Saddleridge fire-This is the sort of scheisse that makes me glad Hugh sold his place

[Tobra]

I hope it is not too windy down there, but judging by how the palm trees look in the picture, I kind of think it is not good, bordering on very not good. Hills, covered by tinder dry grass. 800 acres an hour sounds like a lot. I bet the sunset was spectacular. In 1989, the night of the earthquake, the view from the roof of my apartment building as the sun set was, apocalyptic.

The fire broke out around 9 p.m. Thursday near the 210 Freeway at Yarnell Street in Sylmar, amid 50 mph wind gusts and humidity as low as 3 percent. The flames swept west and south after jumping the 5 Freeway, spreading into the “northernmost reaches” of Porter Ranch. It burned at a rate of 800 acres per hour.

Saddle Ridge Fire

[Hugh R]

I'm very, very glad. It was a stupid place to buy 20+ years ago, and I got very lucky.

Sold a few years ago. Now just a townhouse in suburbia.

[Noah930]

The whole Valley smells like fire these past couple days. Schools were canceled or cut short on Friday, and sports canceled. Finally better this evening.

[Tobra]

That grass fire smell is VERY distinctive. It was smokey for the grand daughter's soccer game today, GD that kid is fast.

[aigel]

I always had a home in the hills when living in LA. It is the way to go to get away from the city, but then you pay with fire. Used to live in Porter Ranch and am glad I am not there now.

That said, Bay Area suburbia isn't safe anymore either. I thougth living in the middle of a suburban neighborhood was pretty benign. Then we had Napa ...

G

[craigster59]

We welcomed a new Granddaughter into the World a week and a half ago. We were going to leave for Phoenix Friday morning at 6 AM to go see her and visit with the family.

Of course living in Castaic/ Santa Clarita we were stuck with the 5, 210 and 118 closed both directions. I devised the perfect plan to catch the 14 north to Pearblossom Hwy, head towards San Berdoo and be off on our merry way. Unfortunately me and a million of my trucker friends all had the same idea of getting around the closures.

Left at 10 AM and on a drive that usually takes 2 hours we finally hit SB at 4:30 PM. Eventually got to Phoenix at 10:30 Friday night. What a fuster cluck. But, the smile on Omi's face when she held her new baby was all worth it.