Ya Ali Madad,
This article is about some of the usual wildfires in Los Angeles. This time, they are striking in San Fernando Valley, where we have a Jamat and Jamat Khana (About 30 minutes away from LA Headquarters in Santa Monica). I've just moved out of LA but my family tells me that the Valley Jamat cannot return back to their homes and they are all staying in the Jamat Khana for the time being. Also, all the neighboring Jamats are taking out special tasbih/prayers for their safety and well-being.
It would be nice if readers could please do the same.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/ventu ... 8666.story
At least 1 dead, more than 10,000 acres burned in two San Fernando Valley fires
Mel Melcon /Los Angeles Times
A wall of smoke rises from a fire in the Porter Ranch area that prompted the evacuation of Browns Canyon Road and Oat Mountain Motorway near Chatsworth.
Governor declares a state of emergency. A fire in Porter Ranch has scorched more than 5,000 acres and 19 homes. The Marek fire near Lake View Terrace has burned 5,300 acres.
By Julie Cart, Ari B. Bloomekatz and Mitchell Landsberg, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
October 14, 2008
Powerful winds continued to fuel fires early today as two blazes threatened more homes in the Granada Hills and Porter Ranch areas.
At 4:30 a.m. there was a sigh of relief at the Marek Fire. Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Mark Savage said that the Santa Ana winds did not pick up to the degree expected and that the fire did not grow significantly.
"It gave us a huge break and we really needed it," Savage said.
With treacherous Santa Ana winds as their bellows, the twin wildfires raced through populated canyons, forests and brushlands on the northern fringes of the San Fernando Valley on Monday, claiming at least one life and 49 structures, and prompting authorities to suggest a hair-raising, worst-case scenario -- that one of the blazes, which began near Porter Ranch, could burn all the way to the Pacific Ocean about 15 miles away.
"This fire has the potential to move from where it is now . . . perhaps as far as Pacific Coast Highway," Los Angeles County Fire Chief Michael Freeman said Monday afternoon as he assessed what he called "a design for disaster." Freeman said winds of up to 60 mph were expected to push the fire down through canyons at least through this morning.
Fire, evacuation area; schools closed
More than 800 city, county and state firefighters battled the two blazes, which shut down major portions of the 210 and 118 freeways and filled the horizon with a thick curtain of smoke, white at the edges but fading from red to black near the core. The scene took on an apocalyptic cast as traffic ground to a standstill and blasts of wind sent shudders through cars and buildings, bending trees, snapping limbs and sending trash cans clattering on empty, smoke-darkened blocks.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura counties...
(Complete at source)