PHOTO: Terrifying LA wildfire

[Bluebear]

Dan Steinberg/Associated Press

[snot]

1. great photo. source?

[tabatha]

18. Here is the same photo on Flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hachiemachierara/2939748396/

[lisa58]

2. that just gave me a chill - scary

[Richard D]

3. Especially since . . .

. . . it's not dark here yet. Those lights are on because of the smoke obscuring the sun.

on edit: Or it's an old stock photo.

[pinto]

4. Oh geez. Must be one of the SoCal fires, It smells like a campout site here,

200 miles away, but it's the NorCal fire smoke coming down the valleys.

[SoCalDem]

7. We're miles away, and the wind "ashed" on us too

..poor firefighters:(

[katty]

8. i know, my friends house is at risk

[rufus dog]

5. That is either last night or from last year

The winds are horrible right now.

[Bluebear]

6. "Early Monday"

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/us/14fire.html?hp

Traffic snaked up a road as residents evacuated their homes as strong Santa Ana winds swept into Southern California early Monday, sparking embers that left a trail of full-scale wildfires.


Frightening, no?

[kestrel91316]

9. HEAVY smoke and ash, and I'm 10 miles south of the Porter Ranch/Sesnon

fire. It's very uncomfortable to breathe. I'm afraid to go look out the front window.

Addendum: it's not too bad to look at, but very strong smoke smell. Lots and lots of fire engines keep going down Ventura Blvd, headed west to the staging area. They are afraid it's gonna jump the 118.

With the 118 Fwy closed completely, all that traffic gets shifted down here to the 101, which is already awful on a GOOD day, lol. So Ventura Blvd and the Fwy are both bumper to bumper westbound.

My assistant is headed back here with one of the two cats she is petsitting for safekeeping. The other one is inside the owner's mattress and she can't get it. That neighborhood has not been evacuated, so it's probably ok to leave it there.

[Richard D]

12. Looking into the valley . . .

. . . from the Topanga Pass this afternoon was intense. I don't recall seeing so much smoke concentrated in the valley before.,

[lonestarnot]

10. Damn that's awful.

[malaise]

11. WTF!!!!

Stay safe DUers

[ronnykmarshall]

15. I was out and about today and can see the smoke.

I was driving down Sunset today and to the west it was nothing but brown smoke in the sky.

I've been working the visine in the eyes all day.

[ronnykmarshall]

13. My eyes have been hurting all day.

This smoke is driving my nuts.

I am so sick of these fucking fires.

[kestrel91316]

14. Well, ronnyk, you know how it is in October, lol...........

EVERY. FRICKIN'. OCTOBER.

[ronnykmarshall]

17. Ain't that that the truth?

I'm so glad we don't live near the hills. But we are closer to Griffin Park now. How'z in your 'hood?

I've has the news on all day. Mayor Tony is on the air on Ch 2.

[kestrel91316]

28. My office is in Woodland Hills, right on Ventura Bl. Smoke is

abating somewhat. The Ventura Fwy is bumper to bumper BOTH directions (so what's new about that, you ask?).

Boy, Bell Canyon is right in this thing's gunsights. AGAIN.

[JuniperLea]

22. It feels like there is sand in my eyes...

I just looked in a mirror and I look like a stoned ol' pothead! LOL!

My sinuses are killing me! Santa Ana winds are bad enough, but when they are pushing smoke and embers around, I'm doomed. I stayed in the office all day, and they STILL hurt! Every once in a while you can get a whiff... there's work being done in the building and the air system has been sucky. We even has some diesel smell from a loading dock get up here. They clear it out pretty quick, but those few minutes are enough to make my head pound!

[ronnykmarshall]

24. I'm gonna turn the A/C on tonight.

It's been so nice the last few days, we haven't used it. My I hear ya about the sinuses.

[JuniperLea]

27. I'm a fresh air freak

I like to sleep with the bedroom window open. I don't have AC at home:( I work in the 213, but live in the 562, so I'm close enough to the shore I wouldn't use AC at home but a week or two out of the year anyway... that's what I tell myself during those two weeks:) Over and over and over... LOL!

