Tens of thousands flee infernos

Southern California wildfires burning in seven counties as state of emergency declared

THE SACRAMENTO BEE

E-Mail

Comments (0)

Text Size:

tool goes here

An explosive chain of Southern California wildfires has triggered the largest evacuation in state history, with hundreds of thousands of people fleeing their homes as weary firefighters struggle to slow the inferno that consumed more than 267,000 acres.

In San Diego County, fires spurred the evacuation of 300,000 people, 10 percent of the county's population.

"There's been a mass exodus," said Luis Monteagudo, a spokesman for the county. "Some roads are grid- locked. Emotions are on edge. We are going through something unprecedented at this point."

Across Southern California, at least 14 fires rampaged through seven counties. Fanned by ferocious winds and feeding on vegetation parched by drought, the fires Monday blazed from Santa Barbara County to the Mexican border. One death was confirmed, and dozens of people were injured, including firefighters.

More than a dozen people were hospitalized with burns and smoke inhalation, including four firefighters, three of whom were listed in critical condition.

Firefighters described desperate conditions that are sure to get worse, with higher temperatures and high wind forecast for today.

Soon after nightfall Monday, fire officials announced that 500 homes and 100 commercial properties had been destroyed by a fire in northern San Diego County that exploded to 145,000 acres, said Roxanne Provaznik, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

A pair of wildfires consumed 133 homes in the Lake Arrowhead resort area in the San Bernardino National Forest east of Los Angeles, authorities said.

Hundreds of patients were moved by school bus and ambulance from a hospital and nursing homes, some in hospital gowns and wheelchairs. Some carried their medical records in clear plastic bags.

A 1,049-inmate jail in Orange County was evacuated because of heavy smoke. The inmates were bused to other lockups.

Malibu residents Mel Gibson, Kelsey Grammer and Victoria Principal were among those forced to flee over the weekend, their publicists said.

In San Diego County, more than 200,000 reverse 911 calls -- calls from county officials to residents -- alerted residents to evacuations, county Supervisor Ron Roberts said.

10,000 turn up at stadium

About 10,000 of them ended up at Qualcomm Stadium, home to the NFL's Chargers, where thousands of people huddled in eerie silence during the day Monday, staring at muted TV news reports of the wildfires. A lone concession stand served coffee and doughnuts.

Many gathered in the parking lot with their pets, which were banned from the stadium.

Gov. Schwarzenegger arrived later Monday to a more festive evening atmosphere, with live music and mountains of catered food. The crowd hooted and hollered as he passed through, and Schwarzenegger later declared that the people of this makeshift city "are very happy."

The number of evacuees exceeds California's previous record, when 120,000 people were displaced in Northern California during the 1997 floods.

In Los Angeles County, four fires ate through more than 80,000 acres, destroying at least 24 homes, a church and numerous outbuildings and injuring eight people.

"The sky was just red. Everywhere I looked was red, glowing. Law enforcement came barreling in with police cars with loudspeakers telling everyone to get out now," said Ronnie Leigh, 55, who fled her Santa Clarita mobile home in northern Los Angeles County as smoke darkened the sky over a nearby ridge line.

Firefighters, who lost valuable time trying to persuade stubborn homeowners to leave, were almost overwhelmed as gale-force winds gusting to 70 mph scattered embers onto dry brush, spawning multiple fires in the same area.