Hope rises in California, as winds begin to subside - (Dial Up Warning - pic heavy)

Breeze54

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Thu Oct-25-07 02:25 AM
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Hope rises in California, as winds begin to subside - (Dial Up Warning - pic heavy)

Edited on Thu Oct-25-07 02:34 AM by Breeze54

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fire25oct25,0,6254607.story?coll=la-home-center">Hope rises as winds begin to subside

Firefighters report significant containment of several fires. Several arson probes are launched.

By Louis Sahagun, Hector Becerra and Mitchell Landsberg, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
October 25, 2007

As fierce Santa Ana winds finally began to subside, firefighters reached a turning point Wednesday in their desperate four-day battle against Southern California's wildfires. Although several large fires remained largely untamed and several communities threatened, the worst days of a terrible siege appeared over.

The toll by the end of the day: 695 square miles burned and 1,609 homes destroyed, with damage estimated by the state Department of Insurance at more than $1 billion.

"We are making good progress," said Tim Fike, a section chief with the Nevada City, Calif., Fire Department who was overseeing deployments of firefighters and equipment at the Grass Valley fire near Lake Arrowhead, one of 13 blazes still burning in a seven-county area. "Our goal is to button it up as soon as possible."

The firefighters got a big assist from the weather, as dust-dry, gale-force winds gave way to lighter breezes and some coastal humidity.

"Of course, there are challenges," Fike said. "I could certainly use a few more hot-shot crews and some more bulldozers."

President Bush declared a major disaster in the region, allowing fire victims to apply for federal grants for temporary housing, home repairs and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses.

The shortage of firefighting resources remained a constant theme, even as more aircraft flew into the region to join the effort. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sounded annoyed when he was asked by an ABC News reporter about complaints Tuesday from Orange County's fire chief, Chip Prather, who said he could have squelched the destructive Santiago fire with more firefighting aircraft.

"Anyone who is complaining about the planes just wants to complain, because it is just a bunch of nonsense," Schwarzenegger said. "The fact is, we have all the planes in the world here --

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More awesome pics and video's at link...

Reader Photos: SoCal Fires Rage

Driving down Highway 18 evacuating Lake Arrowhead.
(Submitted to YourScene by s_stockley)

A view of the fires from a neighborhood near Portola Hills.
(Submitted to YourScene by Cesar)

After two hours, the cavalry finally arrives to battle the Buckweed fire.
(Submitted to YourScene by Matt Pulley)

A view of a fire from Redlands.
(Submitted to YourScene by Ashlie)

Black Fog: Firefighters battle flames in the Santa Rosa Valley.
(Submitted to YourScene By Trevor Lillis)

A Super Scooper at Lake Sherwood.
(Submitted to YourScene by rt archer)

Sunday morning on the beach in Malibu.
(Submitted to YourScene By Matt Doolin)

A fire plane drops water on Stevenson Ranch on Monday.
(Submitted to YourScene By bsetter)

A view of the North Lake Arrowhead fire from Lake Arrowhead Village.
(Submitted to YourScene By Jesse)

The Agua Dulce Fire on Sunday afternoon.
(Submitted to YourScene By Sara)

A firefighter watches a backfire burn off East Grade road
on Palomar Mountain after nightfall.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) October 24, 2007

A California Department of Forestry firefighter is dwarfed
by flames along East Grade Road on Palomar Mountain.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) October 24, 2007

Calvin Culbertson, a maintenance worker, surveys the damage
to a trailer that melted on the Rincon Indian Reservation.
(Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times) October 24, 2007

At the San Bernardino Fairgrounds, David Sireika comforts
his daughter Brianna, 9. Their home in Running Springs burned,
and they are now staying with friends. They went to the
evacuation center at the fairgrounds hoping to get assistance
from FEMA. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) October 24, 2007

Margaret Cedono fixes a hotdog at the San Bernardino Fairgrounds
as her husband, Luis, 63, watches. The Cedonos' home in San
Bernardino suffered smoke damage, forcing them to leave.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) October 24, 2007

A Poway firefighter returns to a gutted home he tried
to save on Twisted Branch Road.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) October 24, 2007

The Witch fire in northern San Diego County destroyed
hundreds of homes, including these in Rancho Bernardo.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) October 24, 2007

Volunteer coordinator Kirk McKeever, right, gives volunteers
assignments at Qualcomm Stadium. Hundreds of volunteers are
at the stadium to help people forced out of their homes by
wildfires in San Diego County
(Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times) October 24, 2007

A Southern California Edison crew works to restore power
in Running Springs. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
October 24, 2007

A US forest service firefighter from Station 42 is placed
on a stretcher after he was injured while creating a fire
containment line in Green Valley Lake.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) October 24, 2007

Firefighters gather at the Running Springs Fire Station
to discuss deployment strategy.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) October 24, 2007

The Rincon Catholic Church, along with more than 50 other
structures, was destroyed on the Rincon Indian Reservation
in San Diego County.
(Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times) October 24, 2007

Rabbi Joseph Brod, left, runs to hug Chaim Cunin at the
Chabad Kiryas Schneerson campus in Running Springs. The
campus was surrounded by fire Tuesday night, but survived.
(Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times) October 24, 2007

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Unbelievable.....