Southern Cali fires

[no name 1]

That's what they said...it's a place where a lot of arsonists have gone and started fires. A resident below that hill said she sees it all the time.

How creepy!

I'm guessing it's attractive because it is out of the way where there wouldn't be a lot of people passing by (which is why someone parked there was suspicious), yet still close to a road, and there's lots of dry brush on the hillside.

On the radio this morning - there was mention of a reward for the arsonist who start the Santiago (Irvine) fire. According to the fire dept. - the arsonist knew what they were doing ...as in premeditated ...had to know where to start it, wind direction...

$70K for a reward.

Concepcion said about 1,100 firefighters were working on controlling the blaze, which has destroyed at least 22 structures. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the fire was only 30 percent contained Thursday morning after being 50 percent contained the day before.

Concepcion said onshore winds Thursday morning should help firefighters "get the upper hand on this thing."

The arsonist's motive was a mystery to Concepcion.

"That's the part that I really can't figure out, to tell you the truth," he told CNN. "That individual knew on Sunday when this fire started that we had, really, the perfect storm, if you will. We had the heavy Santa Ana winds, we had the low relative humidities, we had the high temperatures.

"And then for someone to even think about doing something as reprehensible as starting a fire where they knew the fire would grow as rapidly as it would -- traveling about three, 3 ½ miles in about an hour -- is just really absolutely unconscionable," he said.

Sick.

[Jasman0717 9]

That's what they said...it's a place where a lot of arsonists have gone and started fires. A resident below that hill said she sees it all the time.

How creepy!

I'm guessing it's attractive because it is out of the way where there wouldn't be a lot of people passing by (which is why someone parked there was suspicious), yet still close to a road, and there's lots of dry brush on the hillside.

On the radio this morning - there was mention of a reward for the arsonist who start the Santiago (Irvine) fire. According to the fire dept. - the arsonist knew what they were doing ...as in premeditated ...had to know where to start it, wind direction...

I heard several comments on this at my work. Some of the people I work with had to endure that mess for three days and nights, scared the hell out of them

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

My other half and I were wondering if it could be the work of terrorist

[one...two...tree 2,762]

My other half and I were wondering if it could be the work of terrorist

I was thinking that too...but probably more like the homegrown, Timothy McVeigh kind.

[almaty 19]

wow, i really hope not..it would be easy to do though...

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

all i know is the air out there is diabolical with no signs of improving

[DKM 0]

Unfortunately, the people that linked the fire map didn't realize that it only shows the San Diego fires and the CSC is in Orange County. Sad to say but they were wrong about no fires being near the CSC. The Santiago fire is the one nearby (not on that map). However, its not in any danger of moving in the direction of Laguna Niguel but most people there probably were not at work the past 2 days. My cousin works in Laguna Niguel and he said most people did not show up to work today, but the wind is blowing the smoke the other way now so tomorrow should be better.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Unfortunately, the people that linked the fire map didn't realize that it only shows the San Diego fires and the CSC is in Orange County. Sad to say but they were wrong about no fires being near the CSC. The Santiago fire is the one nearby (not on that map). However, its not in any danger of moving in the direction of Laguna Niguel but most people there probably were not at work the past 2 days. My cousin works in Laguna Niguel and he said most people did not show up to work today, but the wind is blowing the smoke the other way now so tomorrow should be better.

I live about 5 miles from CSC in Laguna Beach. Yes, the air is really bad, but for most of the people here, daily life has to move forward. The Laguna Beach Schools have been back in session since Wednesday. The air is not expected to improve much for the next several days. I'd find it highly unusual that most businesses would not continue with business under the circumstances.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

My other half and I were wondering if it could be the work of terrorist

I was thinking that too...but probably more like the homegrown, Timothy McVeigh kind.

[britty 1]

I think the reward has increased now to $250k for the arsonist/s who started these fires. Personally, with the devastation that has been caused, and the loss of life, land, homes, and everything else, hang the ba*tard/s.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

My other half and I were wondering if it could be the work of terrorist

I was thinking that too...but probably more like the homegrown, Timothy McVeigh kind.

