Officials: Arson Behind Santiago Fire

Meanwhile Winds Slow, Giving Firefighters A Fighting Chance

(CBS/AP)  CBS News has learned a task force of agencies, including the FBI, ATF, the Orange County Fire Authority and the California Department of Forestry will announce shortly that the massive Santiago Canyon Fire -- which has caused an estimated $10 million in damage -- is being officially declared an arson, and a $70,000 reward is being offered to find the arsonist.

Investigators have identified two separate "points of origin" where they believe the fire was set, CBS News has learned. FBI agents secured the scene to "maintain its integrity."

The Santiago Fire has burned about 19,200 acres east of Irvine, officials said, and it is around 30 percent contained. Six homes and eight outbuildings have been destroyed, with another eight homes and 12 outbuildings damaged. Four firefighters have been injured fighting the blaze and about 3,000 people evacuated.

In San Bernardino County, a man suspected of starting a small fire was arrested and another man was shot to death by police after he fled officers who approached to see if he might be trying to set a fire.

Meanwhile, the relentless Santa Ana winds have slowed, allowing dozens of aircraft to douse the burning hills with water, reports CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric.

Wind was reported blowing at a sustained speed of 21 to 36 mph in some areas Wednesday, considerably less than the gusts of up to 100 mph earlier in the week.

Property damage has reached at least $1 billion in San Diego County alone, and President Bush signed a major disaster declaration for California. The president is scheduled to visit the region Thursday.

The death toll from the most recent blazes may rise as fires continue to burn and authorities return to neighborhoods where homes turned to piles of ash, but displaced homeowners and authorities were relieved that early reports were so low.

The San Diego County medical examiner officially listed six deaths connected to the blazes, but he included five who died during the evacuation who were not directly killed by the fire.

There have been at least 66 injuries, including 40 firefighters.

That contrasts to 22 dead from a fire of similar magnitude in 2003. And while the final toll has yet to be tallied from this week's fires, officials were crediting an automated, reverse 911 calling system that prompted the orderly evacuation of more than half a million people - 10 times the number evacuated four years ago.

“They are more determined that people leave,” said Steve Levstik, who got his call 15 minutes before flames swept through his Rancho Bernardo neighborhood.

“It was very intense. On the call, it was like, 'This area, go! This area, go!' In 2003 there was less guidance. It was like, 'Just pay attention to the news and if it looks bad, leave.’”

But over 26,000 more homes across Southern California are still in danger, reports Couric. The wildfires have already consumed 700 square miles and forced the greatest evacuation California has ever seen.

And none of the major fires is contained, reports Couric. In many places firefighters are feeling frustrated, beating down the flames in one spot only to watch them pop-up someplace else.

"Clearly, this is going to be a $1 billion or more disaster," Ron Lane, San Diego County's director of emergency services, told reporters during a news conference.

The improving weather allowed for a greater aerial assault on the flames and helped firefighters beat back the most destructive blazes. Helicopters and air tankers dropped 30 to 35 loads of water on two fires that have burned hundreds of homes in the San Bernardino Mountains, near Lake Arrowhead.

“They're taking it down considerably,” said Dennis Bouslaugh of the U.S. Forest Service.

Authorities said they had largely contained many of the fires north of San Diego, and all five fires in Los Angeles County were about 50 percent contained or more.

Despite the progress, none of the six major blazes in San Diego County was more than 15 percent contained, and those fires threatened more than 8,500 houses. The top priority was a fire in San Bernardino County that threatened 6,000 homes and continued to rage out of control.

So far, this week's fires have destroyed about 1,500 homes and burned 674 square miles across five counties, from Ventura in the north all the way into Mexico.

Terry Dooley, who was ordered out of his home with his wife and three sons Monday, said authorities learned important lessons from Hurricane Katrina and the 2003 California fires that wiped out 3,640 homes and blackened 750,000 acres during a two-week period.

“They learned how to get things done more quickly,” Dooley said as he waited at a roadblock Wednesday to return home to San Diego's upscale, densely populated Rancho Bernardo area.

