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bear down
10-25-2003, 08:20 AM
A view from my home in South Fontana "South Ridge"
Thanks to all fire fighters!!!
Very windy today!!
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/328Dsc01742-med.jpg
Scary look
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/328Dsc01743-med.jpg
Not a sunny day !
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/328Dsc01740-med.jpg

Dr. Eagle
10-25-2003, 08:21 AM
Dude, that's scary stuff!

JetBoatRich
10-25-2003, 08:22 AM
been watching it on the news, looks real bad. They say another week before than can contain it:mad:

riverbound
10-25-2003, 08:43 AM
Here are the views from y store this morning fire is a bout 4 miles form here

riverbound
10-25-2003, 08:43 AM
more

riverbound
10-25-2003, 08:44 AM
another

riverbound
10-25-2003, 08:44 AM
last one
these pics were taken at 9:30 am looks like 4:30 am out here

jbtrailerjim
10-25-2003, 09:04 AM
I should have went to Havasu this weekend, so I would not have to sit in the 909 surrounded by smoke.:yuk:

riverbound
10-25-2003, 09:25 AM
Here is one more you can barely see blue skies on the horizon

TheLurker
10-25-2003, 09:51 AM
How windy is it out there? Some of those trees make look like it is blowing hard.

bear down
10-25-2003, 11:15 AM
Originally posted by TheLurker
How windy is it out there? Some of those trees make look like it is blowing hard.
I say winds are blowing about 20-25 mph with gusts of 40

j-rod
10-25-2003, 11:55 AM
HOPE WE DON'T GET THE WINDS TODAY AS PREDICTED.

anxious
10-25-2003, 05:58 PM
jbtrailerjim, nice avitar
:D :D

topless
10-25-2003, 06:30 PM
It really suxs in Norco because the winds are blowing the smoke our way. Not only that, there is a new fire about a mile from my house (I mean trailer). That is why I packed up the kids and am in Palm springs right now. At least we can all breathe here. It is really scary looking outside. I have seen fires closer before but never this intense. I looks like snow falling from all the ash I hope and pray everyone is OK.

JetBoatRich
10-25-2003, 06:33 PM
we could see the HUGE smoke cloud this morning going straight up, an hour later it was moving sideways, the wind had to be moving:mad: we are pretty far away and on the other side of the Mountains so it must be terrible to be anywhere near it. I saw on the news a few houses have been lost.

RiverRatMike
10-25-2003, 06:38 PM
it's been blowing big time here in Havasu all day. At about noon today I recorded a high wind speed of 39.8 from the north. Even right now my weather station is picking up wind speeds of about 15mph at 7:36pm

dirtman
10-25-2003, 06:59 PM
Lost a bunch of homes in this one.

jbtrailerjim
10-25-2003, 08:38 PM
There reporting over 200 homes have been destroyed. My sister and brother in law were evacuated from there home in San Bernardino this afternoon. There pretty stressed right now.

JetBoatRich
10-25-2003, 09:43 PM
Originally posted by jbtrailerjim
There reporting over 200 homes have been destroyed. My sister and brother in law were evacuated from there home in San Bernardino this afternoon. There pretty stressed right now.
Sorry to hear that, I hope their home is ok. Ley us know how things are going.

j-rod
10-25-2003, 10:17 PM
My heart goes out to all the people who lost their homes and
property. http://www.wildlandfire.com/pics/fire4/command2.jpg
THE GRAND PRIX & WATERMAN FIRES WERE BOTH HUMAN CAUSED

CEO
10-25-2003, 10:43 PM
The only thing good about the winds today, it blew all that fricking ash away. It looklike when we walked on the moon. Every step, a puff of smoke and ash came up from the ground.
CEO in Chino

anxious
10-26-2003, 07:34 AM
the news is saying that the two fires have merged together at the 15 & 215:eek!: :jawdrop:

clownpuncher
10-26-2003, 07:36 AM
We're sending some more guys to San Diego/Monte Vista area. Sounds like it's kickin hard down there. Those of you that live down south be careful

Dr. Eagle
10-26-2003, 07:59 AM
Originally posted by clownpuncher
We're sending some more guys to San Diego/Monte Vista area. Sounds like it's kickin hard down there. Those of you that live down south be careful
I just heard on the good ol channel 3 news here this morning that firefighters from as far away as Maine are being dispatched to So Cal. That's gotta tell you something of the scope of this disaster. There have been convoys of fire fighting vehicles going down I-5 from Nor Cal to the fires hopefully they can help....

topless
10-26-2003, 11:49 AM
I'm in Palm Springs right now but have been following the news. Looks like fires are really close to Rex Marine too. Hope all is well there. It is pretty scary right now. The feeling of helplessness must be aweful!
I'm keeping everyone in my prayers
(Even you Mike since my trailer is still in your parking lot)

jbtrailerjim
10-26-2003, 12:31 PM
My sister and brother in law were let back in there home this morning. No damage to there home (thank God) only a tree across the street was burnt. They said there were a ton of ashes everywhere. I live in Riverside about 20 miles from the fires and it nasty outside.:yuk: There's ashes everywhere and the smell of smoke is terrible. I feel so bad for all the people that have lost there home's. It's a terrible feeling. I know from experience. My parent's home caught fire when I was a kid. It was a horrilble experience.

