Edgy01

Years ago someone tossed out a cigarette and it wound up blown into a gutter along the street where I was parked. The gutter was full of dry leaves and in no time started a little fire,--and right beneath the oil reservoir on that 911S. Fortunately, I happened to be going back to my car at the time and discovered this and moved the car before a major fire was started! People never think when it comes to smoking. They forget that those things are on fire.

500

I recenlty saw the person stopped next to me flick their cigarette out the window so I rolled down my window removed my ash tray, reached over and asked them if they would like to borrow it...the smoker was shocked and speechless. I hope I made some kind of impact so they don't do it again. It's funny smokers will fill their lungs with smoke yet don't want the spent cigarette to stay in their ash tray long enough for them to empty it...go figure...

Dro

The fire this year got a little too close for comfort. I went through it in 1993 and saved my house then and luckily this year I saved it again. Unfortunately several of my neighbors were not as fortunate.

waiting for the flames to come over the ridge


Firefighters lined up and waiting for the battle


sunrise Sunday morning through the smoke


flames make it over the ridge and straight for my street


flames were 20 to 40 feet high


the oleandres are the first to ignite on my property


Thanks to the firefighters for helping to save my house!


House next door went up in flames within minutes


Again house next door burning to the ground


Only thing to help put a smile on my face were the good waves + closed pch which = nobody out at Surfrider


Thanks again to all the amazing efforts of the firefighters and my prayers go out to all who have lost their homes in all the fires.

-Sandro

Edgy01

Glad to see you made it through!! No matter how much you cut the vegetation back with these winds and such flames nothing is good enough except firefighters on the scene!

SrfCity

If the State is so hungry for revenue why don't they make tossing a cigarette but an offense? The cops could have a hey day.

Dr. Car

Tossing a cigarette is a misdeameanor - like DUI or a speed contest. Can't do much more than that to ban it, unless you want to create a no-intent felony cigarette arson statute.

The big "Witch" or "Witch Creek" fire from Ramona to Rancho Santa Fe was started by a power line that got knocked over by the wind.

drummin4fun

That is a real pet peeve of mine. To see that someone has taken the time to fill their ashtray, only to dump it on the ground at a stop light. It is as if smokers think that butts are magic, and will simply dissappear once they are thrown. I know that not every smoker is of that mindset, and I appologize to those smokers here for making a blanket statement, but it burns me! (No pun intended). I have spent time up in Carmel and Carmel Valley in Central Cali, and the amazing thing up there is that you NEVER see trash or cig butts anywhere!! The people actually care about their environment up there. In the greater LA area, it is as if people consider the outdoors their trash receptacle.

drummin4fun

It is. Littering carries a stiff fine, but how many times do you think that either a cop sees the offence, or that, having seen it, a person gets cited for it?

Alstoy

Very sobering news. Hope everyone is safe.

MishaDesigns

Scary, I can totaly feel it in the air....

SrfCity

Well it sure isn't working then judging by the amount of buts and trash everywhere. Hey Arnie, here's a way to help the budget shortfall

Rhonda@FVD

Incredible Pictures...Really Scary. My thoughts are with everyone who is being affected by the fires!

Leader

San Fernando Valley 5:15 p.m. tonight.
No fire anywhere near here, but tons of smoke, ash, and big stink.

bmc

scene in san diego. specifically rancho santa fe where we live. we got out monday morning, had time and moved the 997 to the beach. a bit dusty, but cleaned up just fine. we live in a rural area with most homes sitting on multiple acres. lost two houses to the north west of our place, and 6 to the east of us. the neighbor lost his grove and the other neighbor lost their pasture. i have no idea how we did not loose a blade of grass. unreal. here are some shots from around, the last shot is my buddies horses that they moved down to a local elemetary school. kind of funny to see them on the playground. my little girl thought it was cool.

brianh

Hi BMC,
Glad you made it through. The binary effect is quite startling - you see that time & time again... some properties leveled, others unscathed. I live in Hidden Meadows, North on 15 and we got allowed back today. Everything fine - except for a thick layer of ash, but not complaining - we were lucky. I'll be back at work on Friday - do you know if Del Dios Hwy through RSF is open? That's my usual route. If not I'll stick to I15 south.

BrianH.