In addition to the reverse-911 system, authorities also shut down schools, halted mail delivery and urged people to stay home and off the roads if they were not in danger.

Another factor separating these fire from other disasters has been wealth. Unlike many of the poor neighborhoods flooded by Hurricane Katrina, the hardest-hit areas in California were filled with upscale homes, with easy access to wide streets. Less wealthy areas - including rural enclaves and horse farms that stretch through the mountains east of San Diego - benefited from easy road access and small crowds.

On Wednesday, about two dozen people gathered at a police barricade in Rancho Bernardo, which was one of the hardest-hit areas, hoping to retrieve medications and belongings - or simply to see if their homes were intact.

What awaited many was an apocalyptic scene: entire streets leveled, cars reduced to charred hulks of metal, homes with only chimneys left standing. House after house, 29 on one street alone, were reduced to piles of blackened concrete, twisted metal and white ash.

At one point, police officers lifted a barricade into the neighborhood only to turn residents away several hundred yards down the road at a second barricade. Some of the homeowners cursed at the officers.

“You let us in just to send us back out,” one angry man yelled from his car.

Dooley knew his home was OK because his home answering machine still worked.

Six of San Diego County's 42 evacuation centers were full Wednesday but there was plenty space at Qualcomm Stadium, home to the NFL Chargers, where 10,000 people sought refuge. People rested on cots that lined covered walkways circling the bleachers and quietly watched television as National Guard troops watched. There were no bathroom lines.

Some displaced homeowners complained that the evacuations went too far.

Ron Morris, 68, saw smoke but no flames when he was ordered to leave a motor home park in Ramona, northeast of San Diego, Sunday night. He drove his recreational vehicle to Qualcomm Stadium's parking lot.

“It's good that everyone got out, but they did it too early in my opinion.” he said.

Authorities made no apologies.

“One happy consequence” of the 2003 fires is that people remember that fire can be very unpredictable, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said.

[antoniof123]

I got a question what does Homeland Security have to do with this that bunch can''t do a thing right and now they want to help California. You guys are in trouble now.

[saher72]

I really sympathise with those who lost their homes to these ferocious fires, ,I felt so sad to see those families and innocent children abandon their homes, and I''m praying that this will come to an end very soon

[luvny-2009]

Antonio...I think I have the answer. PHOTO OP

[eggy1620]

antoniof123, FEMA reports up to Dept of Homeland Security.

[sgtrds]

That clown Bush is going to show up here on Thursday and his people will try to drag resting firefighters away from their sleep to stand behind him just so this idiot can have his phony photo op, all the while mouthing platitudes and pretending that he cares. He never has and never will give a dam*n about any of the people of this country beyond what he and his fellow thieves can steal from it. We don''t need him and we certainly don''t want him here! Stay home Bozo!

[rushman71]

I hope the people in CA can get through this mess. But one thing that I, as a smoker, would LOVE to point out--second-hand smoke!!! Guess what? There''s no way out of this one!!!

[rushman71]

Randal, please, there are homes burning left and right in different parts of Southern Cali, and all you want to do is Bash Bush!!! Let it go....before another home gets burned down!!!

[s1ckd09]

That clown Bush is going to show up here on Thursday and his people will try to drag resting firefighters away from their sleep to stand behind him just so this idiot can have his phony photo op, all the while mouthing platitudes and pretending that he cares. He never has and never will give a dam*n about any of the people of this country beyond what he and his fellow thieves can steal from it. We don''''t need him and we certainly don''''t want him here! Stay home Bozo!

Posted by SgtRDS at 08:44 AM : Oct 24, 2007

And if he didn''t show up you would be the first hypocrite to call him out for it. I don''t get it... how can you people make up so much stuff to hate about one person? If you really think that he doesn''t care, it shows that you are to much of an intellectual coward to deal with the fact that some people honestly have different views than you do. But anybody with a different view from you is labeled a Nazi, a fascist, a murderer, a racist, apathetic, ignorant, etc. Face it... there are people who disagree with you, and if you would take the time out to figure out WHY, and not just make your stupid assumption that it''s because "they don''t care", you might be a little happier camper.

