[gatagato]

Firefighters are battling a fast-moving blaze which swept across a freeway in a Southern California mountain pass, destroying 20 vehicles and sending motorists running to safety before burning four buildings.

Fanned by hot desert winds, the wildfire started in the Cajon Pass along Interstate 15 - the main highway between Southern California and Las Vegas - and spread quickly to 3,500 acres.


Hundreds of firefighters, aided by water-dropping aircraft, have contained 5pc of the blaze.
Strong winds spread the fire to the rural community of Baldy Mesa, where it burned at least five homes and threatened about 50 more.
California is in the midst of severe drought, and wildfires are common. Some break out near freeways, but it is very unusual to have vehicles caught in the flames.
Dozens of vehicles were abandoned and hundreds of others turned on to side roads to get away from the flames as water-dropping helicopters flew over the Cajon Pass area about 55 miles north east of Los Angeles.

Motorists stuck on the road described a harrowing scene.
"It's crazy, you're watching black clouds and white clouds of smoke, there's a ridgeline off to my right ... and it looks like any second flames will come over the ridgeline," Chris Patterson, 43, said.
It is not uncommon for wildfires to reach freeways in California but it was unclear why dozens of cars were caught along Interstate 15, forcing frightened people to flee on foot.
US Forest Service spokesman Uriah Hernandez said no injuries had been confirmed.


The agency said the fire had burned at least 3, 500 acres and was threatening the rural community of Baldy Mesa.
San Bernardino County Fire service said at least five homes were burned and another 50 were threatened by the flames. An additional 10 cars on the freeway were damaged by the fire.


Melissa Atalla said she could see the flames from her petrol station in Baldy Mesa.
"People are spectating from our parking lot, running around getting water and beer. It's chaos," she said. "One man came in and said, 'Oh my, my house is getting burned'."
The fire led authorities to shut several freeway lanes, causing traffic to back up for miles. California Highway Patrol spokesman Steve Carapia said 50 to 75 vehicles were left abandoned.
Raquel Martinez, 34, was traveling to Las Vegas with her husband for the weekend when they got stuck in northbound traffic on the I-15 for about an hour.he sky darkened to black. As they drove by, cars were covered in "pink powder" - fire retardant. Cars meanwhile were being redirected up narrow twisty emergency lanes from the southbound side headed north.

http://www.independent.ie/world-news...-31386207.html

Flames rise from a fire over a cluster of homes in California


A brush fire burning in foothills north of Los Angeles overran a freeway in a mountain pass on Friday, torching several cars and trucks as drivers scrambled to safety


Fire fighters and locals try to control a fire in a popular district of La Paz


Cars shown burning on the Interstate 15 freeway in California


A firefighter watches flames in Southern California


The brush fires continue to burn in Californi

[BryanXavier]

Think insurance covers that? Never heard of cars catching fire while on the freeway.

[vipersna]

It happens. Now it's calmed down cuz of the rain so it gave the firefighters a break so they could battle another blaze. Its fire season and the droughts not helping out here.

[vipersna]

http://www.ksby.com/story/29579397/r...pe=smartdevice

Ran calms California fire that jumped freeway, burned carsPosted:*Jul 18, 2015 1:37 PM PDTUpdated:*Jul 18, 2015 3:20 PM PDT

By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Rain is calming a fast-moving wildfire that sent people running for their lives when flames swept across a California freeway and destroyed 20 cars.
** *
The storm on Saturday storm brought relief to crews fighting the fire burning in a mountainous area 55 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
** *
The fire swept across Interstate 15 on Friday, destroying the vehicles before burning three homes and 44 more vehicles in the community of Baldy Mesa. It has blackened 5.5 square miles.
** *
Firefighters are focusing on protecting some 700 homes in the area. About 2,800 people were evacuated.
** *
The rain is also helping slow the spread of another wildfire that broke out Friday about 20 miles away in the San Gabriel Mountains. That fire forced hundreds of campers to evacuate, including a Girl Scout troop.

[icheerthebull]

Nothing but respect for the firefighters out there. Fire is the worst fucking enemy you want to face. I watched a vid the other day that I cant post because of the laws regarding CCTV (I shouldnt have seen it really). I also got the story behind it from the person involved.

The story was a guy came into her establishment saying 'there is a lot of smoke coming from your building' she said 'no cant be here' and looks out back (behind where she sits) and before she could even say 'all's good' smoke starting filling the area and she ran out with her customers.

What the cctv shows is is about 3 seconds between her running and the place being engulfed in flames. From the man popping his head in the door to the place resembling hades is about 15 seconds MAX!!

look at how the fire spread in the bradford fire
http://www.documentingreality.com/fo...d-fire-154181/

Times that by a hundred and your not close to what these types of fires are capable of. A gust of wind can drive a fire a long way in a very short time. Dry areas where this happens are a killer and always seem to provide perfect conditions to grow, either mountains/hill create a 'draft' or large areas of open flat lands (the australian problem).

The only threat bigger to the firemen/women around the western world is the state that employs them and the privately owned media that deride them when they stand up for their rights.

[Sharon]

What a terrible disaster

Fire and rescue services have my upmost respect.