SAN DIEGO, Oct. 25, 2007
Officials: Arson Behind Santiago Fire
Meanwhile Winds Slow, Giving Firefighters A Fighting Chance
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Play CBS Video Video At Least One Fire Was Arson Officials have confirmed that the Santiago fire in Orange, Calif., was the work of an arsonist. Meanwhile, firefighters regroup and evacuees wonder about their homes. Katie Couric reports.
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Video Fires' Smoke Sickens Many The thick smoke spewing from California's wildfires is settling in the air with a brew of chemical pollutants that can cause major health problems. Sandra Hughes reports.
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Video Have Humans Made Fires Worse? Experts believe that firefighting efforts over the last century have actually made the problem worse, along with changes brought by a warming world. John Blackstone reports.
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A California Department of Forestry firefighter attempts to extinguish hot spots burning near homes on October 24, 2007 in Running Springs, California. Nearly 500,000 people have been evacuated across the Southern California region and over 1,300 homes have been destroyed as wildfires continue to burn out of control in several southern California counties. (Getty Images/Justin Sullivan)
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Resident Randa Najjar, right, hugs her daughter Shareen, 14, as they look from a vantage point in Portola Hills, as a wildfire approaches their Santiago Canyon States home, while Shareen's father was still evacuating from their home Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007, in Silverado, Calif. The father was safe. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
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David Watson, of El Cajon, Ca., watches a fire burn a hillside, after he was evacuated to the Steele Canyon High School in Jamul, Ca., Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007. Deadly, wind-whipped wildfires have triggered the largest evacuation in state history, prompting some 500,000 people to flee ahead of flames that have destroyed more than 1,600 homes and continued Tuesday to threaten tens of thousands more. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
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Kristina Ford, right, hugs friend and neighbor, Fran Meyers, as they watch efforts to save Ford's home in the High valley area of Poway, Calif., where at least a dozen homes were destroyed Tuesday, October 23, 2007. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
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A plane drops fire retardant on the Santiago Canyon hills Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007, in Silverado, Calif. (AP)
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Photos Ferocious SoCal Fires Blazes bedevil firefighters, force thousands to flee and leave rubble and ash in their wake.
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Interactive Wildfires Photo essays, the worst U.S. fires, facts on fire science and health issues.
Stories:
- Seven Days Of Fury
- Arson Investigation Continues
- Bush Tours Fire Zone
- Memories In The Rubble
- From Katrina To Fires
- Protect Your Lungs Near Wildfires
- Don't Get Burned By Insurers
- Environmental Impact Of Fires
- Opinion: Katrina And The Beast
- Calif. Fire Drives Victims Online
- Was California Unprepared?
- Climate Change And Mega-Fires
Multimedia:
In Depth:
CBS News In California:
KCBS-TV (LA) | KFMB-TV (San Diego)
KNX Radio (LA) | KFWB-AM Radio (LA)
RSS Feeds:
SoCal Wildfires: Latest Stories SoCal Wildfires: Latest Videos“All but the most unlucky people can see the fire coming,” he said. “There's no reason you should have loss of life, certainly for civilians.”
The only confirmed death from the flames was Thomas Varshock, 52, of Tecate, a town on the U.S. side of the border southeast of San Diego. He was ordered to evacuate, but he didn't leave and authorities left him to take care of other evacuations.
Al Guerin, a San Diego County assistant sheriff, estimated only 100 to 200 people ignored evacuation orders. That included 20 people in the rural community of Jamul, near the Mexican border. Firefighters returned to save them.
Homeowners who stayed behind knew firefighters were overwhelmed and figured their lives were safe, Guerin said.
“They say, 'Yeah, OK,' and then they call you later and say 'Help! Help! Help!”' he said.
Despite road blocks in the San Bernardino mountains, east of Los Angeles, some stayed behind.
“They don't want to lose their stuff,” said Running Springs resident Don Rice. “And they get overconfident. We've all made it through a lot of fires.”
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
- Arson?????? No way! This is a case of ''Global Arson.'' How can we blame Bush like Harry Reid did unless we call it global arson? Anyways, track #1 on my music CD ''Blaming America First'' takes on Al Gore with the song ''Hot Air.'' That appplies to Reid, as well. Where?
conservativemusiconline.com - Reply to this comment
- Leace MCVett alone, he misses his days yelling Sieg Heil at everyone, so he does it to the President every time he gets a chance to rant.
