Fire!

I've put my photos, passport and jewellery box in a bag, just in case. I hope this is a stupid over-reaction, but better safe than sorry, eh?

I bet it was a chip pan. I hope everyone's OK.

The flames aren't leaping out of the window any more, but there are huge clouds of yellow smoke billowing out.

(somebody has left their washing on the line at the back - that'll smell lovely when they bring it in)

A fireman has just emerged carrying a fluffy cat. I am assuming (hoping) this means there are no people in there that need saving.

Flames now leaping from roof of flat next door (one flat closer to my block). Press photographer has arrived, police interviewing people on the street.

There's no way to get a fire engine around the back - it's a closed-in block of tenements, so they have to get what equipment they can through the close to the drying green at the back.

he was very concerned sounding but I put his mind at ease, that you were not in any immediate danger. perhaps I understated it, too much, and he won't even telephone, to check you're okay. sorry!

he said to call him if something happens, I think. I don't know if he meant something other than what already has or what.

crosspost

12 or 13 metres or so.

I'm pretty sure the fire won't get into my flat. The absolute worst that can happen is the flats on the 3rd floor in my block or the one next door will go and then there would be tons of water damage, but it's still four flats away from that. I think (hope) they'll put it out before that happens.

I also lived in the top floor of an apartment building and watched a couple buildings across from me while they were on fire (with fire fighters up on a nearby roof). Actually, I benefited nicely from that fire*, since the buildings were torn down soon after, giving me a view of Rittenhouse Square, when I was paying a fraction of the rent most people with that privilege were paying.

*Which I don't mind thinking too much, since as far as I know, nobody was injured.

The police cordon is now up to the path to my front door.

Note to authorities: I am not suggesting Madchen is a twisted firestarter.

will this be on the news?

come back, madchen.

There is a TV crew, yes. Still wearing Access All Areas passes for the Great Scottish run. Did you see me in the Daily Record yesterday as well? (Alba, if you can scan it for me please do - don't have my own copy)

It isn't half noisy out there. I have a headache.

actually, he has copies of lots of yesterday's records.

I think you look just fine and cookie looks as insane as in reality.

the write-up is by one "tam cowan".

I think he says they have shitty tables but he might have just making it up, as he went along.

(They did have shitty tables, with great big cracks in. The candlewax poured through and ruined Dave's friend's shoes and trousers.)

Hope it all works out okay for you.

Nickn, OTM.

I was just about to 'splain Ye Olde Santa Anas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_wind

somewhere high in the desert near a curtain of a blue
the sane man skirts under the wind
but down here in the city of the lime lights
the fans of santa ana are witherin'
and you can’t deny that living is easy
if you never look behind the scenery
it's showtime for drag lines
and bedlam is dreamin' of rain

when the hills of los angeles are burning.....
palm trees are candles in the murder wind
so many lives on the breeze
even the stars are ill at ease
and los angeles is burnin'...

Survivor has an atmospheric song named "Santa Ana Winds" that refers to a disastrous woman.

yeah ok, the Santa Anas. The one time in my life I visited LA (last year) it really struck me that the climate is basically desert- my friend kept her screenless windows open (no bugs!?) etc. When I read about Atlanta's water problems I can't fathom how LA and SD get their freshwater. The whole place boggles my midwestern brane.

anyway, best of luck everybody. The pictures I've seen are pretty whoa.

i already had my fire since i live at the base of ol griffith park which went up in flames a few months ago (my place smelled like smoke for a week after that and since i lived just north of the evacuation line i had to get outta there).

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/10/23/us/24fire.3373.jpg

Famous Raymond Chandler quote, from "Red Wind"

There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge.

And Pasadena's feelin' it now, from the Arrowhead fire.

When I read about Atlanta's water problems I can't fathom how LA and SD get their freshwater.

They steal it from up north. Not actually steal, but use way the hell more than their share. It's the desert! You don't need a lawn if you have to water it twice a day! If you want a lawn, move to Kentucky or something...

A couple of friends had to evacuate from Encinitas. They were supposed to finalize the purchase of a house today. Both homes are in the evacuation zone.

I'm so glad I moved this summer.

A couple of friends had to evacuate from Encinitas.

i'm envisioning the owners coming back to lou's records and finding one gigantic mound of melted vinyl.

towga had to evacuate this morning as far as i can tell from bulletins i've read from sd county government sites. still can't get in touch with her, still haven't heard from her. makes me anxious and angry for a lot of different reasons.

here come those Santa Ana winds again
BAAAAAAAD NEWWWWWWWS

http://www.blade-empire.com/Marto/Conan/Conan-Sword_of_the_Father-Fire.jpg

sorry larry.

They steal it from up north. Not actually steal, but use way the hell more than their share. It's the desert!

It's more complex than outright theft (you could make a case for Central/Imperial Valley agricultural water subsides being more of a negative affect than the Sprawl), but a few basic changes could make a difference. I can't recommend Cadillac Desert enough.

Also, SoCal can adjust to drought conditions extremely well. Droughts have happened here before and will happen again - I don't recall Georgia ever having a drought.

In recent memory that is

yay, gchatting with towga now, she's safe.

Walking around here today has been a strange shift after coming back from Hawaii. It's not unfamiliar -- there was plenty of ash, haze blocking the sun and the smell of smoke in past years such as 2003 -- but it's still jarring.

