California is burning, again.

[RICHARD]

BBQ AT RICHARDS!!!!

I don't need fire to do something stupid!

The Valley is a bowl about 25 miles across. If you look at it like a clock I live at the 3 o'clock position and the fire is burning at the 1 o'clock position at the very edge of the bowl, Above the fire is MILES of nat'l. forest.

Wowser. The area right below the fire-the wind is blowing about 20-30 mph with 50+ MPH due in the morning around sunrise- is jam packed with homes built right up to the edge of the mountains. We have the Santa Ana winds out here. You may have been part of it when you come out to CA at this time of the year. They blow hard and very hard at sunset and at sunrise and the humidity is 5% and it's 77 degrees. I think you can stream the coverage on KCBS 2 or KABC 7.

The part that sucks is that it's so close to the holidays and to lose your home at this time. They also just reported that there is a neighborhood where people are trapped in their homes.

[RICHARD]

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/index

Here ya go, bro....check it out.

If you watch the coverage in real time you can see that those LA County Fire Pilots have huge brass ones. I just saw a water drop the was totally blown off the fire by the wind.

scary as all get out.

[RICHARD]

http://cbs2.com/

You can click on the LIVE COVERAGE button and see another view of the fire.

---------

MY mom was at the rehab hospital about two miles away from the fire up until a month ago.

I think I would have righteously crapped my pants if she was still there.

[Medusa]

I'm glad that you and Mom are safe, Richard.

[RICHARD]

The winds have taken the fire and spread it west.....more flying embers~

All last night you could hear the choppers coming in to refuel and change crews. What a long night.

[KYS]

I wonder how the fire started.
My BF calls me up at 5:00 a.m. to see if I am ok.
The fire has jumped over to Granada Hills area and many of the freeways
are closed. THe high winds are not helping matters.
I feel so sorry for all the people who are affected.
I have had to change Rocky's water bowls out 5 times already from
all the ashes.
I am trying to keep him in the house.

[RICHARD]

I wonder how the fire started.

Back in the 60's-70's there was a Nike base on the hills above Sylmar. The gov't. had put missles up there to defend the L.A./ San Fer valleys from a nuke/Russian attack.

When the base closed it became a place to drive up to, party and look over the San Fernando Valley. On nights like we have been having over the last few days you can see Catalina Island from there-that view around 40 miles from the top of the mountains!

It was probably some kids out looking for a good time-the area is one that isn't conducive to lighting fires and running away in a hurry, if you were stupid enough to do that you could get caught up there.

[Karen]

I wonder how the fire started.
My BF calls me up at 5:00 a.m. to see if I am ok.
The fire has jumped over to Granada Hills area and many of the freeways
are closed. THe high winds are not helping matters.
I feel so sorry for all the people who are affected.
I have had to change Rocky's water bowls out 5 times already from
all the ashes.
I am trying to keep him in the house.

Yikes, it is safe for people or pets to be outdoors, breathing with all that ash in the air?

Rocky, I know you may THINK you wanna go out, but trust me, boy, it's safer inside. Speaking as an asthmatic, you don't want to get any more particulate matter into your lung than you've already got.