[mcvett]

It should be interesting to see how many ignorant liberals will claim that Bush started this fire the same way he created hurricane Katrina

LOL

[oeangus]

Guess this is what you get when nature says it''s had enough of being r.aped - it fights back.

[bareemperor]

Watched the White House talking head last night, the blond was saying the fire services in Calif were spread thin because... "we are a nation at war" - she repeated this statement three times within one minute... I found this an odd piece of brainwashing at an odd time.
And it made me think - our nation is NOT at war, our president is at war. And he is ''fighting'' in some little dot on the world map, and there are some thugs, not very many, ambushing a few of our ''troops'' ocassionally, and Bu$h and Congre$$ are calling it an endless ''war'', and throwing all my tax dollars at defense corporations...

This is NOT a war.

A million Californians need help, and the White House will have a photo-op.

What is wrong with America?

[Renegade.Rivers]

While we got a major problem in our own country, Bush, and Rice continue to rattle sabers around the world. One million people evacuated, fires burning halfway up the coast of CA., and all he can think about is rattling sabers, and threating foreign countries, while his own country goes to he11 in a hand basket. Of course, some of the banks may luck out, if they lose some of the homes in the fire, that are being foreclosed on, they will not lose as much money, if they collect insurance.

Still, our leaders show just how out of touch they are with reality, and the people they represent. Oh, I know the President is going to CA, today, and he will say, he will throw a billion or two at the problem, and then he will go back to Washington, and rattle the saber some more.

[jowand]

A million Californians need help, and the White House will have a photo-op.

What is wrong with America?
Posted by BareEmperor at 09:37 AM : Oct 24, 2007

What''s wrong with AMerica you ask, answer, dopes like you turning everything into politics for power like you are trying to do.
Lightening, illegal fires and idiot throwing cigarette-butts on the ground are the major causes of forest firesfires. They get so bad because no thinning of forests is allowed, hundreds of square miles of dead forest are allowed to be cleared off. All courtesy of the Sierra Club.... friends and the looney tunes hate spewers of Progessive left.

[oscarez]

s1ckd09 ... Its getting harder and harder to defend Bush don''t you think. Just give up all ready.

[Renegade.Rivers]

s1ckd09

how can you people make up so much stuff to hate about one person? If you really think that he doesn''''t care.

It''s not that we don''t think he cares, we know he don''t care. He has proved that time and time again, ask the people in New Orleans, ask the people in Iraq. Its evident he has an agenda that does not include compassion.

A Nazi, a fascist, a murderer, a racist, apathetic, ignorant, etc. That is what Mr. Bushes'' family has been to America, do a little research, and you will find that that was what his grandfather was a Nazi sympathizer, and even lost a bank because of it, during WWII.

Face it... there are people who disagree with you, and if you would take the time out to figure out WHY, and not just make your stupid assumption that it''''s because "they don''''t care", you might be a little happier camper.

You might call some people stupid, but we can see who the stupid one here is, and it isn''t the ones who are concerned about American''s first. So tell me what do you care about?

[Krazcarl]

I didn''t realize how bad this was but like george2221 the seam to have thing for setting fires out there and should receive the death penalty a fire will destroy everything you ever worked for not to mention priceless family treasures. There needs to a fire strategy for wooded areas we don''t need to hang in space and go to planets that can in no way support life

[Renegade.Rivers]

jowand

What''''s wrong with AMerica you ask, answer, dopes like you turning everything into politics for power like you are trying to do.
Lightening, illegal fires and idiot throwing cigarette-butts on the ground are the major causes of forest firesfires. They get so bad because no thinning of forests is allowed, hundreds of square miles of dead forest are allowed to be cleared off. All courtesy of the Sierra Club.... friends and the looney tunes hate spewers of Progessive left.

Oh, and global warming isn''t real? Go crawl back in your hole. The forest department is the ones that developed this plan to not burn off forest, not the people, and that''s the government, not the people. The problem is that global warming is affecting our weather patterns, and that in turn has decreased the moisture that once protected those forest. Less snow fall less moisture. It has nothing to do with the liberals, it''s the petroleum industry and their product usage that is heating up the earth and changing weather patterns.

