Southern California - Poomacha fire has reached Mt Palomar

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Foovanadil
10-23-07, 07:54 PM
I know many of you ride the mountain so i thought I would post what I know. i posted this at the end of the check in thread but figured I would start a new thread for any info people may have.

My girlfriends parents live on Crestline at the top of the mountain. They were evacuated this morning @ 4AM. Thankfully this was plenty of time to get people off the mountain.

The bad news is last we heard the fire burned up South Grade and is on it's way to the top. The firefighters had taken up position around crestline (the fire station) and further up the mountain to make a stand.

Last we heard the fire had reached the "top" of the mountain which is hard to determine where but it certainly is threating the state park, the observatory, the fire station, and crestline rd.

lets hope that they can save the homes in that area.

Cleave
10-23-07, 08:12 PM
lets hope that they can save the homes in that area.

+1000

Let's hope.
Foovanadil
10-24-07, 04:04 PM
For those interested.

The latest update I got from one of the Firefighters on the mt. is that it burned up the south grade it is destroying the state park and has destroyed several homes that were at the bottom of south grade.

They saved the homes on that sit right on crestline rd (they battled literally house to house putting out the flames)

The houses that sit off crestline he couldn't comment on. They are keeping it from reaching the summit but they are severely under manned (3 engines is all they have)

All they can do is save structures, the mountain itself is taking a serious beating.

It is sad that such a beautiful place will be drastically changed forever.

chimivee
10-24-07, 04:10 PM
It is sad that such a beautiful place will be drastically changed forever.
It's sad, but also part of the cycle.
jpconrad
10-24-07, 04:58 PM
It's sad, but also part of the cycle.

+1, it's an integral and necessary part of the ecosystem.
markg
10-24-07, 07:48 PM
+1, it's an integral and necessary part of the ecosystem.

The reports I had seen said that there were a lot of dead trees on Palomar (killed by pine beetles), which was why the firefighters were so worried about it going up. But in the long run, it needed to happen to allow the forest to regenerate itself.
Foovanadil
10-25-07, 09:52 AM
Very true. I don't know how accurate this is but from what I have heard from residents on palomar the mountain hasn't burned in 100 years.

It was certainly overdue.
Indolent58
10-25-07, 11:37 AM
Very true. I don't know how accurate this is but from what I have heard from residents on palomar the mountain hasn't burned in 100 years.

It was certainly overdue.

But no shade on South Grade Road? :cry::cry::cry:
Foovanadil
10-25-07, 02:49 PM
Yeah the shade is gone for a while. Any Palomar rides will be much different for the near future. No Shade, no scenery, BUT there will be a nice ocean view all along the way :)

Good article in UT today about the fight on the mountain. These guys are impressive, especially considering they are an all volunteer force.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20071025-9999-1n25palomar.html