Holly's Notes and Condition

Sun Mar 11th - Daylight Savings Time Starts and Nearby Fire Burning

I awoke at a little before 7 am, to a quiet house. I remembered that Daylight Savings Time went into effect during the night, as my computer's clock says it's now 8:03 am. I looked out my kitchen window across the Lake and saw big black plumes of smoke to the W/NW of us - there is a fire burning on the other side of the ridge - looks like its off the 241 Toll Road, north of Santiago Canyon - which is about 20 miles from our house, by road - its being driven by gusting Santa Ana Winds to the W/SW and towards homes in Anaheim Hills and Orange Acres. I tried to get info from OCFA (Orange County Fire Authority - usually a very good source) - very minimal - so I went to the OC Register website and from one of the message postings, discovered that Fox News is doing live coverage. They are pulling water from Irvine Lake to do the water drops by helicopter. The police are saying that it was started just before 8 am this morning, by a car fire on the 241 Toll Road near the Windy Ridge Toll Booth - it immediately burned into the western portion of Weir Canyon Regional Park Area. (This is an area that didn't burn in the Sierra Fire of Feb 2006, which burned 10,000+ acres on the other side of the 241 Toll Road in the Cleveland National Forest - closer to us.) They are expecting highs of 94 degrees today and strong Santa Ana wind gusts into the night and then more high temps and wind tomorrow. This fire is heading for heavily populated areas of Anaheim Hills and Orange Acres, which have been evacuated.

posted by Holly @ 8:08 AM