[mcvett]

I guarantee you the very same liberals who criticized Bush
for not going to New Orleans quick enough,
will now be the same ones who will criticize Bush for
going to California too soon!!!!

hypocrits

It should be also be interesting to see how many ignorant liberals
will claim that Bush started this fire the same way he created hurricane Katrina

LOL

[mcv57]

Wondering how the insurance companies going to worm out these insurance claims. Katrina flood homeowners lost by the big insurance companies and corrupt U.S. Surpreme court. The insurance company will probably claim they will not pay because the fire are acts of God. And the U.S. Surpreme corrupt judges will let the scouncels off the hook.

[Renegade.Rivers]

MCVett,

"I guarantee you the very same liberals who criticized Bush for not going to New Orleans quick enough,
will now be the same ones who will criticize Bush for
going to California too soon!!!!"

So everyone that criticizes Bush is a liberal? Well let me tell you the last time I looked I was an independent voter, "I just calls them as I sees them." Bush is the one of if not the worst president we have ever had. I can say that too, I voted for him in 2000, because I believed him. Shame on me, but I admit it. What you got to admit too?

You must go take your meds, we aren''t blaming the President for starting the fires. These fires been burning for nearly a week now, and he just now has found time to go there and have a photo-op. Not to mention the White House staff was the ones who blamed this calamity on the war.

"LOL"

Unfortunately none of this is a laughing matter.

[dodaz-2009]

People In San Diego have better, Resorces to take care of themselves,.. This , is nuthin'' compared to Katrina- apples/oranges,.. according to San diego Residents... Qualcom is a far cry from the Superdome... WH patting itself onthe back for what San Diegans have done for themselves is laughable.

[dodaz-2009]

People In San Diego have better, Resorces to take care of themselves,.. This , is nuthin'''' compared to Katrina- apples/oranges,.. according to San diego Residents... Qualcom is a far cry from the Superdome... WH ( Taking Credit)patting itself on the back for what San Diegans ( & AHNOLD)have done for themselves is laughable

[v_1618]

WELL.. THE GLOBAL WARMING IS REAL AND THIS IS THE CONSEQUENCES.. ALL THE CARS AROUND THE WORLD ARE MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY IN THE STREETS.. SO UNTIL SOMEBODY SAY STOP THE PRODUCTION OF CARS THIS WILL HAPPEND AGAIN AND AGAIN

[mcvett]

I guarantee you the very same liberals who criticized Bush
for not going to New Orleans quick enough,

will now be the same ones who will criticize Bush for
going to California too soon!!!!

hypocrits

It should be also be interesting to see how many ignorant liberals
will claim that Bush started this fire the same way he created hurricane Katrina

LOL

[aaabee-2009]

Posted by MCVett at 10:49 AM : Oct 24, 2007

For once, MCVett, just shut up.

If you are such a superior non-liberal, how are you helping these people?

Is your house burning? No. You are obviously safe at home, doing nothing more than spewing venom out your keyboard.

There are liberal and conservative houses burning to the ground, there are liberal and conservative people fighting the fires, giving aide, giving money, giving their support.

How about putting aside your useless hate for 10 minutes and lending a hand, instead of your mouth.

Have a great Bush day.

[aaabee-2009]

Posted by V_1618 at 11:03 AM : Oct 24, 2007

If you just lost everything you worked your whole life for, would you want someone spouting Bushisms over your head? No.

Lend a hand, send some money. It is too late for politics for these people. Their homes are gone, and they don''t give a fig about Bush, climate change, or WA DC.

They want their homes back, their lives back. Send them something more than empty political sentiments. Please?

:)

[random_radar]

"They want their homes back, their lives back. Send them something more than empty political sentiments. Please?"

Tell me how much I owe you and why I owe you and I will think about it. Or do you mean to take my money by force through taxation?

