sweetgal154
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LA VERNE, California (CNN) -- Wind-whipped wildfires tormented Southern California from San Diego to Los Angeles on Sunday, causing at least 10 deaths, and destroying nearly 400 homes and threatening thousands more.
Eight people were reported dead in a 100,000-acre fire in eastern San Diego County and more deaths were being investigated, Sheriff Bill Kolender said. Two people died inside their car while apparently trying to escape, The Associated Press reported.
The so-called Cedar fire started Saturday when a hunter lost in the mountains near Julian ignited a signal fire, the AP reported authorities as saying.
Two elderly men died Saturday in San Bernardino east of Los Angeles, apparently from fire-induced stress.
A 93-year-old man collapsed and died while watching his home burn, according to the San Bernardino coroner. A 70-year-old man died from a heart attack while evacuating his house, the coroner said.
Thousands of acres have burned in the fast-moving fires raging since Tuesday. The blazes have been fanned by gusting, hot Santa Ana winds and low humidity.
Up the coast, fires raged in the mountains and canyons beyond the eastern suburbs of Los Angeles -- sometimes hopping fire lines and highways, thwarting firefighters and lighting up homes.
Two fires in San Bernardino County once separated by at least 10 miles merged at the intersection of interstates 215 and 15, the main freeway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Nevada.
The combined "Grand Prix" and "Old" fires created a blaze of about 72,000 acres in the San Bernardino and Angeles national forests and have so far destroyed more than 375 homes.
As many as 12,000 homes in the region were under "some form of evacuation," with residents either having already left or preparing to do so, Forest Service information officer Martin Esparza said.
The Grand Prix fire started Tuesday and the Old fire Saturday. Officials believe both were deliberately set.
Still farther west, more then 2,000 homes in Simi Valley were in danger from a 60,000-acre fire dubbed the Simi Incident, which sparked Friday when a smaller fire jumped State Route 126 and sped west.
Ventura County fire officials confirmed the loss of 12 homes and said the Union Pacific Railroad had closed all rail lines into Simi Valley.
Another fire in the San Diego area Sunday came within a quarter-mile of the Federal Aviation Administration's radar facility at Miramar Naval Air Station.
When air traffic controllers transferred their responsibilities to a facility in Palmdale, the switch delayed air travel for several hours at several Southern California airports, including Los Angeles International and San Diego International.
Santa Ana winds, blowing 30-35 mph and gusting much higher, kept the fires erratic and unpredictable, defying efforts to contain them.
Firefighters took advantage of any lull in the winds, however brief, to put helicopters and fixed wing tanker aircraft into the air to dump water and retardant on the fires.
Hundreds of residents of the heavily populated suburbs waited in their cars, on the streets or at shelters for word on the fate of their homes.
Among those sitting in their vehicles watching the burning skyline Sunday were Sharon Robinson, 62, and her daughter Kim Robinson, 46, who fled their home after throwing whatever clothes and other belongings they could into the back of their truck, according to an AP report
"We've lived in our home for 35 years," Sharon Robinson told the AP. "Fire has always stopped in the foothills. I never thought it would reach our home."
Both the Grand Prix and Old fires swept into neighborhoods Saturday night, crowning dozens of rooftops with orange flames.
"I looked outside my house and I thought I was in the middle of hell, it was redness everywhere, unbelievable," said Rancho Cucamonga resident Joe Wronowicz, who along with his family put off evacuating and put their faith in firefighters to protect their neighborhood.
Southern California Edison spokesman Steve Conroy said the utility lost two main transmission lines to the Old fire, cutting power to mountaintop communities in the area.
Conroy said between 3,000 and 4,000 customers lost power to the Grand Prix fire, which also threatened electrical lines that provide power for up to 1 million customers in the Los Angeles Basin.
California Gov. Gray Davis told the AP he has asked President Bush to make a disaster declaration for the region to free up federal loan money to help victims of the fires.
Eight people were reported dead in a 100,000-acre fire in eastern San Diego County and more deaths were being investigated, Sheriff Bill Kolender said. Two people died inside their car while apparently trying to escape, The Associated Press reported.
The so-called Cedar fire started Saturday when a hunter lost in the mountains near Julian ignited a signal fire, the AP reported authorities as saying.
Two elderly men died Saturday in San Bernardino east of Los Angeles, apparently from fire-induced stress.
A 93-year-old man collapsed and died while watching his home burn, according to the San Bernardino coroner. A 70-year-old man died from a heart attack while evacuating his house, the coroner said.
Thousands of acres have burned in the fast-moving fires raging since Tuesday. The blazes have been fanned by gusting, hot Santa Ana winds and low humidity.
Up the coast, fires raged in the mountains and canyons beyond the eastern suburbs of Los Angeles -- sometimes hopping fire lines and highways, thwarting firefighters and lighting up homes.
Two fires in San Bernardino County once separated by at least 10 miles merged at the intersection of interstates 215 and 15, the main freeway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Nevada.
The combined "Grand Prix" and "Old" fires created a blaze of about 72,000 acres in the San Bernardino and Angeles national forests and have so far destroyed more than 375 homes.
As many as 12,000 homes in the region were under "some form of evacuation," with residents either having already left or preparing to do so, Forest Service information officer Martin Esparza said.
The Grand Prix fire started Tuesday and the Old fire Saturday. Officials believe both were deliberately set.
Still farther west, more then 2,000 homes in Simi Valley were in danger from a 60,000-acre fire dubbed the Simi Incident, which sparked Friday when a smaller fire jumped State Route 126 and sped west.
Ventura County fire officials confirmed the loss of 12 homes and said the Union Pacific Railroad had closed all rail lines into Simi Valley.
Another fire in the San Diego area Sunday came within a quarter-mile of the Federal Aviation Administration's radar facility at Miramar Naval Air Station.
When air traffic controllers transferred their responsibilities to a facility in Palmdale, the switch delayed air travel for several hours at several Southern California airports, including Los Angeles International and San Diego International.
Santa Ana winds, blowing 30-35 mph and gusting much higher, kept the fires erratic and unpredictable, defying efforts to contain them.
Firefighters took advantage of any lull in the winds, however brief, to put helicopters and fixed wing tanker aircraft into the air to dump water and retardant on the fires.
Hundreds of residents of the heavily populated suburbs waited in their cars, on the streets or at shelters for word on the fate of their homes.
Among those sitting in their vehicles watching the burning skyline Sunday were Sharon Robinson, 62, and her daughter Kim Robinson, 46, who fled their home after throwing whatever clothes and other belongings they could into the back of their truck, according to an AP report
"We've lived in our home for 35 years," Sharon Robinson told the AP. "Fire has always stopped in the foothills. I never thought it would reach our home."
Both the Grand Prix and Old fires swept into neighborhoods Saturday night, crowning dozens of rooftops with orange flames.
"I looked outside my house and I thought I was in the middle of hell, it was redness everywhere, unbelievable," said Rancho Cucamonga resident Joe Wronowicz, who along with his family put off evacuating and put their faith in firefighters to protect their neighborhood.
Southern California Edison spokesman Steve Conroy said the utility lost two main transmission lines to the Old fire, cutting power to mountaintop communities in the area.
Conroy said between 3,000 and 4,000 customers lost power to the Grand Prix fire, which also threatened electrical lines that provide power for up to 1 million customers in the Los Angeles Basin.
California Gov. Gray Davis told the AP he has asked President Bush to make a disaster declaration for the region to free up federal loan money to help victims of the fires.
stay safe in kalif... you all are in my thoughts!