LA Times: Firefighters shift focus to north Orange County as 26,000 evacuate

[marmar]

ORANGE COUNTY
168 homes burned
10,745 acres burned
26,000 residents flee
3,500 structures threatened
0% contained

SYLMAR
630 structures destroyed
9,400 acres burned
10,000 residents flee
7,500 structures threatened
40% contained

Firefighters shift focus to north Orange County


By Tami Abdollah, Hector Becerra and Gale Holland
2:38 PM PST, November 16, 2008


As three heat- and wind-driven fires ravaged Southern California, authorities shifted their most intense focus to northern Orange County, where thousands were forced to flee their homes and firefighters tried to contain a blaze that now reaches into Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

More than 26,000 residents were evacuated and 3,500 structures remained threatened as the Triangle Complex fire moved north from Orange County. At least 150 homes have been damaged or destroyed as 1,200 firefighters assembled along fire lines.

In the Triangle Complex blaze, areas in danger included Carbon Canyon, Telegraph Canyon and the areas abutting Chino Hills State Park. Also at risk were Brea, Chino Hills, Yorba Linda, Anaheim and Corona.

More progress is being made to battle the other two regional blazes -- in the Sylmar area and in Santa Barbara County.

Late this morning, officers knocked on doors at 1,400 homes in the Country Estates gated community of Diamond Bar.

"Don't forget the birds!" 5-year-old Valeria Gastinell told her father, Steve Gastinell, 35, from the back of his pickup truck as he readied to drive away with her and 1-year-old Guiliani from their home on Castle Rock Road.

"I always anticipated something like this happening," Steve Gastinell said from his garage as he prepared to take the family's Australian parakeets. "I guess the time is now." ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-firemain17-2008nov17,0,7226214.story

[Initech]

1. I was able to go back to my house today. My neighborhood looks like a war zone.

It is quite a frightening site. My house could've been in the blaze since it was so close to one that burned down last night. :scared:

[marmar]

2. Stay safe......I hope this comes to an end soon.

My friend who lives in Torrance is still stuck on a freeway somewhere, trying to route around the fires to get home.

[Initech]

4. I have friends that live in the affected areas. Scary shit.

[aquart]

3. Doesn't mean you're not in shock.

Evacuation is traumatizing even when you have a home to return to.

[Initech]

5. Just going through my neighborhood is a frightening site.

:scared:

[BoneDaddy]

12. Hang in there

I know this must suck but try to stay up

[Dem2theMax]

13. I live in San Diego county. We had to evacuate a year ago.

I am on edge every time it gets hot and windy. I don't think I'll ever get over it. Don't be surprised if you feel the same way.
:hug: and glad you were able to go home to your home!

[kestrel91316]

6. Here in the San Fernando Valley the winds are laying down nicely and

we are getting some relief FINALLY from the horrible smoke and ash. We actually have a very slight movement of air in from the ocean, which is cooling and has a little humidity, too. So the firefighters are making huge progress now. Even lighting some backfires.

Tomorrow AM I'll find out if my assistant's dad lost his house in the Yorba Linda fire.

[Initech]

7. I live in the Yorba Linda / Anaheim Hills area.

You should have seen the smoke and ash coming from my neighborhood. The winds on top of that made everything worse. I think the Simpsons movie had the right idea - we should build a giant dome over our city to keep the winds out.

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. It's still very very smoky. cough..

[KitchenWitch]

9. I hate that they classify the buildings destroyed in the Sylmar fire as structures

500 of the buildings were trailer HOMES. People lived there, yes they may not have been well off financially but they LIVE there.

[kestrel91316]

10. They were modular homes as far as I'm concerned. Prefabs.

Whether or not such arrive with their own wheels or on a truck with wheels is irrelevant to me. And it ain't cheap to live in mobile home parks in LA - space rent runs MANY hundreds of dollars a month.

[KitchenWitch]

11. exactly

the were HOMES.

[kestrel91316]

14. The news today mentioned that this place was known locally as the

Beverly Hills of mobile home communities. There's another really expensive one up on Topanga Cyn Bl where it drops into the canyon.

Los Angeles doesn't really have many of the old icky "trailer parks" anymore. There might be one or two in Van Nuys still, and perhaps N Hollywood or Sunland or Pacoima.