Natural disasters are a tragedy, but I don''t understand why I should be forced to give my money to someone else as a result.

[oscarez]

random_radar ... How do you feel about Bush using your tax dollars to fund an unjust war?

[wadyaknow]

So I see on M S N B C - that seasonal firefighters were laid off just before this event and they didn''t even get notice and are losing their health care! Nice job Ahnold!

[nottellin1]

Now... President Bush is asking for $46Billion fund for the war... How in the world would he be able to assist the Southern CA?! He is just bringing our $1.00 bill value down way deep in the hole like maybe, $5,000 value for each $1.00 bill we have.


----------------------------------
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Posted by stratching at 07:36 AM : Oct 24, 2007

Quite obviously CA doesn''%u2019t need federal assistance, we take care of our own. Try looking at local CA news reports, we are doing quite nicely without the Fed and wish they would stop trying to take credit for doing nothing. Sadly, Feinstein & Boxer are the worst. I just heard Feinstein suggesting that we should zone so that houses can''%u2019t be built in fire prone hillsides, good grief she is clueless. Those of us that live in those areas are prepared and insured. Bush is on CNN right now, saying the Fed will send anything that is needed, thanks anyway, keep FEMA away and stop stealing the credit that should belong to ordinary Californians.

[aaabee-2009]

Posted by random_radar at 11:13 AM : Oct 24, 2007

Well, that was a mean little post. Feel better?

Don''t give if you don''t wish to.

Don''t give anything at all.

Leave it to others to do.

[nottellin1]

I have never been prouder to be a native Californian than I am right now.

[tnt1954]

zee People ave spoken. bolshevik revolution.
90th anniversary celebration. they hate the
capitalist pigs with a vengeance. the landed
gentry? so much for them hogging like swine.
the feudal system is dismantled. peasants happily
tilling the land? i think not. tramp on trump.
trump is nothing but the tramp of lady godivas.
tar and feather the dude, and ride him outta town
on a rail. throw hugh hefner in the l.a. river.
and all his phony bimbos too. all their kinky
clothes too. and their wine, and their liquor
and their beer. and aperitifs. and their snowy
candy too. all their brown sugar and white sugar.
give them the cane. and a good caning. with
bamboo. send them down the river. sober nations
speaks again. they are trying to get out of
the real estate crisis? the King grants everyone
amnesty on debt? he better. the King, releases
all destitute prisoners? from the Union prisons?
how much to get to work? cost more to get to
work than zee People make there. choice not an
echo by schlafly. the kingmakers by schlafly???

[sgtrds]

Natural disasters are a tragedy, but I don''''t understand why I should be forced to give my money to someone else as a result.

Posted by random_radar at 11:13 AM : Oct 24, 2007


California pays far far far more into the federal system in taxes then we ever get out in services. This is not a case of the federal government helping us as much as it''s a case of them giving us some of our own money back.

[aaabee-2009]

Posted by MCVett at 11:15 AM : Oct 24, 2007

Trashing people as they go through tragedy is your right, as you say, but even you, MCVett, even you have to have a line that you find too disgusting to cross.

We are still one nation, and sticking up for one another during times of trouble here at home is just what Americans do.

You are still American, I assume, under all that empty sad hate?

[aaabee-2009]

Posted by SgtRDS at 11:32 AM : Oct 24, 2007

Your castle and family okay, Randal?

[nottellin1]

Natural disasters are a tragedy, but I don''''t understand why I should be forced to give my money to someone else as a result.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by random_radar at 11:13 AM : Oct 24, 2007

Dont worry, we dont want your money, in California we take care of our own. Our firefighters are highly paid and well trained. They and regular CA folks make all the difference at a time like this. Listen to our Govenator. he says we''re taking care of it and he is correct.

[sgtrds]

And if he didn''''t show up you would be the first hypocrite to call him out for it.

Posted by s1ckd09 at 09:23 AM : Oct 24, 2007

No, because it''s not about the fire. He''s never been welcome here and he never will be.

[sgtrds]

Your castle and family okay, Randal?

