242 square miles of Angeles National Forest incinerated

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The area's proximity to the urban heart of Los Angeles -- and its easy access via the Angeles Crest Highway and dozens of trails switchbacking out of the foothills -- makes it one of the most heavily used parts of a forest visited by 3 million to 5 million people every year.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fire-toll6-2009sep06,0,6308715.story

[amborin]

1. and home to:

Stellar's Jays
Scrub Jays
Oak Titmouse
Mountain Chickadee
White-Headed Woodpecker
Dark Eyed Junco
Cassin's Finch
House Finch
Purple Finch

Black Bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes,

etc..........


and a spectacularly gorgeous area


although some parts have been subject to considerable vandalism in fairly recent years.....

many of the beautiful campgrounds had to be closed for that reason...some of them had beautiful 1930s CCC stairways and paths

signs said closed due to the public's failure to respect the national forest

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2. Sad

At least Tippi Hedren's big cat place was saved, Linda Blair's dog rescue place also saved, but Wildlife Waystation had to evacuate 90% of their animals and now is asking for donations to help pay the cost of moving them back in.

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. folks at my work were helping move Blair's animals. Thanks for the update

[Nikki Stone1]

4. And to think someone set the thing.

This arson should have a high penalty.

[Control-Z]

6. there were deaths involved

to firefighters, weren't there? not good for the arsonist.

this is just so fucked up. i hate the loss of life, and the loss of our beautiful forest - just gone. makes me tearful - all the loss, and for some effed up person's jollies.

[Nikki Stone1]

8. Yeah, two firefighters dead and a bunch injured

Last I heard, there was some kind of propellant or mechanism used, not just a match or cigarette.

[Control-Z]

13. they came down really hard on the person who

started the last fire involving deaths. and as i recall, it wasn't even intentional. i expect there won't be any mercy for the arsonist(s) in this case.

[LWolf]

5. My old neighbors, those not previously evacuated, are still watching.

I used to live in Juniper Hills. All of my old hiking and riding trails look like that now.

[armyowalgreens]

7. 500,000 acres of Arizona forest burned in 2002.

It's a disturbing thing to drive up there and still see the destruction.

I feel for Californians.

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11. I remember seeing pictures of that on the news.

A solid wall of fire just rolling over an entire mountain.

[Wilms]

9. And when the rains come...

:(

[bemildred]

10. Yah, that's what I am worried about.

It's a big burn, but if the rains come, the burn is going to be nothing by comparison.

[david13]

12. Ah, but Newcombs Ranch was spared. The fire today, I think,

passed around it, but left it intact. I hope.
Yes, the real problem will start with the rain, which may start soon up there. In fact, there was rain up there in late August.
But the erosion will be tremendous when the seasonal rains start.
dc