O/T LA is on fire, literally

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Posted By: warshawlaw

I live in an area called the San Fernando Valley. It is about 30 miles across and houses about 2.5 million. There is a big brush fire on the west side of the valley and there is another one over here in Burbank on the east. Yesterday, you can smell the smoke everywhere, ash was falling on everything and the sun was blotted out by the clouds of smoke in the west. I had to turn on my lights a couple of hours before sunset as I drove west. Today, the Burbank fire spiked back up around noon. The sky is reddish and hazy around my office as the sun filters through the smoke that is all across Burbank. It is really eerie. Just thought I'd share that.

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Posted By: barrysloate

My brother lives in Agoura Hills. He smells the smoke and sees the ash falling everywhere. Schools are closed and everyone is home. He hasn't evacuated yet but it is a possibility. Good luck to everybody in that area.

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Posted By: Bill Stone

I grew up in Burbank CA in the early 1950's( prior to the Dodgers coming) and we lived right at the foot of the mountains. Even then I can remember getting the hose out and putting water on the roof as the neighbors all gathered with their lawn chairs to sit outside and watch the fires. The thing that has changed the most is that the areas where we used to play in the mountains have now all been built up with homes which makes these fires now so dangerous.

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Posted By: J Levine

I wish Adam would keep his smoke to himself...I live about 20 minutes north of Adam in the Santa Clarita Valley and although the fires really are not too close to us, we are getting a massive amount of smoke and ash from both.

Two years ago in October, we here in L.A. experienced the worst fire season on record with many different blazes burning out of control for a two week period. This is a very dry, hot area and the slightest thing can touch off a blaze. In fact, one of the bigger fires two years ago that burned fairly close to my home was touched off by an eagle flying into a power line, exploding and falling into the dry brush underneath.

I am wishing everyone (including fire and rescue personnel) the best. Stay safe.

Joshua

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Posted By: Scot Reader (ebay: sreader3)

Glad I sold out of Sherman Oaks last year ....

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Posted By: identify7

Gee, this sounds particularly bad. I hope everyone comes out of this allright.

But doesn't this happen every year around this time? Then with all the brush burned away when the Spring rains come, there are mudslides, and houses falling down the hills? Then these rains germinate the seeds which grow into brush which totally dries up over the summer in preparation for the brush fires right before Halloween?

As I said, I sure hope it turns out allright for everyone. Crazy Californians.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

old construction (before all the corner-cutting of modern development) and flat land.

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Posted By: Richard Dwyer

Hurricanes, floods, fires, what's next? I should pack up and move to Canada.

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Posted By: tbob

And of course in the Mid-East they are saying that the floods, hurricanes and now this fire are answers to the prayers sent to Allah to destroy our country in return for the invasion of Iraq...

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Posted By: BcDaniels

so they are using it as an excuse to boast rates over 70% this winter! They are waiting on government approval~

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Posted By: Bruce Babcock

I live on the Burbank-Glendale border. My neighborhood was laid out in the 1920s and there are now a couple of blocks of houses on unbuildable lots between me and the hills. The fire last night came within a mile of my house. Another fire two years ago came closer and we actually had the car packed up and ready to go, but didn't have to. Yesterday I had lunch with a friend in Agoura Hills and he did have to evacuate the previous night. All of the fire crews have done a great job.

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Posted By: barrysloate

My brother hasn't had to leave Agoura Hills yet but it sounds like it's getting awfully close to him.

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Posted By: brian p

Wow, a lot of Burbank connections here. I lived the first twenty years of my life there. Was fortunate not to experience any fires during that time, but had plenty of experience with the fires a couple of years ago in San Diego that burned down so many homes and cost lives--hundreds of homes were completely destroyed a couple of miles from my homestead.

On a lighter note, Burbank High rules! Down with Burroughs High!

Brian

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Posted By: pete

the l.a. county sheriff department and have been sent over to thousand oaks, burbank, san fernando, etc... to make sure you're not looting the evacuated area...hahaha
pete-

my best pitch was the one that made it to the plate!

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Posted By: Bill Stone

Bruce --I grew up on View Drive which I recall intersected at Elmwood Drive --and as I recall we were just several streets away from Glendale --in fact I recall a friend whose house was on the border --he slept in Burbank and ate breafast in Glendale ---was that area affected by the fires?

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Posted By: Bruce Babcock

Bill, the only street evacuated was Country Club Drive and that order was, I think, voluntary, and has now been lifted. No structures were lost. Things appear to be under control now, thankfully. High winds could have changed things a lot.