Live coverage of San Diego fires - very dramatic events unfolding

[Liberty Belle]

Source: KUSI TV

KUSI is airing dramatic footage of the fires that have forced half a million San Diegans to flee their homes. At 10:30 tonight, firefighters are now lighting backfires to halt fire encroaching on Steele Canyon High School in Rancho San Diego, an evacuation center where officials have decided to "shelter in place" evacuees instead of taking them to a safer location once the fire drew near.

San Diego decided a couple of weeks ago to become the first county in America to adopt the controversial "shelter in place" policy, which will also allow new developments (such as Blackwater) to build in brushy box canyons without having to provide secondary access roads/escape routes.

Critics call it "cremate in place."

I interviewed people at this evacuation center Sunday, before the fire encroached. The faces of children, seniors, families with pets, are haunting me tonight - and I hope this will not end in disaster.

Read more: http://www.kusi.com/home/10707916.html?video=pop&t=a

[Bluebear]

1. Chilling, just horrible.

Watching now.

[Liberty Belle]

2. I watched them save a shopping center earlier today by setting backfires;

There were evacuees and horses in a corral at the base of the mountain where they were lighting the fires -- terrifying and mesmerizing to witness, knowing these back fires can sometimes get out of hand.

But there is probably no place left for evacuees to go; many of the centers are full and they are now starting to divert some evacuees out of the County, all the way to Borrego in Imperial County.

[Bluebear]

3. I am watching the coverage and can virtually smell the smoke

The fires look so much worse than a few years back, yet thankfully so fewer fatalities..at least that we know about :(

[Liberty Belle]

4. 5 fatalities so far, but more will probably be found;

last time they didn't know about many deaths until authorities could get into the back country canyons and places where people couldn't escape or defied evacuation orders.

But so many others are losing homes, or suffering injuries, or have relatives who have...everyone here is impacted directly by these fires in one way or another.

"It's like Armageddon," one woman told me last night, after witnessing her home burn to the ground in Potrero.

[aquart]

6. Yet, it's been orderly, calm. I haven't seen any panic.

People are behaving well all over the place.

[comtec]

8. That's because they're Californians

We live with the possibility of complete disaster every day.
There could be a 7.0 any time, anywhere.
That's life.
While horrible beyond words (I'll take a 7.0 over this any day) it should be of little surprise that people are dealing with it like any other inconvenience.
We're Californians, we'll mourn, then we'll move on and rebuild because that's what we do.
I hope this causes every one back home to wake up and start to reconsider the value of being in the US.

[aquart]

5. Thanks. Hadn't known about the Harris backfires.

[necso]

7. Weather at Rancho San Diego (NWS):

Temperature: 65°F (18°C)
Humidity: 32% (last)
Wind Speed: E 1 MPH

Good, if not great, firefighting weather.

[Roland99]

9. A friend of mine in Oceanside said winds are somewhat reversing, but that's not really good

Fire moved so fast it left "fuel" behind and will now go back burn that...plus it makes for swirly/squirrely winds.

[Felinity]

10. Link does not work for me.

6:30 am central.

[Roland99]

11. ABC7 live feed is down, too. Maybe because it's like 4:30am on the west coast?

[flyarm]

12. This is just awful, catastrophic...God bless them all and keep them safe!!

and this is just the begining stage...they will all have to find alternate living after the fires are out..and then dealing with insurance..and rebuilding their lives..it is a very long process , and exhausting..

My heart is with everyone in SoCal..i lived there many many years ..until i lost my home in the northridge earthquake..

i remember saying at the time..the only thing that could have been worse is fire..at least we got to throw everything out in the garbage and dumpsters..and have that closure...with fire..ahhhhh


But the greatest lesson i learned was..its all stuff..the life of your family is what matters ..nothing else does.
Everything but pictures can be replaced..but our loved ones can not..

so please stay safe in SoCal..my "other home"...

I have many friends and family that have been evac'ed..and my heart is with them.

and i feel helpless right now to help them, my heart cries.

fly

[lala_rawraw]

13. i have a whole tin foil thing

going on about this fire... clearly, i am overworked. i hope everyone will continue to be safe and help arrives sooner, rather than later... I hear even Mexico is sending firefighters in to help.