Anybody live close to the big fire raging in S. Califonia right now?

I live in Santa Monica, miles away, and the sun is obscured by the smoke. The sun is barely poking through and is a deep orange color, like at sunset.

This looks like a HUGE fire! Sounds like they're closing freeways in the area, etc.

Anybody got stories to tell who lives closer than I?

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When the Bel-Air fires happened, the wall of flames were so close it looked like an orange curtain and felt like hell, it was so hot. But even as close as the flames looked, they were much further away and didn't pose a danger. I have actually been closer to fires and more in danger in Alaska and Idaho than any canyon fires in Santa Monica.

Where is he?

Rapelling (sp?) down a ravine to rescue a den of mountain lion cubs.
Film at 11:00...

don't ask me...

http://www.msnbc.com/local/KNBC/A1845419.asp

One near LA, one in the inland empire and one in Camp Pendleton.

It was a cloud cover of smoke last night and is completely grey with smoke today in OC...I can see the plumes of the inland empire fire from my office roof.

Just talked to him. Works at Ontario airport and says it's snowing ashes. At the momment, evacuations are from people who live in the canyons--he doesn't think it will get into the 'flat lands'.

They have lost several homes... I don't know if it's under control yet.. I headr sirens last night , but have not seen the fire bombers today, so either they are fighting it from the other side of the ridge, or it's under control .. I am hoping for the latter

and its still a bit foggy. i know that doesnt help:)

That place hasn't had a big fire like that in 30 to 50 years I think. In any case lots of stuff to burn thats been built up. It was a Arson fire that started a couple days ago along with another one that they mangaged to put out.

The fire with wind was so big last night durring work at my job in Riverside (20 miles away)that it looked like a light snowfall with the ashes falling back down as the stuff came downwind our way.

Since you live at the other end of the basin and the wind has shifted, can I ask how it feels to have burnt up carbon particles (simular to smog, me thinks) blow into your breathing space, beings the shoe is on the other foot just about now? (just curious :-))

but it's still making the sunlight very orange-ish.

It kind of stinks, although it seems a cool breeze is starting to come in from the ocean. That always cleans things up, at least here. The big reason I live in Santa Monica -- the air!!

out there near the coast. Too bad some of the housing costs almost 4 times as much