There are now a total of 13 fires.....2nd person killed...only two mountain ranges from me...in Angeles National Forest....so pray people that the winds die down...

I didn't know there were fires until I turned on the news this morning, and I was like "wtf, why is there lava flowing Cali? oh wait what!? thats wild fires!?" I never seen anything like that in my life, so if your house is on fire, GET THE HELL OUT! Unless your cat is trapped, than its ok to go looking for it, cause I would!

Seriously tho, be careful out there!

Please all you californians be careful! you're in our thoughts and prayers!

I pray and hope that all you Cali's are safe and the fires stop soon. I have a sister in San Baradino, Bernadino??? I am not sure the name, but it is real close anyhow.
Save the pets and get out if it is close.
Kat

Tho I've noticed in the reporting of the wild fires, most reporters are like "all the celebs are moving!" and giving sob stories of them and such, and its like "look people, there are normal people out there who've lost EVERYTHING, and you want to report on a person who has 5 houses around the world saying "oh such a tragedy"

Im sorrounding by fire.....I might need a place outside of good ole s. calif......anyone have a spare house

Just heard on the news that Idaho is sending a bunch of fire fighters your way.....hope everyone is ok over there!! Our firefighters should be well trained they just got done saving our state!

Feral ....if you need somewhere to go head for Idaho...I will definately help you out!!

I saw a couple of Water Bombers from Quebec helping, and some Firefighters from BC are there on firelines.. n

These fire-jumpers are very good at what they do..and along with tha valiant California Smoke Eaters, all they need is a break in the weather..

The winds should abate somewhat overnight..Hopefully, they can start to shut the fires down..

Since we are returning to San Diego this week, I will try to put up photos of our area..

Help is coming. But most of it has to come from you. Hopefuly we have learned somthing from the terrible heartaches associated with Katrina. If every person on this site would make a small effort it would be stunning what could be accomplished.
A simple way is to post flyers in your neighborhood that the Sunday before Thanks- giving you will be driving through filling cars/pickups with food and other helpful donation to be taken to your local food bank, Salvation Army or even forward to other helping resources. Then that day drive through tooting car horns and people bring it to the street. Every year we have collected over 1,000 lbs of food in 144 homes many at or below $15,000/yr.. This relieves local services from being "empty" as all these displaced families come to the table.

The sky was orange today

wow, im shocked, i dint know any of this was going on. to be honest it makes me glad england is cold! good luck if you are stuck in this situation right now.

The air was cleaner downtown tonight. I ran into some people who fled the fire - while others are huddled at qualcom stadium, these guys are partying at the Solamar hotel in the gaslamp. Last time I checked, rooms there ran around $300 a night

Oh, and I received an email from a group who are dedicating their weekly meditation/prayer meeting to the people affected by the fire. The format & venue of the meeting?

A bonfire.

Earlier it showed almost 1200 homes lost so far.

I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THIS ON TV AND I FEEL SO BAD FOR EVERYONE THAT THIS HAS EFFECTED
PRAYING THAT EVERYONE WILL BE SAFE AND HOPE THE GODS WILL RAIN DOWN ON YOU AND PUT THESE FIRES OUT.
BE SAFE ALL

Well....there are two different versions on how the wildfires got started, which is pretty funny if you think about it.

Fox News reported that Al Quida started the fires as a terrorist plot.

CNN blames the war in Iraq for shortage of equipment and man power to stop the blaze.

This is why I never trust one source.

They just cought a guy lightin another fire!!
They should just take his azz & drop him in the middle of one!

or just stick him in with this big ol' billy goat that they were chasing all over that was rammin them!!

More than 500,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes to escape wildfires in California in the biggest US evacuation since Hurricane Katrina.

Fierce winds are fanning fast-moving fires that have ravaged land from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border.

The fires have left three dead, burned down 1,300 homes and businesses, and are threatening 68,000 more properties.

President George W Bush will visit the state on Thursday, after declaring a state of emergency in seven counties.

A White House spokeswoman said Mr Bush, whose administration was accused of a sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast two years ago, wanted to "witness first-hand" the crisis.


TACKLING THE FLAMES
Firefighters in Malibu, California
8,000 firefighters - including a number of prison teams
1,500 national guards
50 helicopters
55 firefighting planes
Source: Office of Emergency Services

Battling the inferno
Readers' experiences
Are you affected?

Up to 300,000 acres (120,000 hectares) of land have been scorched - an area bigger than New York City.

Forestry officials say the seasonal Santa Ana winds are hampering their efforts to contain 19 fires raging across the state, and high wind warnings will remain in effect for most of the region until Wednesday afternoon.

At least 38 people have been injured in addition to the three confirmed deaths, a spokesman for California's Office of Emergency Services (OES) told the BBC.

He said so far about 321,000 people had obeyed orders to evacuate state-wide.

In San Diego County, which has been hardest hit, firefighters have been working in difficult conditions.

"We've been faced with winds of 60 to 70mph. We've been faced with embers from that fire floating in the air a half-a-mile to three-quarters of a mile away from the fire, underneath people's roofs, onto their back yards, starting those things on fire," spokesman Maurice Luque told the BBC.


Map

Detailed maps of the fires
Paradise lost in California
In pictures: California fires

One San Diego firefighter, Mitch Mendler, said: "It was like Armageddon. It looked like the end of the world."

County officials placed evacuation calls to 346,000 homes, ordering about 560,000 people to leave - although some 50,000 were allowed to return late on Tuesday.

In Orange County, officials said the number of fires had stretched resources to breaking point.

Major evacuation

Up to 10,000 evacuees stayed overnight at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, while other residents have sought shelter in schools, community centres and fairgrounds.


Satellite image shows the smoke from the California wildfires being blown out to sea

Enlarge Image

"I'm worried for my baby, my house, my kids, everything," Ana Ramirez, a 30-year-old pregnant woman who was taking shelter in the stadium with her four-year-old daughter, told Reuters news agency.

Ambulances and school buses were used to move hundreds of people from hospitals, nursing homes and prisons.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders told people to "stay at home, stay off the freeways" so fire crews and evacuees could keep moving.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has asked the president to upgrade the fires to a "major disaster".

"This disaster is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capability of the state and local governments," Mr Schwarzenegger said

Well everyone from Cali be careful u have my prayers that they all die down! We are all here with you guys!!