Brush Fires in Angeles National Forest Force Mass Evacuations

Hundreds of Homes Evacuated as Forest Fire Threatens Multiple Communities near Duarte, Azusa

Two brush fires in the Angeles National Forest near Duarte and Azusa have consumed about 6,000 acres, prompting the evacuation of at least 685 homes, The Angeles National Forest spokesperson said.

The so called Fish Fire and Reservoir Fire were zero percent contained, as of posting, but had not combined as of 20:30 local time. They were separated by about 2km, said LA County Fire Dept.

About 700 crews from the U.S. Forest Service and the L.A. County Fire Department were tackling the fast moving fires, which were fueled by strong winds, relative low humidity and 3-digit heat.

Evacuation orders were issued in Duarte for Markwood Street, Deerlane Drive, Mount Olive Drive, Spinks Canyon Road, Rim Road, Goldenmeadow Drive, High Mesa Drive and Tall Pink Drive

Also evacuated were Azusa’s Mountain View area, Rainbow Ranch, and Fish Canyon Equestrian Center.

Meanwhile, the federal government issued a Fire Disaster Management Assistance for Fish Fire (FM-5129).

 

 

Silver Fire Burns 14,000 Acres, Destroys 26 Homes

Silver Fire: 14,000 Acres Burned; Additional Evacuations Ordered

The Silver fire started at about 2:00pm PDT on Wednesday (UTC -7 hrs.) near Highway 243, south of Banning, and quickly spread, consuming at least 5,000 acres in less than 4 hours.

• As of 9:30 pm PDT on August 8, 2013 , the fire had grown to 14,000 acres (20% contained), destroying at least 26 residences and one commercial building in Twin Pines, and nearby Poppet Flats.

• At least 1,500 people were evacuated as of posting.

• Some 1,450 fire crews have been deployed to contain the fire.

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MANDATORY EVACUATIONS

Evacuation Orders remain in effect for the communities of Vista Grande, Mt. Edna, Poppet Flats, Twin Pines, Silent Valley as well as portions of Cabazon – Peach Street, Plum Street, Eucalyptus Street, and Riza Avenue, Ida Avenue, Helen Avenue East to Elm Street. Black Mountain and Boulder Basin Campgrounds as well as Black Mountain Fire lookout have been closed by the Forest Service. Evacuation order in effect in lower Cabazon and Snow Creek Village. [Cal Fire]

UPDATE 3:07 P.M. (August 8, 2013) –  The fire is now estimated at 11,000 acres, still 10% contained.  The fire is actively burning in the San Jacinto wilderness.
here have been a total of four firefighters injured (unknown extent) and one civilian. [Riverside County Fire Department]

• There have been a total of four firefighters injured (unknown extent) and one civilian.

UPDATE 8/8/2013 7:00 A.M.: THE FIRE IS NOW ESTIMATED AT 10,000 ACRES WITH 0% CONTAINMENT. ALL EVACUATION ORDERS REMAIN IN PLACE FOR POPPET FLATS, SILENT VALLEY, TWIN PINES, TWIN PINES RANCH, VISTA GRANDE, MT. EDNA AND THE EXTREME SOUTH END OF CABAZON (PEACH STREET, PLUM STREET, EUCALYPTUS STREET, RIZA STREET, IDA AVENUE AND HELEN AVENUE EAST TO EAST TO ELM STREET)

Incident Statistics (Riverside County Fire Department News)
Statistics for the week of 7/29/2013 to 8/4/2013

• Fire: 271
• Medical Emergency: 1,937
• Haz Mats/FMS: 38
• Misc: 151

• 2013 YTD Total: 78,900
• 2012 YTD Total: 76,511
• As of August 4, 2013, Riverside County incidents have increased 3.12% from last year.

Calif. Wildfire Destroys Buildings, Forces Hundreds of Evacuations

Fierce wildfire consumes 5,000 acres, destroys homes, forces evacuations of 3 communities in Riverside County

A fast-growing wildfire in Riverside County consumed more than 5,000 acres within a few hours of being ignited.

The Silver fire started at about 2:00pm PDT on Wednesday (UTC -7 hrs.) near Highway 243, south of Banning, and quickly spread, consuming at least 5,000 acres and destroying at least 10 homes and an undetermined number of  building in Twin Pines, and nearby Poppet Flats.

Mandatory evacuations were in place for hundreds of homes in the three communities of Twin Pines, Poppet Flats and Silent Valley. Authorities have also closed Highway 243.

The fire was zero percent contained as of posting.

Smoke from the Silver Fire near Banning blankets downtown Palm Springs on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013.  Credit:  Michael Snyder/The Desert Sun. Image may be subject to copyright.