[ronnykmarshall]

30. Damn Metro Link is shut down.

The same line where the crash happened. Those folks are going to have a horrible time getting home tonight.

[JuniperLea]

36. I hate when that happens!

I just get myself psyched up to try it, and something like this happens and blows my cool! There's a station about a block from my office... it would be very convenient... but I'd get all bent out of shape if I had to wait for hours. Ugh.

[ronnykmarshall]

37. My friend Tina in on the 101 coming west to LA

she's in a band and they have rehearsal tonight. She said the 101 is crawling. One of the guys in the band had to evacuate.

[JuniperLea]

40. That sucks...

Thank Goddess I'm heading south tonight! In six minutes! The 5 south better not suck!

[Shakespeare]

16. It jumped the freaking 210 freeway this morning.

These are bad, bad fires, and the wind isn't letting up for another day or two. Malibu's still a tenderbox, too.

[ronnykmarshall]

19. and the 118.

There was a fatal crash on the 118 this afternoon due to the smoke.

Remember last year when the fires hit the park? SHIT!!!

[Shakespeare]

20. That's the second fire, and I don't think it's jumped the 118 yet, but it's close.

YES, I remember those last year! When I can see the fires from my neighborhood = no bueno. :-(

This one's close enough to smell and see the smoke. Yuck.

[kestrel91316]

29. LA Times has a map showing it has already jumped the 118 and Box Canyon

and is aiming for Bell Canyon. Time will tell.

Traffic is stopped on surface streets both directions now, lol. I guess I will get a pizza from the Papa John's nextdoor and settle in right here for dinner. 'Cause I ain't gettin' anywhere soon.

[ronnykmarshall]

31. Plus the Dodger game tonight.

101 is going to be a mess.

[Shakespeare]

34. Ho-lee crap.

Hope surface streets aren't too bad. Could be an interesting drive home tonight. x(

[kestrel91316]

35. Like I said, a pizza from nextdoor is in order. Ventura is a mess.

[ronnykmarshall]

38. That's your best bet ....

SHIT ...... Ch 2 is reporting a fire in Newport!

[kestrel91316]

39. The arsonists are out in force today, it seems. They watch the weather

forecasts and wait with bated breath for these conditions, you know.

[slackmaster]

21. The smoke plume is heading out over the Channel Islands

I expect to get a dose of it here in 'Diego by tomorrow morning, unless the Santa Ana winds keep up all night.

[tjwash]

23. 'tis the season in SOCAL...Stay safe LA-DUers...we are bracing as well in San Diego

Fucking santa ana winds were HOWLING this weekend, and now.

This is the bad time to live in SOCAL...

[rufus dog]

25. Be smart!

Never driven through Porter Ranch, but I imagine it is new, thus stucco with tile roofs. Tough to lose homes in those neighborhoods, clean up will be a bitch though, took me six months to get rid of all of the soot from last years fires in OC.

Those of you with wood roofs, don't try to be a hero, get the kids and pets out early if you can.

[KitchenWitch]

44. Is stucco really that much more fire resistant?

I am not being snarky, I am asking. I have a stucco house with the clay tile roof, and I would love to believe that it is more fire resistant than other materials.

I am in Northwood (Irvine). Fire came within a mile of our house last year.

[KitchenWitch]

45. dupe

dupe

[Ghost in the Machine]

26. Wait for Georgie to get there...

[Dukkha]

32. like glimpsing into the future

of a McCain presidency.

I was in Oakland, CA in the 1991 firestorm. It got real hot there even miles away and it looked like midnight when the black smoke covered the entire sky.

[David Zephyr]

33. I hate this time of the year. My front yard is the Angeles National Forest.

The Santa Ana winds were ferocious all day.

[Bluebear]

41. All best wishes for your safeness and soundness!

[David Zephyr]

42. Thanks.

We have gone through this twice since 2002 and have been evacuated both times. Thanks for your concern.

[catchnrelease]

43. I've been dreading this

since last week when they predicted the winds coming up. The arsonists just wait for these kinds of conditions.

That photo is horrifying. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Griffith Park will be spared this time. (I work at the Zoo and we've had some close calls in the last year.)

Good luck to all those in the affected areas.