Good friend Stripey just passed on the word that yesterday her favorite area hiking spot, Whiting Ranch, burned up. She's quite upset and I don't blame her. I went out that direction with her some months back -- here's my photos -- and now who knows when it'll be like that again.

Couple of coworkers aren't in today -- they're from north San Diego County.

This photo from that set says it all:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/193/492435527_ef1606b5b6.jpg

they should have a purple wedge reading IMMINENT -- RUN!

How many fatalities so far, do they know?

1 directly as a result of the fire, 5 in fire-related circumstances (deaths by accident at evacuation facilities, for instance).

Although there's also this kinda freaky incident, which almost sounds like an echo of a double-killing in the area from some months back.

Grandstanding well under way.

These fucks!!
stop pointing fingers and fix it!
this shit happens EVERY year.

I didn't realize this would hit so close to home here, but a friend of mine who lives in Edmonds is hosting her grandmother, age 87, who had escaped her home (if it's still there now :( ) in Ramona in SD county. She managed to fly up here to get away from the situation. Here's the txt I got from my friend:

grandma's at the house relaxed now and happy she's alive. my mom is flying in from boise tonight to see her and make sure she's comfortable while i'm off to school. it was really hard this morning. I freaked out because grandma was missing this morning. WHERE IS SHE? I found her outside in the rain just standing there with her arms out. she's really old and shouldn't even be keeping her arms raised. obviously she shouldn't be outside in cold wet weather she's not used to. so i brought her in and she was just saying SO FULL OF LIFE. RAIN. THIS IS ALL I WANT. ITS NOT ASH ITS RAIN RAIN RAIN. I LOVE YOU. she started breaking down in tears. I ESCAPED HELL. THIS IS HEAVEN. i started crying too. i brought her inside. she's fine now.

I didn't bother asking if she knew how her grandmother's house was. It's pointless to ask that now.

Today summed up -- this is a view down the 405 freeway in OC. John Wayne Airport is the open patch of ground in the lower right hand corner, and I live not too far away to the further lower right.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/10/24/us/25wildfires-337.jpg

My bro says he's not sure they can get OUT of Ventura at this point.

Altho googlemaps seems to think the files in Ventura Co have now been contained, and it doesn't show anything for Santa Barbara...he says it's fucking HOT, though, and you can't see the sun at noon. :(

this shit is not cool

All still grinding away in OC -- the fire is starting to reach the Cleveland National Forest, and if it breaks out fully there, all the smoke in the air so far will have been as nothing in comparison.

Today has been even crappier already -- at least yesterday I could see the sun rise. The smoke is so thick it's essentially fog-level visual quality now. Aside from one on-campus errand and a quick run to get some lunch to go I plan on hunkering down in the library all day at work.

This map is the best one for tracking the OC/Santiago fire -- if you click on the satellite or hybrid option, you can see just how much mountainous terrain was involved. I can see a good chunk of this from UCI on a good day and it'll be nothing but black ash when the smoke clears.

A disputed land-use strategy designed to protect new developments from devastation in the county's exurban, fire-prone areas appears to have passed its first and most critical test this week.

vs

It's time to rethink where homes are built in San Diego County, several scientists, environmentalists and politicians said yesterday as wildfires continued to carve up the region.

so we had been planning on buying a house or condo in the west-of-5 area later this year, or renting until conditions became a little more favorable. i wonder what all this is going to do to the housing / renting market and how this is going to break down across each geographical and socioeconomic "bracket"

well with any luck it leads to some blade runner looking shit getting erected over all those ugly McMansions what got smoked

I'm such an optimist

We're saved!

http://www.latimes.com/media/alternatethumbnails/photo/2007-10/33471073.jpg

saved? did a burning tree fall on him?

A sweet dream.

I am no fan of the governator and his weird obsession with power (or the wway he seized office) but I must admit he's probably the most reasonable, competent governor the state's had in my lifetime

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Fox_hypes_Qaeda_plotted_fires_theory_1025.html

It was probably Iran.

WHAT!!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/25/AR2007102502488.html

Seems about right.

Another day of next to no visibility around here. Plenty of people with masks on campus. Fire's still eating its way through the Cleveland National Forest and might jump the county line over the weekend. At this rate I almost wonder what Halloween would be like.

Guys, if you're driving around, please use the recycle air button. I actually don't know why more people don't just leave this as their main setting.

parents house was spared! not true for 5 houses right down the street though :(

Yeesh. But glad to hear your folks' place is okay.

I was wondering if Mike Davis would be saying something and he will. Might swing by on Wednesday.

my dad was driving around down there when i was on the phone with him and and you could tell by the sound of his voice that the devastation was beyond belief. houses stood untouched on one side of the street and on the other side nothing but ash. SD county was hit so hard by this

house around the corner from my great aunt and uncle burnt down, but theirs is fine

Any Londoners in the Holborn area? There's a HUGE cloud of billowing smoke out towards Fleet Street/Chancery Lane right now.

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=fire+in+london

I'm going to be getting the bus in that direction shortly. A colleague who works there reports a great deal of jet black smoke around.

http://twitpic.com/img/27v8p-d2b51a41c5ac82106218d365176b7f58.49c1278f.jpg

Holy shit.