Schwarzenegger declares fire state of emergency

[PatSeg]

Source: Sacramento Bee

SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proclaimed a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County, where a wildfire has destroyed more than 100 homes.

The fire spread overnight to about 2,500 acres -- nearly 4 square miles -- prompting the city of Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara County to declare a local emergency. Officials there asked Schwarzenegger for a state declaration.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/1089/story/1397981.html

[kestrel91316]

1. This fire is in the Montecito area, where the BILLIONAIRES live

and the millionaires are the unwashed masses, relatively speaking.

[KurtNYC]

2. Schwarzenegger declares the fires "a disaster movie"

Q: Don't you mean 'disaster AREA'?

A(rnold): No girlie man. Zis is a disaster movie, vat vit de flames and de buildungs burning. Vee spent millions making zis disaster movie

Q: With the budget crisis, how will California pay for these fires?

A: Vee have pre-sold za foreign rights and then vee vill do tie-ins vit Happy Meals...

[slackmaster]

3. With a State of Emergency declaration, the lack of a budget may be irrelevant

As Governor he has the power to order every able-bodied citizen to drop whatever they are doing and report for duty to fight fires.

Correction, that's every able-bodied male PERSON.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=mvc&group=00001-01000&file=120-130

[LeftyMom]

9. The state of emergency declaration is about getting federal disaster funds.

This time of year there'll be no shortage of trained fire fighters, and prisoners love fireline duty because they get outdoors and it takes time off their sentence.

[Phred42]

4. So he can get some of that Bailout money.

[srf Rantz]

5. one of my oldest friends lost his home,

its not all Billionaires. I lived in SB for 22 years. the guy who gave me my first job there working in his surfboard shop and taught me everything about making surfboards, lost his home last night. he and his family had about 15 minutes to get out. burned to the ground, lost everything. Dave is one of the hardest working guys I ever knew. this is the second time he's been burned out. back in the 90s his surfboard shop burned down.

[pinto]

7. Condolences to you friend on his loss.

[PatSeg]

8. That is awful

I thought we were past fire season in CA.

[goclark]

10. That is heartbreaking ,so sorry

[pinto]

6. The unseasonable Santa Anas/sundowners really blew this one up.

Heard winds were gusting > 60 mph through the canyons and kept shifting. And it was unseasonably warm, dry. A California 'perfect storm' fire scenario.

Our county sent equipment down to S. Barbara under the mutual aid agreements in place.