Calif. Wildfires Destroy 655 Homes

1 Dead, Dozens Hurt; 10,000 Of 265,000 Evacuees At Qualcomm Stadium

(CBS/AP)  Wildfires blown by fierce desert winds Monday reduced hundreds of Southern California homes to ashes, forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee and laid a hellish, spidery pattern of luminous orange over the drought-stricken region.

Firefighters - about 11,000 of them, fighting 14 different blazes which have charred 400 square miles - describe desperate conditions that are likely to worsen, with hotter temperatures and high winds forecast for Tuesday. One person has been killed and at least 16 firefighters and 25 other people have been injured since the fires began on Sunday.

At least 655 homes burned - about 130 in one mountain area alone - and 168 businesses and other structures were destroyed. Thousands of other buildings were threatened by more than a dozen blazes covering at least 240,000 acres, the equivalent of 374 square miles.

California officials are asking for help from firefighters in other states and from the federal government. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says the federal government plans to send six water-dropping aircraft on Tuesday.

"The sky was just red. Everywhere I looked was red, glowing. Law enforcement came barreling in with police cars with loudspeakers telling everyone to get out now," said Ronnie Leigh, 55, who fled her mobile home in northern Los Angeles County as smoke darkened the sky over the nearby ridge line.

Soon after nightfall, fire officials announced that 500 homes and 100 commercial properties had been destroyed by a fire in northern San Diego County that exploded to 145,000 acres, said Roxanne Provaznik, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry. The fire injured seven firefighters and one civilian, and was spreading unchecked.

A pair of wildfires consumed 133 homes in the Lake Arrowhead mountain resort area in the San Bernardino National Forest east of Los Angeles, authorities said. Hundreds of homes were lost in the same community fours years ago.

Firefighters - who lost valuable time trying to persuade stubborn homeowners to leave - had their work cut out for them as winds gusting to 70 mph scattered embers onto dry brush, spawning spot fires. California officials pleaded for help from fire departments in other states.

"A lot of people are going to lose their homes," said San Diego Fire Capt. Lisa Blake.

From San Diego to Malibu, more than 150 miles up the coast, at least 265,000 people were warned to leave their homes. More than 250,000 were told to flee in San Diego County alone.

"It's probably closer to 300,000," said County Supervisor Ron Roberts.

There are so many fires burning with such intensity that firefighters are overwhelmed, reports CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker. In the Lake Arrowhead resort area, east of Los Angeles, flames destroyed nearly 130 homes in an area where hundreds burned four years ago.

Not far south in Orange County, adds Whitaker, children clutching their parents' hands were forced to run from Foothill Elementary school to escape a fast-moving fire bearing down on the sprawling city of Irvine.

Hundreds of patients were moved by school bus and ambulance from a hospital and nursing homes, some in hospital gowns and wheelchairs. Some carried their medical records in clear plastic bags.

A 1,049-inmate jail in Orange County was evacuated because of heavy smoke. The prisoners were bused to other lockups.

[stopthewarrr]

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[tnt1954]

should it be illegal to believe in God? punishable
by death? for the atheist scientist--tell me
the origin of space itself?

[gkc99]

"On the October 22 edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, host Glenn Beck stated, %u201CI think there is a handful of people who hate America. Unfortunately for them, a lot of them are losing their homes in a forest fire today.%u201D Beck continued"



The joke''s on Beck. Those San Diego and Orange county suburbs are Repugniscum country.

Maybe it''s God''s punishment of California Reaganite Conservatives for mocking Al Gore''s statements about climate change!

[taotxzen]

What a jerk.

On the October 22 edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, host Glenn Beck stated, %u201CI think there is a handful of people who hate America. Unfortunately for them, a lot of them are losing their homes in a forest fire today.%u201D Beck continued: %u201CThere are a few people that hate America. But I don%u2019t think the Democrats are those. I think there are those posing as Democrats that are like that.%u201D Beck%u2019s comment came as forest fires ravaged parts of Southern California, leaving one person dead, four firefighters wounded, and forcing about 1,500 people from their homes, according to The New York Times.