CEO
10-26-2003, 03:12 PM
I have a good friend in La Verne and they are scared. The fire is 2 blocks away, the only good thing the wind has changed and is blowing away from their house

Bense468
10-26-2003, 03:50 PM
Rex Marine is okay. They are a ways down from the moutians. I can tell you this because I live in La Verne. I had to help my buddy evac last night at 2:30 am. They lost 50 homes up there already. This is the last number I heard this morning. That was in claremont right next to La Verne.

Rexone
10-27-2003, 01:32 AM
Rex Marine is fine, was never threatened.
Unlike Rexone's house. Last night was one I'll never forget. This fire had been causing havoc in Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana for a couple days. It was slowly working its way west each day. Sat morning I woke up and could see it in the distance over RC on the mountains, probably at least 4 miles away. Strong winds were predicted but hadn't yet happened. I went back to sleep a couple hours woke up and looked again. Quite a bit closer than 2 hours ago. I started cleaning stuff up a bit just out of nerviousness. My house backs up to the Cucamonga Canyon Wash, an area about a mile wide full of unburned (very large) brush that connects directly up to the mountains a mile or so away. The wash divides Rancho Cucamonga and Upland. I don't think it had ever burned before since is was constructed in probably mid 80's when the surrounding homes were built.
About noon we got pre-evac warning (basically get your shit ready). Fire still pretty far off 2-3 miles at least. Around 4 got the mandatory evac warning, fire had crossed Archibald in RC about 2 miles. The good thing was the wind was calm. At 7 or so I left, fire was about a mile, winds calm. Drove over to Rex and dropped a load of stuff off and went back towards Upland, probably an hour. Winds had come up... way friggin up. Sustained 20 or so with gusts to 30-40. The fire had gone clear across upper Upland known as San Antonio Heights and was now progressing down the wash area that ultimately passes immediately behind my house. Fire was spotting ahead about 1/2 mile or more going west and moving like a freight train. Within an hour it had moved across Upland burning several foothill homes and moving on to Clairmont. The exception was Cucamonga wash. Long story shorter... 1AM or so the fire fighters saved our whole street. Had 75 ft plus flame lengths 20 ft from my back wall 100 ft from the house (I was watching from a couple blocks away). FD had one or 2 engines in every driveway, 20 total in about a block. Foamed my house and 2 others, yards trees, everything. Thank God for good clearance and these firefighters. I came real close to living in my Suburban with my 2 dogs. To witness the power of this firestorm was truly one of the most intense and scary things I've ever seen. If there's anyone on this board from the Santa Barbara FD, you have my personal thank you. I understand it was your trucks in my driveway.
The key for Upland was being prepared. They had 25 strike teams (75 trucks) lined up in preparation that afternoon. Upland lost a few homes. Claremont and La Verne weren't so lucky as the fire moved through Upland so fast they were caught much more by surprise with emergency get out now evacs etc. 66 homes was the last count I heard there.
The arsonists that have set these fire should become fuel, just toss em in. 650 homes in So Cal tonight on the news in about a dozen fires. I consider myself extremely lucky and thankful not to be one of those 650 right now. It's been kind of an intense weekend.
Sorry for the long post

MANIC MECHANIC
10-27-2003, 05:02 AM
Mike, We are glad to hear that the FD was able to save your home and that you and your family are safe. Is the house out of danger now? Our thoughts and prayers are with you and everyone else affected by this tragedy. Tim & Beverly

Rexone
10-27-2003, 09:47 PM
Thanx, yes it is calm in Upland now, except for those who lost homes. Spent the day cleaning up ash and soot, pretty much a mess. Not complaining though as I have a house to clean up. There are still many many who lost their houses with fires worse than Upland still raging. Last count I heard was something like 1100+ houses gone between all the fires, and up to 24 dead.
What would bring a person to start fires like this? I just don't understand the mentallity of doing this.

Dr. Eagle
10-27-2003, 10:24 PM
Originally posted by Rexone
Thanx, yes it is calm in Upland now, except for those who lost homes. Spent the day cleaning up ash and soot, pretty much a mess. Not complaining though as I have a house to clean up. There are still many many who lost their houses with fires worse than Upland still raging. Last count I heard was something like 1100+ houses gone between all the fires, and up to 24 dead.
What would bring a person to start fires like this? I just don't understand the mentallity of doing this.
Mike,
Glad you survived the conflagration. I too have relatives in the area, one of whom is a Clairmont PD officer. They are all safe so far, but this has been quite a shock to the system for everyone down there to say the least...

Tom Brown
10-27-2003, 10:35 PM
I'm glad you're OK Mike.
I couldn't begin to imagine what it might be like.