LAT : More evacuations and new fires

More evacuations and new fires

As temperatures and winds again rise, officials say containment of major blazes is days away at the earliest. More than 1,200 homes have been lost. Four evacuees die.

By Tami Abdollah, Tony Perry and Michael Muskal, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers | October 23, 2007

Fires raged in mountain communities around Lake Arrowhead today, adding to the devastation that has burned more than 1,200 Southern California homes and prompted authorities to order hundreds of thousands of people to get away. Authorities said four evacuees in San Diego County had died. But some residents were allowed to return to their homes in Scripps Ranch and other areas.

Fires sprang up today in San Diego and Los Angeles counties, and more evacuations were ordered in Orange and San Diego counties. As many as 10,000 people sought shelter at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, where food and blankets were available, and there was entertainment for children.

Weary firefighters fought major blazes that have burned since the weekend in seven counties, and officials said containment was days away at the earliest.

In an area as large as Southern California, officials remained focused on how to cope with their individual disasters, and there was little information for the region as a whole. But most officials agreed that all of the numbers grew overnight. There were more fires, more evacuations, more damage and more fatigue among firefighters.

• There was no official figure for the number of people forced to flee, but the fires were being called the state's largest evacuation crisis. San Diego officials said they had ordered 346,000 homes evacuated. At more than two people per home and with evacuations elsewhere, that could mean more than 700,000 people have fled to shelters, hotels, relatives and friends.

• The extent of the damage was widespread, with more than 420,000 acres burned. More than 1,600 homes and other structures were destroyed, 1,300 in San Diego alone.

•The San Diego County Sheriff's Department reported making several arrests for looting, including two in Ramona near the origin of the Witch Creek Fire. Dist. Attorney Bonnie Dumanis warned of vigorous prosecution.

• Officials at the California Geographic Area Coordination Center, which coordinates resources, confirmed that a second person had died in the fires. Ralph Alworth of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said that on the first day of the Buckweed fire, a civilian trying to flee got into a car accident, his car caught fire and he died today. In addition, four San Diego County evacuees have died -- two in the process of being moved from medical facilities, a county medical examiner official said. The number of injuries also grew, to more than four dozen civilians and firefighters.

• The damage is likely to reach at least $500 million in insured losses, according to the Insurance Information Network of California. The association said 1,760 claims had been filed as of this afternoon. The cost of fighting the fire will also be substantial. Help was on the way after the White House declared a state of emergency, clearing the way for additional federal aid.

• This afternoon, some areas of Poway, Scripps Ranch and Chula Vista in San Diego County were determined safe for residents' return. County Supervisor Ron Roberts said Scripps Ranch had been spared by the Witch fire. "This is the first chance we've had to bring people back to their homes. This is good news," he said.

• If there was one factor that officials agreed would solve the current crisis, it was a break in the weather. Santa Ana winds need to quiet their roar so rescuers can catch up. That could happen by Thursday, officials said.

"The winds continue to be unpredictable," said Roberts.

"We're probably at the most critical time of this fire," San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman warned this morning.

In especially hard-hit San Diego County, Roberts said that the burned area could be approaching 300,000 acres. He said more than 1,000 homes had been destroyed and that 270,000 "reverse 911" calls had been made warning residents to evacuate. At least 15,000 people spent the night in shelters.

Overnight, San Diego County fires expanded in Fallbrook, pushed closer to the heart of Rancho Santa Fe, one of the most exclusive communities in the nation, and began to march closer to Chula Vista and Bonita. Homes were still burning in Poway, Rancho Bernardo and Escondido.

A new fire, called the Poomacha fire, erupted about 3 a.m. today south of Highway 76, burned through the Rincon Indian Reservation, and then jumped Interstate 15 westward in the Del Dios area. By noon it had scorched 23,000 acres and destroyed several buildings. Firefighters were concerned it could meet the Rice fire in Del Dios Canyon. Firefighters have been pulled out of the area, and residents are under mandatory evacuation.

Two other fires erupted at Camp Pendleton, and some Marines from the 1st Marine Regiment were forced to move to a safer spot on the sprawling base. So far, no housing units were in immediate danger, although residents of several areas have been on standby since Monday for possible evacuation.

Of the four evacuees who died, three were in their 90s, officials said.

Donald Swarting, 92, was being prepared for evacuation overnight at Mount Miguel Covenant Village Health Facility in Spring Valley when he complained of shortness of breath and chest pain, said Rick Poggemeyer, operations administrator for the medical examiner's office. Swarting was helped to the bathroom and became unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at 4:50 a.m.

On Monday, 91-year-old Alla Robinson stopped breathing en route from Fallbrook Hospital, which was being evacuated, to Tri-City Medical center in Oceanside. She was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m.

A 62-year-old woman who had evacuated her Rancho Bernardo home died last night of head trauma after falling and hitting her head while leaving a restaurant, Poggemeyer said. Suzanne Casey had initially gone to Qualcomm Stadium, but then went to a hotel in Pacific Beach. The restaurant was next to the hotel.

And 95-year-old June Brewer was found dead this morning in a hotel in Old Town San Diego. She had been evacuated Monday from her Rancho Bernardo home.

Evacuees flooded shelters. People from as far away as Lake Arrowhead and as close as La Costa filled a gymnasium at Carlsbad High, some 10 miles from the nearest blaze. Sleeping bags, air mattresses, cots and pet carriers were spread over the hardwood floor, and a long table packed with doughnuts, bagels, cookies and juices was jammed against the bleachers.

The newest arrivals were the Zehners from Solana Beach, evacuated from their house west of Interstate 5 and a mile from the beach.

"I think they're being conservative," said Ken Zehner. "They feel like they can do a better job with people out of there. And I guess there's a certain logic to that."