- Reply to this comment
- Leace MCVett alone, he misses his days yelling Sieg Heil at everyone, so he does it to the President every time he gets a chance to rant.
- Reply to this comment
- We really need to get rid of criminals like these. We have no use for them. This country spends more on criminals than anyone else. A bullet is cheap, a brick wall can be donated, I''m sure plenty of people will volunteer to pull the trigger, and states can raise money via admission. Who looses?
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- MCVett & AaaBee,
It did not steal a log-on name, it just added a t. I can''t see how anyone would think this is the real MCVet unless it starts signing off with SeigHeil Bush. I guarentee that the more you complain to this person, the bigger laugh they are having. Just like what happened to RandalDS. - Reply to this comment
- OK death penality this is no joke or prank there should be a heavy price to pay to discourage those that do this, Half the time it''''s firefighters themselves.
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Posted by crzmeat at 09:09 AM : Oct 25, 2007
Not Cali firemen!!!!! Our''s are some of the most dedicated, best trained and highly compensated in the world. The are the best as is evidenced by their work this week. - Reply to this comment
- My condolences to the victims of the fire. They will now become victims of their insurance companies. When they file a claim they lose their "claim-free discount". They will be faced with a whopping 50% increase in their annual premium or could be cancelled!!!
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- Re: Megafires and global warming
So what if fires are bigger than they were in the olden days? A fire''s a fire. What I''m worried about is whether their size threatens the environment, or nature, or people, or the economy, or something, not their size. As for climate change, yes, it IS real, but arson was the direct cause of the Santiago fire, although climate change may have made it bigger than it otherwise would have been. - Reply to this comment
- OFFICIALS:...POLITICS BEHIND SANTIAGO FIRE...
...at least that''s what it seems like on this comment board!
However, this discussion went down the krapper immediately after some idiots on this board linked the arsonists with Islamic terrorism. - Reply to this comment
- THIS IS THE MOST GREATEST LIE EVER.. GLOBAL WARMING WAS THE CAUSE SO SHUT UP....
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- Why fire is the only news? What happened to the political coverage? we are starved.
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- You will lose in ''''08. I''''m keeping track......you will lose.....
Posted by poopusbuttus at 11:24 AM : Oct 25, 2007
Nah!!!! We all lose in ''08 some more than others. - Reply to this comment
- You should have been at the top of the list A-B. (Get it?)a-b..............Har,har
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- Posted by poopusbuttus at 11:24 AM : Oct 25, 2007
Hey, you forget me. I am a proud liberal with everything to gain in ''08 and nothing to loose.
2009 is party like it is 1999 BB (Before Bush). - Reply to this comment
- Despicable. Find the perpertator(s) and prosecute to the full extent of the law.
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- You might want to check track #3 on this police officer''s politically CONSERVATIVE music CD! The song: ''Hot Air'' addresses Gore. I''m out here in California where we uffer from Global Arson, and the lefty press STILL pushes this garbage. Oh-I smack Hillary, Ward Churchill and the rest, too! @
www.conservativemusiconline.com - Reply to this comment
- Hey poop, it''s drummer 94. That''s niner-four. And thanks for including me with such a stand-up crowd. lol Think you might consider changing your moniker? "poopusbuttus"? I mean come on. How about "poopface" or poopferbrains"? Just messin with ya! :)
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- You will lose in ''''08. I''''m keeping track......you will lose.....
Posted by poopusbuttus at 11:24 AM : Oct 25, 2007
........
So you just got that new Blackberry and since no one wants to be your friend, you decided to fill up the internal contact database with CBS comment board people you disagree with.
How quaint. - Reply to this comment
- I am sick of the word "spin" when in fact the right wing is lying. No person ever stated that bush CAUSED Katrina or that bush STARTED these fires. Althought the right is now implying that terrorists started these fires. Of course they have no proof or facts but that hasn''t stopped them yet.
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- JWHITMAN
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RED164
RAFTERMAN1
SMIRK5
FEELFREE1
HUNGRY1968
ZOOTALLURES
NEOBRIAN
CONDUMISM
USAYESTERDAY
STARLEO146
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You will lose in ''08. I''m keeping track......you will lose..... - Reply to this comment
Mike Huckabee on GOP "rock stars," 2012, health care reform and more.