Related News

• Silver fire: Homes destroyed, 5,000 acres burned, firefighter hurt
• Hundreds evacuated ahead of Southern California wildfire
• Out-of-Control Wildfire Burns 5,000 Acres Near Banning
• Silver Fire near Banning destroys multiple structures

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – 31 May 2013

Unemployment in Eurozone reaches new record high in April

Unemployment in the eurozone,  has hit yet another record high, with the seasonally-adjusted rate for April climbing to 12.2%, up from 12.1% the previous month, according to official statistics.

• Some 95,000 additional people were out of work in the 17 countries that use euro (€), raising the total to 19.38 million.

• Jobless rates were worst in Greece (27.0% in February 2013), Spain (26.8%) and Portugal (17.8%), Eurostat reported.

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Hundreds Evacuated as Major Brush Fire Burns Out of Control in Calif.

A brush fire is burning out of control in the Angeles National Forest north of Castaic, officials said. The so-called  Powerhouse Fire, had burned about 1,300 acres and was uncontained, said the U.S. Forest Service.

Authorities were forced to evacuate hundreds of people on Thursday as the flames threatened homes and high-voltage power lines.

The fire broke out on Thursday afternoon in Francisquito Canyon, near Drinkwater Reservoir, said a report.

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Iraq Body Count Continues Climbing

At least 38 more people were killed across Iraq on Thursday bringing the civilian death toll for May to 881 so far.

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US: Risk of Severe Thunderstorms

Tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds from central Okla. to parts of the Ozarks forecast for Friday afternoon and evening; a Moderate Risk area is in place across extreme northwest Ark., extreme southeast Kan., extreme southwest Mo. and central and northeast Okla. Severe storms are also possible from northwest Texas to the Great Lakes. —NWS Storm Prediction Center

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DISASTER CALENDAR – May 31 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,016 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,016 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Winter Storm Warnings for Minnesota, Wisconsin, Heat Advisory for SF

FIRE-EARTH Forecast posted on January 31, 2013:  Persistent heatwaves and other factors disrupting the continental precipitation patterns could significantly intensify and spread the drought in the U.S. over the coming months.

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Winter Storm Warnings in Effect for Parts of  Central Plains and Upper Midwest: NWS

National Weather Service (NWS) has issued snowstorm warnings for Minnesota and Wisconsin effective tonight and early Thursday. The rare May snowstorm could dump as much as 6 to 12 inches of snow across parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin .

Moderate to occasional heavy snow will continue tonight and early Thursday across portions of southern Minnesota and west central Wisconsin. There will be a sharp cut off in snow totals across the area with the heaviest totals near and just east of a line from Mankato to the eastern Twin Cities metro to Balsam Lake in Wisconsin. The snow totals will also diminish farther east in Wisconsin. Roads may become slushy or snow covered early Thursday morning when the heaviest snow is falling. The heaviest snow has  shifted a bit farther east than what was previously expected.

SAN FRANCISCO:  Record to Near Record-Breaking Temperatures Forecast for Thursday

Meantime, NWS has issued Heat Advisory for SF areas effective from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm PDT Thursday.

TEMPERATURES: RECORD OR NEAR RECORD BREAKING TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY FOR MANY LOCATIONS ACROSS THE WARNING AREA [See Below]. HIGHS AT THE COAST WILL BE IN THE 80S TO LOWER 90S. INLAND LOCATIONS WILL BE IN THE 90S TO AROUND 100.

SAN FRANCISCO- COASTAL NORTH BAY, INCLUDING POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE-NORTH BAY INTERIOR VALLEYS-NORTH BAY MOUNTAINS- SAN FRANCISCO BAY SHORELINE-SAN FRANCISCO PENINSULA COAST-EAST BAY INTERIOR VALLEYS-EAST BAY HILLS AND DIABLO RANGE- SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS-SANTA CLARA VALLEY, INCLUDING SAN JOSE- NORTHERN SALINAS VALLEY, HOLLISTER VALLEY, AND CARMEL VALLEY- NORTHERN MONTEREY BAY-SOUTHERN MONTEREY BAY AND BIG SUR COAST

US Weather Hazards Map for May 2, 2013. Source: NWS

Hundreds flee as Banning fire consumes thousands of acres

The Summit fire, a fast-moving wildfire fanned by Santa Ana winds, raged out of control consuming 3,000 acres on Wednesday in Riverside County, forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes, said a report.

• A thick pall of smoke created by the blaze stretched for miles affecting air quality in the region.

• The fire was fueled by 35 mph winds, low humidity of about 12% with temperatures in the low 80s.

• California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has responded to more than 680 wildfires so far this year, more than 200 above the average for the period, the report quoted the agency as saying.

Related Links

• How Homo Ignarus Killed Spring March 21, 2013
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 March 8, 2013
• U-S Drought 2013: Fueled by Heat from Hell? January 31, 2013 [FIRE-EARTH Forecast]