Fires in California sent people to the stadium by Corina Ciubotaru

Wildfires in Southern California continue to burn everything in their path while hundreds of thousands of evacuees spend their nights away from home and belongings. One person died in San Diego due to fires and hundreds of homes were destroyed or damaged while the Santa Ana fires continue to blow relentlessly. Authorities believe that the fire in Orange County was set on purpose while the one in Malibu was probably caused by downed power lines. Embers carried by the strong winds helped to spread the wildfires up the hills and to the sea, destroying everything in their paths, including celebrity homes and a church. Firefighters' efforts were hampered by some people's refusal to leave their homes in time. But even though they were weary about leaving so much behind, they cared more for their lives and that of their families, so they packed up what they could and left eventually. They spent the night in parking lots, at friends' homes or, like the Katrina victims before them, in the local stadium; this time, it belongs to the San Diego Chargers, and it is named Qualcomm Stadium. They got visits from state governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and local authorities made sure they have everything they need for decent living. Tents provide shelter for the evacuees, while a Hyatt hotel provides free food and drinks. Security is strong, with heavy numbers of police and National Guard making sure everyone behaves. Some of them have already survived fires in the same region in 2003, when 3,640 homes were destroyed and 22 people killed.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071022/ap_on_re_us/california_wildfires;_ylt=Appb2OqqWjA_lzAOJxgW2V2s0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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