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CountAllVotes

(20,854 posts)
Thu Sep 5, 2019, 12:05 PM Sep 2019

Murrieta fire: Fast-moving Tenaja Fire scorches nearly 1,400 acres in Southern California

Source: USA Today

CAMARILLO, Calif. - The fast-moving Tenaja Fire continued to burn in Southern California on Thursday morning after charring nearly 1,000 acres, triggering mandatory evacuations for hundreds of residents, authorities said.

As of 6:20 a.m. Thursday morning, the fire grew to 1,400 acres and was 7 percent contained.

The fire broke out around 4 p.m. in La Cresta, a small community perched above Murrieta that contains sprawling, multimillion-dollar estates. Cal Fire said it originated near Tenaja Road and Clinton Keith Road, swelling from 50 acres at 6 p.m. to 994 by 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Cal Fire Cpt. Fernando Herrera said as many as 400 firefighters responded to the blaze. He described the winds as "relatively calm" Wednesday evening and said the fire's intensity had "somewhat slowed down."

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/09/05/fast-moving-tenaja-fire-near-murrieta-calif-burns-1-400-acres/2220011001/



Here's hoping that this fire gets put out real fast!

Giant YIKES!!

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Codeine

(25,586 posts)
2. Wet mild winters are nice
Thu Sep 5, 2019, 12:24 PM
Sep 2019

until all that beautiful foliage dries up and turns into kindling for the fire season.

Hekate

(90,191 posts)
7. When I saw the article was posted from Camarillo I about spit my coffee...
Thu Sep 5, 2019, 02:46 PM
Sep 2019

Camarillo is in Ventura County, where I live. Thank you for clarifying that the fire is in Riverside County, about 150 miles away.

Now I've got my LA Times open. Descriptions from residents sound like us two years ago: they are shocked at how fast it is moving. Fire fighting crews are being pulled from all over...

I'm going to see if I can pull up the statewide fire tracker.

 

Hulk

(6,699 posts)
6. Damn...there are parts of California that weren't torched last year?
Thu Sep 5, 2019, 01:28 PM
Sep 2019

That wasn't really a question. I'm sure there are millions of acres of area in California that were spared. But it just seems a rabid shame that these fires continue to decimate Mother Earth each year.

Hekate

(90,191 posts)
10. Two things: California actually evolved to burn. Then modern humans made it a lot worse...
Thu Sep 5, 2019, 03:21 PM
Sep 2019

To the first point, there are seeds that won't germinate until they've passed through fire. But iirc it has to be at the right season: too much moisture inside the seed casing and they steam to death. Some trees can survive fast-moving brush fires pretty well, but if the fire spreads upward to the crown of the tree, they die.

What makes it worse is introduced invasive species of plants. A lot of weeds don't belong, and they crowd out the natives. I just found out that the colorful golden wild mustard that you see everywhere in the spring is one such -- crowds out native plants and burns like hell.

What makes it even more worse is the explosive population of humans out of the flatlands and into the canyons and mountains. It's beautiful out there in the urban-wildland interface, and always has been. Some people build mansions, like the famous canyons around Los Angeles, and other people find affordable land and housing, like Paradise. I know more than one woman who has given up trying to find affordable housing in beautiful Santa Barbara County, and found a place in the woods where someone will let them plant a pretty little trailer. All those people and their property need to be defended, and sometimes they can't be.

Climate change has been making itself felt a long time too. Down south and inland the pine-bark beetle has killed a bajillion trees over the last couple of decades. As Gov. Brown said, the new normal is year-round fire season...

BigmanPigman

(51,432 posts)
12. Strange weather...
Thu Sep 5, 2019, 04:08 PM
Sep 2019

Heavy downpours and lightening after a year of above average rain and cooler than average Summer in Southern CA. Lightening caused the fire they think.

Juneboarder

(1,730 posts)
13. Not sure why this article lists the city as Camarillo...
Thu Sep 5, 2019, 04:14 PM
Sep 2019

This area is in the hills to the west of Temecula, approximately 140 miles from Camarillo. This area hasn't seen a fire in a long time, so hopefully they can get this put out quickly!

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