Posted by AaaBee at 11:34 AM : Oct 24, 2007

Yep. Fortunately for me I can''t afford to live in Malibu.

;-)

Still keeping a wary eye on the Hollywood Hills right above me though. Thanks for asking.

[spaspy]

I''d like to see any one of you dopes who either can''t spell or can''t type do a better job in the highest stress level job in the world! Get over yourselves and realize that we only know what the press wants us to know!

[clestes-2009]

With all the expensive crisis we have faced and are going to face, spending 12 BILLION a month in Iraq is worse the stupid. it virtually guarantying that we will have NO MONEY for disasters, unless we borrow even more and pretty soon China, India and whomever else will say "No more money. We are worried about you paying what you owe us already."

No more money for Iraq!! Leave it!! I don''t care what happenes there, it is time to get the hell out of Dodge!!

[aaabee-2009]

...in California we take care of our own...".Posted by nottellin1 at 11:35 AM : Oct 24, 2007

Too bad, nottellin1, folks are going to send you their love, their support, and their money anyways!!!

27% of America may have turned their hearts and brains off, but 6...64% of Americans have retained some bastion of common sense and compassion. Which leaves 9% undecided as always.

[clestes-2009]

Nancy_Naive,

the problem is more than just burning down expensive houses, which will fall into the ocean anyway when the BIG ONE hits.

the trees play an important part of keeping the atmosphere balance. They take in CO2 and give out O2. For every tree burned, more CO2 is released into the air, because when the tree burns it releases CO2 plus you now have one less tree to eat up CO2.

[aaabee-2009]

Posted by clestes at 11:48 AM : Oct 24, 2007

You So-Cal folk do seem to have more than your share of possible disasters: earthquakes, mudslides, fires, redistricting.

What keeps you all living there, some hope that one S. Speilberg will "discover" you?

(my vain hope is that one K Reeves of Matrix fame will discover that I am the woman of his dreams)

[oscarez]

"I''''d like to see any one of you dopes who either can''''t spell or can''''t type do a better job in the highest stress level job in the world!"

You can''t be talking about Bush, he''s doing Gods Christian work!!!

"What is it that enables George Bush to sleep at night when his avarice and iniquity as a ruler exceed that of Marie Antoinette?" from: http://www.rense.com/general67/sle.htm

[oscarez]

AaaBee ... sound like you are very much in touch with reality. Good luck!

[sevenveils]

These fires show how CA zoning laws don''t consider the environmental impact of building houses on dry arid hill sides surrounded by brush and shrubs.

The fires have burned here for eternity, that''s one reason large trees are in this area, the trees are burned before they grow to an appreciable size.

[nottellin1]

Still keeping a wary eye on the Hollywood Hills right above me though. Thanks for asking.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by SgtRDS at 11:38 AM : Oct 24, 2007


Hey Randy,

Not sure if you saw this yesterday, but if the Hollywood Hills catch fire, I''ll check for you here to see if you need assistance with your belongings, dogs or a safe place to stay. Good grief, that would be something if I needed to put you up for a few days. You can have the desktop and I''ll be on my laptop posting our opposing views.

[sgtrds]

Hey Randy,

Not sure if you saw this yesterday, but if the Hollywood Hills catch fire, I''''ll check for you here to see if you need assistance with your belongings, dogs or a safe place to stay. Good grief, that would be something if I needed to put you up for a few days. You can have the desktop and I''''ll be on my laptop posting our opposing views.

Posted by nottellin1 at 12:05 PM : Oct 24, 2007

LOL! If they do I might just take you up on this! Can I bring all of my illegal alien friends too?

;-)

[sgtrds]

Hey Randy,

Not sure if you saw this yesterday, but if the Hollywood Hills catch fire, I''''ll check for you here to see if you need assistance with your belongings, dogs or a safe place to stay. Good grief, that would be something if I needed to put you up for a few days. You can have the desktop and I''''ll be on my laptop posting our opposing views.

Posted by nottellin1 at 12:05 PM : Oct 24, 2007

LOL! If they do I might just take you up on this! Can I bring all of my illegal alien friends too?

;-)