[famulla-2009]

The ball is in your coat again.
Sir
Sad but I wonder why America in forefront runner in the IT, weatherman%u2019s went ahead far in the weather manic to get the latest on the storms and did nothing in time. Is this because the poor stay there?
This is the second time after Tsunami storm and we are still pondering not about our boundaries but the boundaries of Iraq , Iran and planting the anti nuke in the EU and defy many in the same process. Why we cannot clean our own floors first beats me
I thank you
Firozali A.Mulla MBA PhD
P.O.Box 6044
Dar-Es-Salaam
Tanzania
East Africa

[mainemade]

Who says "Hell on Earth", doesn''t exist? Here is proof!

[rmsdm4]

why is this news. It happens every year. And guess what it will happen next year. There are 4 certains in life. Death, taxes, cali will burn in the fall, and new orleans floods when it rains.

[socaleruline]

this comment is for the guy who said cali should burn! How could anyone say something like that. we are all americans and we should help each other out no matter what state we live in. Do you know how it feels to be told to be ready to evacuate at anytime? To pack up and leave where you live and not know if your going to be able to come back. Its one of the worst feelings ever! These are people lives we are talking about its not a joke man. I also want to thank all the firefighters for working around the clock. I also pray the wind dies and this all ends and the person who is responsible is found.

[sparks224]

"If Al Gore is to be believed....."
Posted by nottellin1

That crazy Al Gore, boy what a nut job.
It sure is a good thing the Supreme Court stepped in and prevented him from becoming president, huh.

[nottellin1]

Thats right, everyone should move to another state. So Cal is a pretty scary place these days. There will be even more landslides in about 5 months because there will be no plants to hold up the hillsides. If Al Gore is to be believed, the houses in Malibu that don''t burn, the beachfront ones will be flooded. If you''ve been thinking about relocating, now is a good time. LA is due for an earthquake too.

[kennergirl]

It''s rained almost 10 inches of rain today..bring me a hose and a pump and I''ll put out that fire!

I guess everyone will be saying not to rebuild because the risk of fire etc etc. I suppose we all are going to go live where? Idaho? Utah maybe?

[sonotso]

'' ... maybe edible algae and mushroom knick knack artwork could store and possibly even lever or multiply water molecules and microbes ... maybe since we can turn acorns into atomic stars, we can turn acorns into atomic stomachs and forego all the consumption anyways ... ''


'' ... of course you have options, you have the option to invest all your money and votes in baby raping warfare ... ''

[danlies]

This make the case for Bluebird R.V.s and concrete dome houses.

[alittlebird]

What''s the big deal about evacuation? Try moving 260k people while surrounded by fire. Evacuation sights are being evacuated. Since 03 we''ve tried to be responsible (outlawing wood roofs, making fire buffer clearings, and clearing brush) but the winds are merciless.

This is an act of terrorism by nature and no one else.

[stezzer]

I hope Oliva Newton-John''s house is okay. I rather like her.

[l8c6]

Blackwater needs a fire fighting division. Such a private endeavor could continue collecting taxes from all americans and even take dips into social security. The efficiency and cost savings would be more precise. More surgical and strategic delivery to the americans who should get premier service could be attained. The ones who have more shares in america. The ones who pay most of the taxes and make jobs for all the losers who work with their hands in the streets.

[l8c6]

It''''s all Bush''''s fault.

LOL

Posted by MCVett

Illusive covert right wingers would want all to believe it''s all about Bush. For at least the past 30 years an illusive right wing movement has placed mascots for the republican party in the most executive office of our government, the presidency. Other politicians who have gained access via the other party have been caustically assaulted with litigation. Millions of taxpayer dollars were spent by the right wing on white water, impeachment over a BJ etc., largely to no avail. This from the movement that complains about activist judges and frivolous lawsuits.

The labels, the "liberal elite" Ha, the right wing conservative controlling arrogant elite is the problem.

[sparks224]

"We need to ship all foreigners back where the hell they came from."
Posted by Elichez1

Right On Dude!
I want to send all those Native Americans back to where they came from!
And they can take ther casino''s with them too!

[wwyoud]

CBS, please stick to the news and stop dragging religious references to satan into your stories; it''s unprofessional. One would think you''re hoping to get rights to the Left Behind series...

[mh4cbs1]

Disaster? This is nothing. In not all that many years from now global warming will leave the Sierra Nevada''s without any snowpack. You can then kiss California agriculture goodbye, along with easy access to drinking water.