times reports.
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Dying winds aid fight from air as evacuees start to head back
CNN Oct 25, 07 11:27 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Firefighters found two bodies in a burned-out San Diego County home even as dying winds today allowed airplanes to take up the fight against California wildfires, and some evacuees began trickling back. A fire captain called the drone of the aircraft "the sound of joy," reports CNN. "Their drops are hitting their mark because the wind is not there," he says.
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A cot at Qualcomm comes with massage
Los Angeles Times Oct 25, 07 5:42 AM CDT
(Newser)
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As California burns, 9,000 residents have evacuated to Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. But for those who remember the horror of the New Orleans Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, this refuge is stunningly well-appointed, and very California. Benefits include Starbucks coffee, free massages and acupuncture, and a constant stream of emergency workers. "It's better service than [at] a restaurant," said one happy camper.
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Abating winds aided progress; one arson suspect killed, another arrested
Los Angeles Times Oct 24, 07 6:45 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Diminishing winds today allowed firefighters to make broad progress against the California wildfires that have chased a million people from their homes, while police shot to death one arson suspect and detained another. Major fires still burned, mainly in Orange and San Diego counties, but firefighters' optimism was growing, the Los Angeles Times reports. Officials said a fifth evacuee died.
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