ISP: Dramatic Fire Video Online
Video: Using social networking, photo and video sharing sites, residents of Southern California are posting some of the most compelling accounts of the fires raging in their communities.
On YouTube, amateur cameramen have been documenting their own experiences of the fire. Views from news helicopters are one thing, but these are closer and often shot on a back porch or from inside a home.
This video was posted by a person whose screenname is "KMRakaKAT," who lives about 30 miles from Malibu. At the time of filming, the winds were gusting between 60-80 miles per hour. KMRakaKAT says that everything smelled like a fireplace. The sound of the wind and the color of the sky make it clear that this is no ordinary day in California.
This smoke cloud, posted ironically by a user named "nightmares4ever1," is so dense and dark, it completely obscures what is clearly a beautiful, blue sky. Watch as the camera pans from crystal blue to the ominous cloud.
Here's the view last evening for residents of rural Jamul, CA. And as this blog entry explains, many residents had to flee Jamul because of the fires in nearby Harris. That link also takes you to a Google map image of the fires in that area.
This can only be described as awesome, in the original sense of that word. A YouTuber who goes by "mysparetime" filmed the approach to LAX aboard a 767. The two Arrowhead fires in the distance completely obscure the horizon beyond them.
Several users posted videos labeled "Magic Mountain Fire" or "Magic Mountain is Burning." As you can see, the view of the popular amusement park is obscured, replaced by thick red clouds and smoke.
There are thousands of other videos, just as there are thousands of photos now posted on the site Flickr. This link will take you to the search results page, and links to 28,000 images of fire, smoke, and maps of Southern California.
And some of the latest websites and technology are also being used as this story unfolds. As we saw during Hurricane Katrina, text and SMS messages can still be sent even when phone lines are down and cell towers damaged. Those "pings" apparently travel on a different frequency as an actual call.
Well, a website called Twitter now allows users to post messages online using phones and blackberries. The LATimes has set up a Twitter page with tons of useful information.
Blogs and vlogs help us visualize what these communities are going through, but they can't do the hard work of fighting these fires, feeding the displaced, housing the homeless. But some of these organizations can, and you can help:
San Diego County Emergency Resources
Red Cross Safe and Well List
American Red Cross
ASPCA for Pet Resources