Fire above Glendora

yobtaf · Post by **yobtaf** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 6:19 am

Looking out my window here at my batch plant I see flames just about vulcan above fish canyon.

Edit: Glendora

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 6:36 am

KPPC is reporting a fire in "San Gabriel Cyn"

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 6:37 am

LA County Fire has a full "Brush Response"

http://fire.lacounty.gov/AirWildland/Fi ... sponse.asp

yobtaf · Post by **yobtaf** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 6:41 am

mattmaxon wrote: KPPC is reporting a fire in "San Gabriel Cyn"

Im just west of the 605 where all the rock plants are it is dark here but it does look now like its east of fish canyon.

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 6:47 am

Wundermap with local weather stations
http://wxug.us/1c74r

No single digit humidities but 19-25% ain't good

With La County Fire hitting it hard and fast hopefully they get a handle on it

yobtaf · Post by **yobtaf** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 7:06 am

wow I need to get glasses

It looked like fish cyn in the dark, but seems I was off a bit. carry on.

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 7:51 am

Saw A LAco Fire Dozer Heading East On The 210 In Sylmar On My Way To work

longcut · Post by **longcut** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 8:55 am

the fire is up GMR road, on Colby trail, about 3 miles from my house. Friends of mine live there and their property is on the front line.

Because it borders residential property and because it's burning below the Azusa-Glendora fireroad, I would expect the fire to be contained quickly. At least, I hope so. My bread and butter weeknight trails are all right there.

yobtaf · Post by **yobtaf** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 9:13 am

longcut wrote: the fire is up GMR road, on Colby trail, about 3 miles from my house. Friends of mine live there and their property is on the front line. Because it borders residential property and because it's burning below the Azusa-Glendora fireroad, I would expect the fire to be contained quickly. At least, I hope so. My bread and butter weeknight trails are all right there.

Hope all is well for your friends. It looked so much closer at 530am, to think it is that far from our plant when the sun is up.

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 10:08 am

3 in Custody In Connection To The Fire
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... 0676.story

Post by **tekewin** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 11:49 am

More details on the 3 arrested for the illegal campfire that start this...
http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/01/16/416 ... /?slide=14

PackerGreg · Post by **PackerGreg** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 11:54 am

From the City of Sierra Madre:

"Chantry Flats and Bailey Canyon have been closed due to the expanding Colby Fire. Everyone is warned to stay off the Mount Wilson Trail as well."

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 12:06 pm

I hope Mike P's house is OK. Mike, check in if you can.

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 1:52 pm

Got a message from Mike - his house is OK but the fire burned right up to/around it. He's evacuated, so no internet.

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 3:30 pm

tekewin wrote: More details on the 3 arrested for the illegal campfire that start this...

Just to make it technical, its more of the fact that it got out of control. They are claiming they started the fire to save themselves from death....the same as all the others setting fires in the forest plan to claim even if they dont know it 8)

They are also tossing around the words accidental ,and being high as a kite, but I suspect both of those wont pass any muster. At the same time we've seen people set out of control fires to be noticed in a S&R situation that were not charged. From the early reports, it seems the local authorities are looking at a misdemeanor charge of reckless arson. Although I suspect the FS already has a tougher line on fires than some city fire chief....and will bring federal charges down on them.

PackerGreg · Post by **PackerGreg** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 3:43 pm

If there's a politically gainful angle, the feds will take it. Although, in today's climate, the church kid that lit his poop on fire and caused the Bridge Fire when a flamming wad of toilet paper blew into the brush would be charged as a domestic terrorist.

Meanwhile, what ever happened with the shopping cart-pushing, "mentally unstable" man that was alleged to ignite the Station Fire?

Post by **HikeUp** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 5:17 pm

Thanks CM! Keep safe Mike!

outwhere · Post by **outwhere** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 6:47 pm

tekewin wrote: More details on the 3 arrested for the illegal campfire that start this...
http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/01/16/416 ... /?slide=14

"Three men are in jail for allegedly recklessly starting a fire. Steven Aguirre, 21, a transient; Jonathan Jarrell, 23, of Irwindale; and Clifford Henry Jr, 22, of Glendora"

Hey - thanks a lot to the Three Stooges for this one.

I mean really, what do you do with people this stupid?

Was talking with my sweet sweet aunt today and when the subject of these yo yos came up, even she said 'they should take those guys somewhere and light their feet on fire'

Then she asked me, 'what will really happen to those guys, will they go to jail for a long time, be fined ?' I told her, they way things are today, I have no idea what will happen to them...

I had to turn off the news - it was too sad hearing about all the [highly preventable] serious damage, fear and stress these 3 dunce caps caused to so many people...

And why did this happen ---- because they were cold ???? Fluckin' A...

Post by **Taco** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 7:29 pm

That's a relief to hear Math Rambo's house is safe. Pretty scary.

VermillionPearlGirl · Post by **VermillionPearlGirl** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 9:09 pm

Can we also point out that last night was not really all that cold? I mean it's in the 80s during the day lately, it's not like we're freezing to death here.

