PASADENA FIRE!!!

[Giovanni Jaramillo]

This was sent to me from our other office in Pasadena (Kaiser Pemanente). I'm in Downey. Damn that looks BAD!!

[Mako Koiwai]

Isn't that the La Canada/La Crescenta fire ... aka The "Station" Fire?

Andrew Bingham ... JPL

I watched it for a couple hours last night, it crested the set of ridges two ridges back from JPL and was still moving toward the lab at 1:00am...

The command post for fighting the fire is at the LA County Fire Camp which is located right next to the lab.... They are bringing in a bunch more resources today...

Steve Collins --- JPL

The fire is actually several miles away up behind JPL. Best I can tell it just crossed the ridge line near where this map says “Nino Canyon”:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 8&t=p&z=14" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wind is calm and reports I’ve heard say the fire is moving slowly. There is also a residential area to the north of us that allows access for fire equipment to defend us. No indications of the residential area being evacuated. I will probably get called in if it actually gets close since the my USAR team is part of the response plan.

[Mako Koiwai]

Yesterday evening ... from a friend on the 101

[Mako Koiwai]

This morning ... from the Arroyo Archery Range, Pasadena:

[Will Kalman]

From Porter Ranch last night at 11:30. That's 5,000-foot Mt. Lukens on the left, 17 miles away. The distant city lights are those of Tujunga/La Crescenta.

[Bob Beamesderfer]

I have friends in Alta Dena and LCF who are keeping a close watch. Fire is shifting in a way that a couple of people ready to go in case the evac order is given.

[Steve Ekstrand]

Coming home last night at 11pm was scary. I had flame view for a long time, including all the way up Altadena Drive to my house. And I'm on the EAST side of town furthest from the fire (at least furthest for those living against the foothills). I think I'd be freaking out if I was watching from the other end of Altadena/Pasadena.

Here's the view from my driveway a couple of hours ago

[Steve Ekstrand]

Some amazing pics I found from the fire last night.
http://eecue.com/log_archive/eecue-log- ... hotos.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Next door neighbor is a cop, she said the word is out that there may be some pretty substantial evacuation orders for a broad strip of Altadena coming soon. Already some in the West from last night and more this morning. Also its spreading the other way. Mandatory evacs in Big Tujunga Canyon. Also two civilian injuries just reported in Tujunga. Third degree burns over 50% of their bodies.

[Mako Koiwai]

That IS an amazing shot of JPL (I'm pretty sure) !

[Steve Ekstrand]

http://www.bighugelabs.com/onblack.php? ... size=large" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Mako Koiwai]

When I went down to the Pasadena Arroyo Archery Range this morning, there was like a river of smoke going down the arroyo. The Occidental cross country team turned around. But the sun "lifted" the smoke and it was actually almost pleasant for a while ... before it really got hot. Breeze is starting to pick-up ... that's not good ...

[Mako Koiwai]

My buddy Keith Skelton's photo "slide" show: http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithskelt ... 4476/show/

[Mako Koiwai]

Keith's video montage: http://vimeo.com/6333793

[Kathy Teulie]

These are amazing shots! I hope everyone's houses are ok. I hope JPL is ok.
Kathy

[Will Kalman]

On the lower-right is Mt Lukens @ 5,000'

LukensFire (Large).jpg (147.04 KiB) Viewed 8253 times

[Mako Koiwai]

From Steve Collins:

They are pounding the fire hard with air resources right now in the arroyo to defend JPL and altadena homes up there. Our USAR team will probably be called in the next hour or so.

sc

[Steve Ekstrand]

Just watched the DC-10 fly over our house towards the mountains and bank, then return directly over our house at low altitude. Couldn't generate any interest from Robert or Stacey to come outside.... It was amazing. Saw the midsize plane fly over the ridge above our house. Looked like he was 100 ft off the top of the ridge. These are amazing pilots.

Anybody know where the planes are staging from? Is it Norton?

[Mako Koiwai]

Karen and watched it from South Pas ... big ass plane ... Karen could see it even with her computer glasses on

[Steve Ekstrand]

Here's the Mt Wilson webcam.... Watch the fire tonight threaten SoCal communications and research...

http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~obs/towercam.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Andrew Bingham]

The DC-10 is staging out of somewhere pretty far away, it took them an hour from one drop to get refilled and refueled and back over here. I've also seen what looks like a DC-7 (4-prop) and a bunch of S-2Ts (2 props). 1 drop by the DC-10 = 12 drops from the S-2Ts.

FYI, their operating procedure is to make two passes to check the terrain then drop their chemicals on the 3rd pass. The lean "tactical" plane guides in the tanker. It's not very often you get to see big planes fly like this!

[Glenn Duensing]

DC-10 is out of Adelando/Victorville/George AFB. Takes about 20 minutes to reload and refuel before they are in the air again. Others are out of Norton and Fox Field (Lancaster)

[Mako Koiwai]

John K ... who invited us to a pool party today ... before the fire turned towards Acton. Apparently they had a lot of ash coming down on them.

It's made it's way thanks to big flying embers all the way to Acton tonight. Hoping they get it under control in the morning or it may be an evac.
John

[Theo O.]

DC-10 is out of Adelando/Victorville/George AFB. Takes about 20 minutes to reload and refuel before they are in the air again. Others are out of Norton and Fox Field (Lancaster)

How do they get water or retardant in the plane? Do they just pump it in and wait? I know the helis can actually suck up water like this

When we had the fire by my house (Mt Baldy) they were using Helicopter and scooping up the water from somewhere near by ... neat stuff, the skills of those pilots are incredible.

Mako, you probably won't be swimming today, here's what my pool looked like from the ashes a few years back.

[Mako Koiwai]

Kestler ... 1:55 PM

Starting to look worse. It went west for a ways which was good because two years ago a fire burnt up all of that fuel. But the winds kicked up and pushed it east again and it hit lots of fuel now and is really taking off...it should push east of us though. I haven't seen much air support over here. Seems like they are letting it go on this side.

[Theo O.]

omg..this is worse than I thought...2 fire fighters killed
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090831/ap_ ... _wildfires