Zehner said he lived in a six-bedroom house with his wife, daughter, two grandchildren and two labradors. He was confident his house would be standing when he returned home.

"I can't imagine the fire department not being able to stop the fire from crossing Interstate 5," he said.

So far, Zehner likes the accommodations.

"Boy, that orange juice hits the spot," he said. "Outstanding."

As the day of firefighting continued, officials were hoping reinforcements would arrive from throughout the state to help strained local efforts.

President Bush declared a state of emergency today and will visit the region Thursday to review the emergency efforts, the White House said.

Federal officials, still smarting under criticism of how the government handled the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, said at a news conference that they began monitoring the situation over the weekend and were already sending in supplies for those forced to flee.

Speaking in Washington before he headed west, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said he met with Bush this morning. "He has instructed everyone in the federal government to move as rapidly and fully as possible," Chertoff said. He plans to tour Qualcomm Stadium.

There was no question that help would be needed.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders today sent out an urgent plea for volunteer doctors and nurses to help at Qualcomm. National Guard troops were deployed to the stadium and the Del Mar Fairgrounds, another evacuation spot. Other troops will fan out today into neighborhoods, Sanders said. The mayor also asked residents who had not been evacuated to stay off the roads and their cellphones so that aid efforts wouldn't be impaired.

Among the new fires that erupted overnight was one that burned at least 400 acres at the La Jolla Indian Reservation in northeast San Diego County. Personnel at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base were ordered to be prepared to evacuate. Navy bases in San Diego provided shelter to sailors and their families who fled their off-base homes.

Officials hoped to bombard the fires today.

"The intent is to get aircraft into the air as soon as possible," said Coronado Fire Chief Kim Raddatz, one of the officials coordinating the countywide attack.

The Harris fire near the Mexico border was listed at 70,000 acres, the Rice fire near Fallbrook-Rainbow at 4,500 acres, and the Witch fire at 196,420 acres.

Electrical power will also be a problem, officials said. Fire disrupted various transmission facilities. At daybreak, 25,000 customers were without power, and officials were concerned the number could quickly multiply.

Cooks at county jails prepared meals to go to shelters that opened at churches, schools and other sites.

Flames regionwide crossed class lines as easily as the arid terrain, destroying homes from the beach enclave of Malibu to the vacation retreats around Lake Arrowhead, south through Orange and San Diego counties with its pricey communities of Del Mar and Solana Beach, to Mexico. The conflagrations were on the level of four years ago, when some 3,600 homes were destroyed and about 22 people died.

The tally of destruction was a grim reminder of the danger brought every year when the Santa Ana winds begin to blow. This year is expected to be especially bad since record rainfall, followed by drought, has turned the ample brush into tinder.

At Lake Arrowhead, officials said at least 100 homes had been destroyed and more were burning in Running Springs. More than 200 houses have been lost in the area.

In Orange County, the Santiago fire forced an additional 3,000 residents to evacuate overnight, said Christy Romero, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Fire Department. About 870 homes are threatened in the canyon areas, including Modjeska Canyon, Silverado Canyon, Williams Canyon, Santiago Canyon at Hangman's Tree, and Joplin Boys Ranch, officials said this morning.

The fire has burned through about 18,000 acres and was 30% contained, with more than 500 firefighters working the blaze, Romero said. She said two helicopters were dropping water this morning. No structures had been damaged.

Four firefighters suffered minor injuries, she said.

In Malibu, fire that devoured about 4,400 acres was about 15% contained, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Six homes, one church and a commercial trailer had been destroyed and nine homes and five businesses damaged, he said. The fire was burning to the southwest toward the Big Rock area near Las Flores Canyon Road, Inspector Ron Haralson said. About 1,765 firefighters were working there.

The Magic fire was burning in Valencia, to the southwest of the Magic Mountain theme park and right above the Stevenson Ranch community, Haralson said. No structures had been damaged or lost and no one had reported injuries, he said. The Magic fire was caused by an accidental spark created by construction workers, said Capt. Mike Brown of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

About 1,400 firefighters were working on the Buckweed fire, which had consumed about 37,812 acres, said Capt. Henry Rodriguez of Los Angeles County Fire. He said the fire could be expected to rage another three to four days.

The fire was burning in the San Francisquito area this morning, Haralson said. "Looks like we made a pretty good stand right there. We're going to try to see if we can hold it in around that area," he said.

The Ranch fire in Castaic had burned through about 47,240 acres and was 10% contained and moving southwest, with about 767 firefighters working the blaze, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Three homes, 14 boats and a storage yard had been destroyed, and about 500 homes, 50 commercial buildings and 50 outbuildings were threatened. Mandatory evacuations were in effect in Chiquito Canyon, Hasley Canyon, Val Verde Canyon, Hopper Canyon and Fillmore. The Hillcrest area, which was evacuated, has been reopened to residents. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The Buckweed fire began near 11700 W. Mint Canyon Road in Agua Dulce, Haralson said. About 1,200 firefighters were fighting the blaze, he said. Evacuation shelters are located at Saugus High School, Golden Valley High, Hart High and Quartz Hill High, but there were no mandatory evacuations in place, Haralson said.

Another fire briefly broke out this morning in the Newhall Pass area, consuming about a dozen acres before it was contained. Called the Meadow Ridge Fire, the blaze started about 4 a.m. near where Highway 14 meets Interstate 5. It was one of four fires in Los Angeles County, Inspector Sam Padilla said.

The steep geography hampered efforts to fight fast-moving fires east of Los Angeles.

"Truth is, some of [the homes] are not defensible. Period. Or savable," Battalion Chief Jim Curaralo told KTLA-TV. "There's no point in risking life -- firefighter or citizen -- in a situation where you really don't believe you can make a difference."