But Chantry and Bailey are closed? Did the fire hit either of those? That would be pretty crappy.

PackerGreg · Post by **PackerGreg** » Fri Jan 17, 2014 3:39 pm

Chantry Flat and Mt Wilson Trail are open.

Post by **tekewin** » Fri Jan 17, 2014 3:42 pm

Glendora Ridge Road is still closed at Baldy Village.

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Fri Jan 17, 2014 6:58 pm

Thanks, folks, for the kind thoughts!

I have worked a lot of fires, usually attending to evacuating animals. But I haven't had to do a personal evacuation like this since the Curve fire (which really wasn't that close.)

Yesterday morning we were told that there was a fire near the Colby Trail on the east side of Glendora. Sure enough, the smoke was fairly far away (~2 miles) at 6:30. By 7:00 am the fire was to the top of Grand Ave. and moving west FAST. We had already started evacuation with our animals (2 horses, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 rosy boa, 1 leopard lizard, 1 Lesser Goldfinch, and 1 chicken) when the police spread the word about the mandatory evac. My wife took the animals while a friend (Chicken Legs) and I were gathering important stuff. By 7:45, the fire was spread out over us and starting to gobble up the Garcia Trail, just to our west. The fire was outrunning the police's ability to call for evacuations and certainly there were no fire engines coming to help us because the initial call out of ~25 engines were working on saving those houses in dire need to the east. Thankfully and AMAZINGLY, there were helicopter water drops that kept the flames at bay around our cluster of homes. What struck me most was the sound of the fire. The whooshing sound with intermittent popping and crackling was amazing. The flames were only about 400 feet away but to the backyards of those homes across the street from us. The fire burned so hot and complete that the typical post-fire glow of hillside smolders and embers were non-existent last night. We did have one good size flare-up at 2:30 this morning, however.

Kudos to the firemen and women! Mutual aid seemed to get there fairly quickly even though trucks and engines came from some distance. A lot of resources were thrown at this fire. We were also lucky this fire didn't break out a night or two earlier when the winds were much stronger.

I'll try to post a picture or two once they are downloaded.

rck · Post by **rck** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:16 am

Mike
Glad all worked out for you! I saw a picture where the White Cross on the Garcia trail still stands but never sure due to photoshop. Takke care.

Rick

Post by **Uncle Rico** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 8:00 am

Dang Math Rambo that's some scary chit.

Glad to hear all is well.

yobtaf · Post by **yobtaf** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 8:24 am

looks real smokey over there right now.

took a stroll up to Monrovia falls yesterday after work, boy it is dry!! The stream was so small and the falls looked very small. I was up there about 2 years ago and it sure was bigger. Had to step on a few rocks to cross, now just one step over.

at 0600 tomorrow everyone do a rain dance 8)

tracker · Post by **tracker** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 6:27 pm

I just heard from a friend who lives at Palm and Colby. He's OK but he said it couldn't have been any closer.
An hour ago my son said it was still pretty smokey on the 210 in Glendora.

I hate fires.

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 9:07 pm

rck wrote: Mike
Glad all worked out for you! I saw a picture where the White Cross on the Garcia trail still stands but never sure due to photoshop. Takke care.
Rick

Yes, we can see the cross from our house. There was probably at least 50 feet of trampled dirt all around the cross. You could have put a can of gasoline up there and nothing would have happened to it

tracker wrote: I just heard from a friend who lives at Palm and Colby. He's OK but he said it couldn't have been any closer.
An hour ago my son said it was still pretty smokey on the 210 in Glendora.
I hate fires.

It is absolutely amazing how only five homes burned. Should've been dozens more. Fire crews amaze me!

outwhere · Post by **outwhere** » Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:01 pm

Mike P wrote: The whooshing sound with intermittent popping and crackling was amazing.

Should've been dozens more. Fire crews amaze me!

We were also lucky this fire didn't break out a night or two earlier when the winds were much stronger.

Serious words, Mike. Glad you made it out safely - what an experience.

Even though I said I'd stop thinking about this fire, I ended up looking at an overhead street map view of the area. Some homes are really tight up on those hills --- man, those yo-yos coulda wiped out a lot of homes with stupidity like that.

Did anyone else see the news the other night where they showed a picture of the actually illegal 'camp fire' that started this whole mess? Yeah [if true] the news says the photo was actually posted on the 'homeless' guy's facebook page. That was not a very small 'camp fire' going by that picture

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 9:49 am

Sentencing for the Colby Fire

"....The U.S. Attorney's Office says Clifford Henry Jr. was sentenced Monday to six months in federal prison and Steven Robert Aguirre was sentenced to five months..... A third defendant, Jonathan Jarrell, was convicted in connection with the fire and is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.....The fire destroyed six homes, damaged eight other homes and 17 structures and resulted in injuries to one civilian and two firefighters. Prosecutors said firefighting costs and damage totaled more than $6 million, according to the Justice Department....."