By Douglas V. Gibbs
In Carlsbad, California (San Diego County) at 12:45 pm KCAL 9 News reported that a blaze that was a 40 acre brush fire at noontime has rapidly expanded, forcing 11,000 people to evacuate the area. High temperatures and strong winds are fueling the fire, and making fighting this fire a difficult endeavor. Devastatingly, homes are actively burning in this beautiful beach community where the nearby amusement park Legoland is also being evacuated. High winds from an off-shore flow have made fighting the fire from the air difficult, but the wind speeds have not reached the levels that would ground air crews. Protecting life and property are currently the priority.
Currently, over one hundred acres have burned, and it is 0% contained. Due to the rapid expansion of the fire, and a shortage of crews, saving homes is being done in a triage manner, often forcing crews to leave a house burning to move on down the road to protect others from igniting.
Dry conditions due to the drought, plus a steady appetite of high winds, has made the brush in Southern California ripe for these kinds of fires. The heat, currently at 103 degrees, contributes as well not only to the burning of the fire, but acting as a detriment to fighting the fire. The wind gusts are about 30 miles per hour, providing an image, often, of sideways burning flames.
In the afternoon, the winds are expected to shift into a sea breeze from the west, which will push the flames back into each other, hopefully assisting fire crews in their fight against this brush fire.
A second fire has erupted a few miles to the northeast at nearby Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. The massive base is rich with brush, bordering Orange County, Riverside County and San Diego County. The Pendleton Fire is the third fire in the area in the last couple days. On the base, living areas have been evacuated, and fire crews are on scene.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
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