January 16, 2014

  • Red Flag Warning -- Updated

    For the last 3 days we've been under a "red flag warning," and last night it was extended through Friday.  A red flag warning means that there will be high winds, hot temperatures, and extreme fire danger.  I awoke early this morning and turned on the tv, as I usually do, and the programming had been preempted by fire news. 

    Let me begin this by saying that, as of now, I am very safe, 50 miles from any fire, and will be unless there should be another fire.  There is a potentially very bad fire in Glendora, next to the mountains behind eastern LA county, about 50 miles from where I live.  The fire began at 5:50 am -- by 6:45 it had burned 30 acres.  The winds are blowing at about 15 mph now, and they will likely pick up to 30 mph as the sun comes up and the day progresses.  At 7:30, they are estimating the fire to be 125 acres, there are mandatory evacuations along the edges of Glendora and homes are being threatened.  It appears that the next few days will be very scary, especially along the foothills behind and east of Pasadena.

    As you hear the news, this is the Colby fire -- it is currently moving southwest, burning in the trees and treetops in old oaks and palms.

    6:30 pm update

    During the day, this fire has consumed 5 homes and damaged 17 others.  Two civilians and two firefighters have been injured -- fortunately their injuries are minor.  Three people are in jail -- they were camping in the mountains, and built a campfire to keep warm -- when they put paper on top to help keep the fire going, and the wind whipped up at the same time, the fire took off.  Their charges could be Federal if the fire began inside the lines of the National Forest.  People who were evacuated from Glendora homes this morning are now going home; those from Azusa, the next town to the west, are being kept out of the area for now.  That's probably wise, as there are many flare-ups, and if the wind changes again, Azusa could be in the same danger as Glendora was this morning.  The red flag warning will expire tomorrow, and the prediction is that the winds will be below 5 mph by this time tomorrow!

    January is normally the wettest month in the Southland -- this year, we haven't had rain since November!  And it was still warmer outside than indoors at 6 pm this evening.  Today's high temperature where I live was 83 degrees, and the humidity 5%.  The fire season usually runs from about August till October or November -- this year it has not stopped, and the next fire season has already begun!

    I am currently safe, 50 miles away from the fire.  There could be other fires at any given time, and in any given place, but the worst ones are usuallly in the mountains, many miles from where I live. 

     

Comments (23)

  • Janet I sure wish I could send ya'll some of our moisture... I lived in Palmdale for awhile and from what I remember the area is quite dry in a good year, the weather channel has been quick to update the situation and I always think of you....be careful!

  • Thank you, Marsha -- At this point, I'm 50 miles away from the nearest fire, and should be very safe unless there are others. At 11:00 am, the fire has burned 1700 acres -- it's moving quickly! They have arrested 3 people in connection with the fire. I'll update again later today.

  • Janet, I pray that you are far away from that fire and that you won't have to evacuate. I hope your area gets a lot of rain. Like Marsha says, I wish we could send you some of our moisture. Please take care and be safe.

    • I won't have to evacuate for the current fire -- it's too far away. However, I'm alert to the winds and the weather at least until tomorrow evening -- the wind is predicted to drop about this time tomorrow, and the fire danger will lessen then. But this is the beginning of a fire season that usually doesn't begin till July or August -- or is it still the end of last year's fire season? We hope for wet February and March!

  • Ach! I hope they can get it under control quickly and without any loss of life - buildings can be replaced, trees can be replanted...Be safe!

    • Thanks, Val -- so far only some minor injuries, but the fire is still out of control. Two homes destroyed and many damaged. The two were part of the Singer Estate (of sewing machine fame) -- not the main house, but a garage and unattached maids' quarters being used as rentals. So far I'm safe -- but on the alert for more fires.

  • so sorry, my brother in Chino Hills told me about this and sent me the local news.

    • I hope your brother continues to be safe -- Chino Hills is probably 25 miles east of Glendora, and the fire is currently moving west.

  • Glad you are safe, Janet. Seriously, it should be a felony to light fires anywhere in the region, during the Santa Anas. If that means someone doesn't get to camp, well Boo-Hoo!

    • Thanks, Gary -- people aren't supposed to be camping in the area right now because of the fire danger (but how do you keep people out of a huge forest area?). Bail has been set at something like $1/2M for each of the 3 campers! They've lost their right to camp, at least for a while.

  • I saw that fire on the news the other night!
    I wonder what they will be given as punishment?
    They should have used one of those portable fire pits.
    Hope nobody else gets hurt and that they can get it contained and out soon.

    • The fire seems to have laid down overnight -- same acreage, so it's probably burning over where it's already been.

  • I have been watching L.A. TV news---Sounds like we have a serious water shortage. They talk about it where I live, but it did not sink in.

    Hope You have a good weekend, Janet.

    frank

    • I think the governor is to declare a state-wide emergency today, meaning something like everybody will have to cut water usage by 20% -- yikes! It's pretty serious!

  • Thanks for the update. I hope you get the rains that you so deserve. I had heard about the three goons who had built the fire and that they are in custody. Love and hugs.

    • Thanks, Zakiah! There's no rain forecasted for the next two weeks! I hope we have a wet February and March!

  • FortunatelyJanet, you are safe and it looks you are not threatened by the fire but Vigilance is needed .
    I believe I remember there was a fire near Los Angeles not so long ago?
    Take care
    lOVE
    mICHEL

    • The last fire season seems not to have ended -- we've had several bad fires in the last year! So far, I'm safe, and the winds have died down for now.

  • I'd feel safer in the desert.

    • Hahaha! They have fires there, too -- just not in the tops of trees! They're not usually so dangerous there, as the population density is lower!

  • I so hope you stay safe when we lived in Colorado we lived far enough away that we never had to worry about the fires but my sister has had to leave her home in Palmer Lake twice that I know of but so far her little town has been spared

  • I'm so glad you have been safe from the fires. You are having a very dry season! I hope rain comes your way very soon. It's a shame the campers couldn't follow important safety rules which are in place for a very good reason! peace always

    • That forest has been closed for a couple of months -- those campers weren't even supposed to be there! I'm far enough from wilderness that I should continue to be safe -- any fires that start here should be smaller and more easily controlled. But we DO need some rain -- we need about 15 inches in the next couple of months!

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