[Scott & Lai 12]

Unfortunately, the people that linked the fire map didn't realize that it only shows the San Diego fires and the CSC is in Orange County. Sad to say but they were wrong about no fires being near the CSC. The Santiago fire is the one nearby (not on that map). However, its not in any danger of moving in the direction of Laguna Niguel but most people there probably were not at work the past 2 days. My cousin works in Laguna Niguel and he said most people did not show up to work today, but the wind is blowing the smoke the other way now so tomorrow should be better.

I live about 5 miles from CSC in Laguna Beach. Yes, the air is really bad, but for most of the people here, daily life has to move forward. The Laguna Beach Schools have been back in session since Wednesday. The air is not expected to improve much for the next several days. I'd find it highly unusual that most businesses would not continue with business under the circumstances.

I'm about the same distance from the CSC, and the Santiago fires are about 8 miles from me in the opposite direction. Which means the CSC is about 13 miles from the fires; relatively speaking, that's close, but no where near so that those particular fires pose any danger to the CSC. That's a significant distance, with lots of roads (including the 5 freeway) in between, plus most of that distance is pretty well developed...not a lot of dry brush-covered hillsides. There has been a lot of smoke, certainly (very erie, and the sun, when it was visible, has been blood-red), some of which is from the San Diego fires. Lai's work has closed early a couple times, but they are only a few miles from the fires.

[Jasman0717 9]

There is a lot less smoke smell in the air so I am praying the fire fighters are getting the upper hand.

[no name 1]

That yellow moon at night sure is creepy. And proof that the ####### is still very much in the air.

----

Smoke a serious health threat as wildfires spread

(CNN) -- The scenes from the California wildfires are horrifying enough, with windblown walls of flames destroying homes and buildings in their path, but health experts say the smoke can be even more dangerous.

Particles in smoke can cause serious health problems, especially in children and older adults.

Plumes of smoke can be seen from NASA satellites and are so thick that they look like rain on Doppler weather radar.

But the real concerns are the particles and gases in the smoke. When a fire burns it generates carbon dioxide, water vapor, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and other chemicals.

And the wind can carry those particles to areas far from the fires. See the NASA photograph of smoke from the fires

When you breathe the smoke, the tiny particles burrow deep into the lungs, causing serious irritation, mucous build-up and breathing problems.

Most masks don't really help, because the particles are so tiny they pass through the filters, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Watch why smoke is a threat even to healthy people »

Heather Storke told CNN that her grandmother had to be evacuated from a nursing home in Poway, which is north of San Diego.

She said her parents got a call from the nursing home at about 6 a.m. (9 a.m. ET).

"My parents quickly went to go get my Gram. The closer the got to Poway, the thick cloud of smoke made it like pitch-black night. When they arrived, there was a fleet of school buses waiting to evacuate the Center's residents whose families were unable to get there," she said.

"The air was horrible, difficult to breathe and burning eyes, so they put a blanket over my Gram's face on the way to the car," Storke said.

She said the nursing home staff had packed her grandmother's things, along with her dialysis schedule, a five-day supply of her medicines and new prescriptions in case the evacuation lasted longer than that.

Storke said it took her parents four hours to drive from Oceanside to Poway and back, a trip that normally takes 1½ hours.

The CDC said that people with heart and lung disease, children and older adults are most vulnerable, but even healthy adults can suffer symptoms when smoke levels are high enough.

It said smoke can cause:

• Coughing

• A scratchy throat

• Irritated sinuses

• Shortness of breath

• Chest pain

• Headaches

• Stinging eyes

• A runny nose

• Asthma exacerbations

The government's Air Quality Index shows "unhealthy" pollution levels in much of Southern California. That means that people may experience these symptoms.

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said those problems can last for weeks after the fire.

He said the best thing to do if you smell smoke is to stay inside.

The CDC recommends keeping your doors and windows shut. If you have an air conditioner, run it with the fresh air intake closed so you don't pull in smoke from the outside. If you don't have an air conditioner and it's too hot to keep the windows shut, you should evacuate to a place with cleaner air.

Smoking and using candles, gas stoves or fireplaces can add to indoor air pollution and vacuuming stirs up particles that are already in the house, so the CDC said to avoid doing those things.

[Mags 112]

Me want that t-shirt!