Californians Thank Their Heroes

(AP)  A sparse crowd thinned out across a 70,000-seat stadium at a rally Sunday that was intended as a thank-you to the men and women who battled the largest wildfire in modern California history.

The low turnout at Qualcomm Stadium was not lost on those who came to thank the roughly 500 firefighters and law enforcement personnel who strode onto the playing field to cheers, music and fireworks.

"It's too bad a lot more people weren't here," said Susan James, whose home was spared in the fire-ravaged neighborhood of Scripps Ranch. "They should have been."

Sixteen people were killed, including one firefighter, and more than 2,500 homes were destroyed by two blazes that began Oct. 25-26 and swiftly burned up 12 percent of San Diego County's land.

The rally was held both to acknowledge the risks the firefighters faced and as thanks for what they were able to save.

Within the fire lines or within a quarter-mile of the flames were 36,800 homes valued at nearly $7 billion that remain standing, said Bill Clayton, a division chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

"The lives we lost is a terrible tragedy, but think of the thousands that were saved," said Mayor Dick Murphy.

San Diego-based Qualcomm Corp. contributed most of the $75,000 cost of the event, said Carolyn Wormser, director of special events.

Wormser said the crowd was between 3,000 and 4,000 people, but the rows of empty blue seats in the stadium and plenty of elbow room on the playing field made the crowd seem much smaller. The mayor said he was pleased by the turnout for the event, which was organized on 10 days notice.

"It would have been nicer to have 50,000 people here but these things are spontaneous," Murphy said.


By Seth Hettena