Comments on: Video: San Diego reporter live on the scene — of his own burning home

By: Pam

Pam — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 02:06:10 +0000

Thanks Pablo and Patrick.

My nephew and his fellow marines were allowed to call home this evening. Ceremonies will proceed so I will be taking my Dad to the airport tomorrow.

He was at Camp Pendleton for just a short time, I had forgotten that he wasn’t there!

Thanks so muchfor your help!

By: PatrickS

PatrickS — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 23:59:12 +0000

That’s got nothing to do with Marine boot camp. Graduation is (and boot camp is) at MCRD….I’d call ahead, but expect the ceremonies to proceed.

Pablo on October 23, 2007 at 5:10 PM

Egad! You are correct, sir! How soon I forget my Gomer Pyle reruns!

By: Ugly

Ugly — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:17:02 +0000

That sucks. I have a good friend in Poway who wound up spending most of the night in her car last night, but so far her house is still good.

By: Pablo

Pablo — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:10:27 +0000

Just so you know, Pam, I just now saw where they may be evacuating parts of Camp Pendleton as one of the fires approaches…..

That’s got nothing to do with Marine boot camp. Graduation is (and boot camp is) at MCRD, which, if that’s on fire, we’ve got catastrophe cubed. MCRD is adjacent to Lindberg Field, which is on the coast, and if the fire gets to there, the destruction it would have to leave in it’s path is unthinkable.

I’d call ahead, but expect the ceremonies to proceed.

By: Black Adam

Black Adam — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:47:21 +0000

Isn’t SW Cali a desert to begin with? What a tragedy.

By: desertdweller

desertdweller — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:32:58 +0000

This video is missing, too. Being bit by the YouTube rights management screening?

desertdweller on October 23, 2007 at 12:22 PM

It’s still working for me, and since it’s from the station itself, I don’t think it would’ve been flagged for a rights violation.

steveegg on October 23, 2007 at 1:23 PM

Maybe I hit a momentary outage at YouTube. I see it now.

By: steveegg

steveegg — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:24:40 +0000

Defector01 on October 23, 2007 at 11:59 AM

You and yours stay safe, upwind and downhill as well.

By: steveegg

steveegg — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:23:55 +0000

This video is missing, too. Being bit by the YouTube rights management screening?

desertdweller on October 23, 2007 at 12:22 PM

It’s still working for me, and since it’s from the station itself, I don’t think it would’ve been flagged for a rights violation.

By: PatrickS

PatrickS — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:18:29 +0000

Question in that report: Did I hear him say they tried clearing the underbrush to prevent the spread of the fire? I’ve heard/read that this is the primary reason for the fires fast spread. I also heard that environmental groups like Sierra Club sues to prevent the clean up of the underbrush as some kind of perverted protection of wildlife. Does anyone know if that is true?

I know this was a common scream after the Cedar Fire took out thousands of homes several years back…and the environmental cases crawled back under the fridge quickly, so there musta been something to it…..

By: peski

peski — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:14:24 +0000

Kini on October 23, 2007 at 12:40 PM

As much as I’d like to, can’t lay the blame there. Coastal Commission allows for clearing brush around homes.

The bottom line is that we live in a dry “chaparal” type area that is evolved to burn periodically. Fire is normal here – everything is evolved to survive it, and it actually serves a positive purpose. The problem is that millions of people now live here, and fire and people don’t mix.

By: peski

peski — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:11:30 +0000

I live a few miles southwest of the Santiago Canyon fire – not threatening us, and all new construction with great infrastructure and code (tile roofs…)

San Diego County is a mess largely due to much older construction in hilly/dry areas. 500 houses lost so far?

By: Captain Scarlet

Captain Scarlet — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:54:16 +0000

That was the M.C. Escher of all news reports if I ever saw it…

By: Vanceone

Vanceone — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:45:06 +0000

I saw the video, so not sure why you couldn’t desertdweller.

Poor reporter, and poor San Diego. My alma mater was to play San Diego State University this weekend in football there… I’m almost certain that isn’t happening now. I hope the people in San Diego (especially the ones on this board) stay safe.

By: The Most Metal Reporter of the Day at The Everlasting Phelps

The Most Metal Reporter of the Day at The Everlasting Phelps — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:40:34 +0000

[...] This guy is a warrior. That is as stoic as it gets. [...]

By: Kini

Kini — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:40:00 +0000

First: Prayers and best wishes to all in danger of the wild fires. I hope the worst passes with no harm to self and property.

Question in that report: Did I hear him say they tried clearing the underbrush to prevent the spread of the fire? I’ve heard/read that this is the primary reason for the fires fast spread. I also heard that environmental groups like Sierra Club sues to prevent the clean up of the underbrush as some kind of perverted protection of wildlife. Does anyone know if that is true?

By: desertdweller

desertdweller — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:22:11 +0000

This video is missing, too. Being bit by the YouTube rights management screening?

By: Defector01

Defector01 — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:59:56 +0000

My family is staying prepared to evacuate if need may be. This evacuation and this fire, for all its horror, they moved 250,000 people with a SINGLE casualty. That casualty is horrible don’t get me wrong, but the evac sites have been orderly and well prepared and there has been no problems. Many in San Diego call these fires “our Katrina” but we were prepared and ready to go from the get go.

Btw the reporter, Larry Himmel, might be annoying but he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. And the big witch fire is hitting one of the richer areas of San Diego and it hit the houses of Ladanian Tomlinson, Trevor Hoffman, Bruce Bochy and David Justice

By: Kokonut

Kokonut — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:58:40 +0000

Being a forest fire fighter, I can certainly sympathize with those people who lost their homes. I have done many times walk through homes that were burned down seeing all the personal items destroyed. Not to mention burned cows, horses, trucks, equipments and so on that got caught in a firestorm. Living out in the country, people need to be aware of their own surroundings and the fire potential. Prayers to the people who are struggling right now.

By: steveegg

steveegg — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:42:29 +0000

Time to update my SoCal list.

I’ve got doriangrey, PatrickS, and Entelechy. Anybody else dodging the smoke?

Stay safe, upwind and downhill, gang.

By: ZK

ZK — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:42:02 +0000

My girlfriend is among the evacuated out there. She’s doing OK so far, as she’s staying with a friend of her family, but I’m still keeping her in my prayers.

By: pullingmyhairout

pullingmyhairout — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:40:13 +0000

Entelechy, PatrickS, Doriangrey,
Hope ya’ll are ok. Take care of yourselves and know that your friends in Texas are thinking of you!

By: PatrickS

PatrickS — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:31:28 +0000

Thanks, RushBaby….glad to be here….Entelechy and her loved ones are in our prayers here as well…..

By: steveegg

steveegg — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:31:14 +0000

Just damn, dorian. Hopefully that backfire was between you and the main one; would make the wind direction much easier to take.

By: pb5000

pb5000 — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:26:01 +0000

The video continues as Rebecca Aguilar showes up and askes the reporter whose house is burning down, “Are you a ~~trigger~~ fire happy person?”

Sorry, couldn’t resist a mean joke. In all seriousness my prayers go out to all of those who’ve lost their homes and for the safety of the brave firefighters who are helping to put these fires out.

By: RushBaby

RushBaby — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:23:24 +0000

Excellent reporting and updated maps here