Nature gets back

by Claudia Sonea

On Wednesday, a four-day wildfire that caused over $1 billion damages only in San Diego county, seemed to offer a chance to the firefighters in order to tame it using the ease of the wind. It destroyed more than 1500 houses of which only 1200 were in San Diego and a record of people who fled was achieved in the history of the state- more than half-million people. Ron Lane, San Diego County's director of emergency services at the news conference stated that they expect more harm to be produced in the future. Therefore Bush had signed a major disaster declaration for California which introduces long-term federal recovery programs to help state and local governments, families, individuals and certain nonprofit organizations recover. Furthermore, he plans to visit the state on Thursday. The fact that Santa Ana wind had started to calm down on Wednesday created an opportunity for firefighters despite gusts that continued to blow through some canyon areas. Forecasters also lit hope in them saying that it will be followed by cooling sea breeze. At the location of the hot spots helped an unnamed NASA aircraft that took off from Edwards Air Force Base on Wednesday. More firefighters and equipment from other states are expected to come. Tuesday was the worst day due to the increasing frustrations created by a fire official who stated that not enough efforts were made in protecting the houses. Moreover, Orange County Fire Chief Chip Prather expressed his concerns about firefighters lives, because they were not enough and reproach that an aircraft could have diminish the effects of a massive blaze near Irvine. By Sunday only eight of the state's nine water-dumping helicopters were in Southern California and other 13 air tankers were added, according to Ruben Grijalva, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Nevertheless, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said that it can be helped even if there were all the planes in the world at the fire scene, because of the wind. The injuries number rose to 45 and 5 deaths have been reported in connection with the blaze. A lot of evacuation was imposed: communities of Fallbrook and Julian, an area devastated by a 2003 wildfire, De Luz, an unincorporated community north of Camp Pendleton. Interstate 5 and Metrolink commuter rail were closed because of the fire. Some areas of San Diego County including Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Del Mar, Encinitas and Solana Beach were more fortunate and the residents were allowed to get back to their homes. So far this wildfire affected more San Diego County and San Bernardino County, where in a mountain resort hundred of houses burnt down from the communities near Lake Arrowedhead. Nature keeps getting back on us. It is a lesson to not play around with nature. Lets say a pray for all those that are on the field sacrificing their lives for the sake of others and for those who already lost it.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071024/ap_on_re_us/california_wildfires;_ylt=AnzQk56Wwx8AIWXf34dd3s6s0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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