Map/Info - San Diego County Fires

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Most up-to-date and informative maps I could find. If you live in SoCal, or you've got friends/relatives. I hope it helps.   

Google Maps via KPBS News
Google Maps via LA Times

Road closures and evacuations
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-roads23oct23,0,6013326,full.story?coll=la-home-center

Evacuation Centers
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/fireblog/evacuations.html


According to the Orange County Fire Authority, people trying to locate evacuated family members can register and search the Red Cross "Safe and Well" list.
Call 866-GET-INFO. - 9:57 p.m
https://disastersafe.redcross.org/

[AtomSmasher]

One of the Santa Clarita fires burned right up to my sisters house, but they were smart and had cleared the brush a good distance from their house, so the house didn't catch on fire.  When they went back to the house the next morning, they found that the firemen ended up setting up cots in her yard and had slept there.

Another fire started up earlier today about a mile or so behind my parents house, but luckily the wind was blowing in the opposite direction, so it never got too close.

[shardian]

One of the Santa Clarita fires burned right up to my sisters house, but they were smart and had cleared the brush a good distance from their house, so the house didn't catch on fire.  When they went back to the house the next morning, they found that the firemen ended up setting up cots in her yard and had slept there.

Another fire started up earlier today about a mile or so behind my parents house, but luckily the wind was blowing in the opposite direction, so it never got too close.

I was listening to talk radio this morning, and Rush was talking about some bill called the "Save the Forests" bill. Basically, it would provide fundage for crews to go in and clear out underbrush in strategic locations out in California to stop wild fires from spreading. He was also saying that it is currently illegal for homeowners to do this themselves. I take everything Rush says with a grain of salt. Can any of you Californians chime in on this subject?

[DaOld Man]

I take everything i hear in the media with a grain of salt..

I just want to say to the people who live in So. Cal., or have friends and/or relatives there:
We are praying for you and hope you stay safe and hang in there..

[ChadTower]

The fire chiefs have been saying most of this time that they'd be a lot more effective in slowing down these fires if they didn't have to spend nearly all resources evacuating people who wouldn't evacuate themselves.

[AtomSmasher]

I was listening to talk radio this morning, and Rush was talking about some bill called the "Save the Forests" bill. Basically, it would provide fundage for crews to go in and clear out underbrush in strategic locations out in California to stop wild fires from spreading. He was also saying that it is currently illegal for homeowners to do this themselves. I take everything Rush says with a grain of salt. Can any of you Californians chime in on this subject?

Homeowners can clear out the brush on their own property (like my sisters family did), but it is illegal to go do it in the forest.  I think that if anyone was allowed to go in and start clearing out brush, it would cause a lot of damage to the forests because most of the people would have no idea what their doing.  From your description, the "save the forests" bill sounds pretty good though.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

The "Healthy Forests" bill was all about letting logging companies access pristine wilderness, and less about "clearing brush to prevent the spread of forest fires".

Rush is no conservationist, so I'll just go ahead and assume he has no idea what he's talking about.

[billf]

The "Healthy Forests" bill was all about letting logging companies access pristine wilderness, and less about "clearing brush to prevent the spread of forest fires".

Do you have a link to the information contained in this bill?

[shardian]

The "Healthy Forests" bill was all about letting logging companies access pristine wilderness, and less about "clearing brush to prevent the spread of forest fires".

Rush is no conservationist, so I'll just go ahead and assume he has no idea what he's talking about.

I figured it sounded too nice.
I couldn't remember the real name of the bill, thus I couldn't find a factual link for it. I'll look again.

EDIT: Here is a cnn link that sums it up, along with some input about the logging companies who would take advantage of it.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/12/03/forests.initiative.ap/index.html

So basically, logging companies could go unchecked and cut down trees they want as long as they claim they are unhealthy.

[ErikRuud]

This NASA web page has some video of the fires from space.

It give a you a really good idea just how massive the fires are.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

So basically, logging companies could go unchecked and cut down trees they want as long as they claim they are unhealthy.

Yeah...Invisible forests are "Healthy Forests". It's about as disingenuous as the "Clear Skies Initiative".

Whenever you hear these happy-happy-shiny-shiny names coming from this administration, I've always found it best to just assume the intent is just the opposite of the bills name.

More on the Clear Skies Initiative (for example):

"The law reduces air pollution controls, including those environmental protections of the Clean Air Act, including caps on toxins in the air and budget cuts for enforcement."

"Among other things, the Clear Skies Act:

    * Allows 42 million more tons of pollution emitted than the EPA proposal.
    * Weakens controls on mercury pollution levels compared to what would be achieved by enforcing the Clean Air Act stringently.
    * Weakens the current cap on nitrogen oxide pollution levels from 1.25 million tons to 2.1 million tons, allowing 68 % more NOx pollution.
    * Delays the improvement of sulfur dioxide (SO2) pollution levels compared to the Clean Air Act requirements.
    * Delays enforcement of smog-and-soot pollution standards until 2015."


But I digress. Facts are filthy things.