| From: Margret (Original Message) | Sent: 29/10/2003 7:10 p.m. |
| Roger and Sherrie along with Rangi have seen the spectacular fires in their region. The  news graphically shows the fires near Rancho Cugamonga, which is some 4 kms away from their home. They went to view the Crestline area, one of the ravaged areas. One of Sherrie's sisters has been evacuated. Roger has said that the bark beetle infested and now dead trees are a potential problem as they would being firestorm-like conditions. I await his online view with more accuracy than that which I have said. Margret |
2 comments:
From: jackmari1 Sent: 30/10/2003 9:34 a.m.
Well done Margret,Mari and I both feel better knowing that you have been in contact with Roger and Sherrie,as we have been sending e-mails and not getting any replies as yet.We followed the course of the fire as we have a pretty good idea where they are on the Californian map,and the news showed the fires raging along the base of the San Bernadino mountains and along the areas which we knew were within a few kilometres of there home,here is hoping all will be controlled in the very near future,Jack and Mari.
From: Margret Sent: 31/10/2003 5:06 p.m.
From Roger and Sherrie - an abbreviated message!
29 October 2003
We drove up Mountain Avenue to view the fire which is 2 miles up the foothills from home and got with 100 yards from the fire. The dynamics of a firestorm up close with the wind being sucked into it, pulling out all the oxygen, entire trees spontaneously bursting into flame just like a Roman Candle. Behind the fire, the entire mountainside glowed with thousands of red hot embers winking into the blackness of the charred silhouette. The display was unreal, with the bursting flares of giant bonfires underneath the 150 foot tall 230kv power lines, the air filled with smoke. Ash rained out of the sky like a confetti 'hailstorm'. Miniature tornadoes of flame would congreal and accelerate into a twisting vertical dance above the fuel.
Firetrucks rumbled up as they did their job to keep the flames from getting into the housing suburb. We went home; and our area lost 300 houses that night. Sherrie's sister, Rochel, lived in the city of Devore and had to be evacuated to a centre.
The bark-beetle infested trees cover thousands of acres and if the fire reaches those areas, they will produce a bigger fire than the others combined.
more later ....... Rog
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