by WannaB » Tue Oct 23, 2007 12:21 pm
Well, I heard some updated figures this morning. In San Diego alone over 1000 structures (homes, mobile homes, etc...) have been destroyed, and now 1/3 of a million people have been evacuated.
I live pretty close to the Santiago/Silverado Canyon fire that was an act of arson set at 3 spots along the 241 toll road. Back in February on the 241 a car fire that was intentionally set to destroy evidence of a crime started a fire that came within a half mile of my neighborhood. The current Santiago fire is luckily further south of my area, so it doesn't look like I'm in it's path this time. However a number of my friends have had to be evacuated, but luckily their homes appear to be safe.
The college I attend is Santiago Canyon College so I can attest to the level of smoke and ash in the air. It's not too bad, and was a lot worse back in February when the fire was literally across the street, and several times before over the past 4 years.
Also on the way home from Vegas on Sunday (from the ROH show) I had to drive through the small fire that had just started at the bottom of the Cajon Pass at the 15/215 interchange. The northbound was closed, and luckily for us the soutbound 15 was not yet closed. The fire was scattered over a square mile or two and we had to drive through a pretty thick cloud of smoke. About a mile down the road a house, or barn was burning just off the road, and another mile down the road there was a big rig on the side of the road that apparently had caught some embers while driving through the pass and the entire cab had been burned down to the chasis.
That's been the extent of my personal experience with the fires, but I as well would like to hear from anyone who is in the Newhall, Santa Clarita, Malibu, San Diego, Lake Arrowhead, etc... areas.