stop it now!

[piranha]

stupid fucking santa anas. [1] some of my friends are being evacuated.

interactive google map with updated information on fire extent and evacuation zones.

[1] for those of you not familiar: between october and february hot, dry winds called "santa ana" blow in southern california, northeasterly with speeds of at least 20 mph. usually they last just a day or two. these ones have lasted for several days already and are sustaining speeds of 30-40 mph, gusting to 85 mph in the canyons. now, if this were just wind, it wouldn't be so bad. but when there's even the spark of a fire, this kind of wind whips it into an inferno in no time flat. in 2003 santa ana wildfires destroyed 750,000 acres and more than 3000 homes in california.

Comments

[aleksandrajabla.livejournal.com]

I really hope Whey will be alright
I didn’t know much about it since it isn’t covered in our news but
Gosh i wish she and everything she holds dear will be ok

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

yeah, it would surprise me if it would make your news. it's just not that big a catastrophe in the greater scheme of things. and it happens every year (just that some years are worse than others).

it really sucks to have to leave your home and all your treasures behind, and not know whether you'll see them again. even if what matters most is your own life, and you safely get away, it's still a crappy thing. well, you live in a country where lots of people know that feeling, *sigh*.

makes me want to live again in a way that i can throw everything into the truck at a moment's notice and run. fewer stuff. more stuff digitized so it can all fit in my computer which i'll grab if it's the only thing i can grab. after the cats, that is.

and yeah, i hope whey is alright, and they found a safe place to seek shelter. kinda worried about that SUV she described so lovingly as a "piece of crap".

[aleksandrajabla.livejournal.com]

Oh my the reason more since I know how it feels,I always wish that no one ever has to experience it and especially a friend of mine,I remember feeling so desperate and helpless and I’m so sad if Whey has to go trough it too,there is nothing worse then living it constant fear and asking yourself why.
The SUV will work I’m certain.
Somehow I’m very hopeful she will remain unharmed.
I have a cat and couldn’t live if I had to leave her behind to a uncertain destiny
*hugs you*

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

My mom's within breathing-smoke distance, and her school (she's a teacher) and the Munchkins' schools were closed midday today (Monday). They're not in danger, but when these things hit, it's rare that someone I know doesn't lose a house or worse. Last big San Diego fires, it was my cousin and his wife. They and their animals survived. Their house was rubble.

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

*nod*. yeah, you know and love so many people there. while i basically thought "at least serene doesn't live there anymore". cuz it's all about whom _i_ know and care about, *snrk*.

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

Heh. I had a conversation reminiscent of that today. Person said "Is your family safe?" Me: "Yeah, so far." Them: "Oh, good! Then it's not too bad." Me: "Um, but at least one person has died so far, and lots of people are losing their homes." Them: "Oh yeah, huh." :-)

The mainstream San Diego newspaper says "The Witch Creek fire still burning already has left a grim toll: 500 homes destroyed and 250 damaged; 100 commercial buildings destroyed and 75 damaged; 50 outbuildings destroyed and 50 more damaged. At least 145,000 acres burn."

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

yeah. if i internalize what that means to each individual person who has lost their home or a loved one, i end up paralyzed. so i think about it on a more detached level and go "fuck, that's a lot of damage", but i don't let it touch me like if anything happened to the people i personally care about.

i can't afford to even think about all the animals who end up dead when 145,000 acres burn. *gah*. humans at least usually have a choice about evacuating, and some help with it.

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

Yep, I feel the same way, on all counts.

[prairierabbit.livejournal.com]

Scary! The drought has been bad there and the brush is really dry, which combined with the wind means the fires are fast and unpredictable. Here's hoping for a nice long rain there realsoonnow.

[crazed-lynn.livejournal.com]

Inferno, indeed. Last night I saw a bit of footage that showed the aftermath of the firestorm moving through a residential area.

The fire was hot enough to melt a sizable chunk of aluminium. The reporter picked up a large bit that had solidified in a puddle created by the molten flow.

Although no officials have publicly spoken detailed characteristics of the fires, it is clear to me that it is burning much hotter than "regular" structure fires.

I'd be curious, too, to test oxygen levels near the fire lines. I suspect the fires are eating oxygen like candy to be that hot.

300,000 people have been evacuated in San Diego County. Temper that, though, with the abundance of caution being exercised by our local firefighters. The Ceder fire four years ago taught us well about managing evacuations.

san diego fires

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

i guess one good thing about having this happen frequently is that the emergency services become damn well-trained.

i hate fire. it scares me more than any (other) natural disaster.

[whey.livejournal.com]

I concur. Motherfuckin' santa anas, kiss my bunghole! (Poor county of Santa Ana getting the blame. XD)