Los Angeles County Sand Fire Casts Ominous Pall Over Region (VIDEO)

There's been so much other news I've neglected to post on the Santa Clarita "Sand Fire."

Dave Swindle and Roger Simon tweeted photos. A charred sky is never very welcoming.

More, at LAT, "'The most frightening thing': 10,000 homes evacuated as Sand fire rages in Santa Clarita Valley":

There hung the sun, brazenly aglow in red. The sky around it, tinted a dusty rose. In the stifling air, ashes fluttered like snowflakes.

The effects of the Sand fire over the last few days have cast an ominous yet picturesque pall across the Los Angeles Basin, the sun and the moon eliciting comparisons to J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Eye of Sauron” and apocalyptic films.

But up in the Santa Clarita Valley, the largest blaze in Los Angeles County this year was no photo op. Raging in the steep, rugged mountains and charring more than 35,000 acres, the Sand fire plowed through homes and sent thousands fleeing as it swept through a landscape of desiccated fuel. Explosive and swift, it melted cars, downed power lines and left the air thick with smoke.

“This is a big animal,” said Mike Wakoski, a spokesman for the multi-agency wildfire effort made up of nearly 3,000 firefighters. Wakoski warned that the fire was scorching an average of 10,000 football fields a day and that containment would be slow...

More.

Frantic Efforts to Contain the Erskine Fire in Southern Sierra Nevada (VIDEO)

CBS News 2 Los Angeles has the video.

And from the front-page of today's L.A Times, "Kern County fire evacuees struggle with another trauma — uncertainty."

Sherpa Fire Raw Video

I guess it's actually spelled "Scherpa." At the Santa Barbara Independent, "Yes, ‘Sherpa Fire’ Is Spelled Wrong."

And at CBS News 5 San Francisco:



More, at the Los Angeles Times, "Dangerous fires, extreme heat across Southern California."

Santa Barbara Sherpa Fire Still Raging Out of Control

This is a nasty, nasty fire.

Watch, at KEYT News 3 Santa Barbara, "Day 4 of fire fight in Scherpa comes to a close," and "West Goleta Residents Told to Think About Preparing."

And at the Santa Barbara Independent, "Scherpa Fire: Sunday Afternoon Update."

And from the Santa Barbara County Information Officer, incredible photos from the other day, when the fire jumps the 101 Freeway near Refugio:

#SherpaFire a tractor-trailer drives past flames in the center divider of US 101 at El Capitan State Park. pic.twitter.com/Z9m9ChHYeO

— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) June 17, 2016

#SherpaFire wind driven flames move down hillside near El Capitan State Park. pic.twitter.com/rZxRpPV2e8

— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) June 17, 2016

#SherpaFire a skycrane helicopter makes a drop on the US 101 center divider at El Capitan State Park. pic.twitter.com/wE0AhAQmZ5

— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) June 17, 2016

#SherpaFire firefighters take shelter behind the engine as flames advance on them along near El Capitan State Beach. pic.twitter.com/wj5OHmLKUi

— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) June 17, 2016

It's still early on the West Coast. More triple-digit temperatures are expected, and this fire is burning in parts of the Santa Ynez outback, where there's few if any service roads.

Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose Hugged by Prime Minister Trudeau After Her Speech on Fort McMurray (VIDEO)

At the CBC, "Fort McMurray wildfire: Justin Trudeau to survey damage on Friday."

And watch, "Ambrose hugged by Trudeau after speech."

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley Moved to Tears by Fort McMurray Wildfires (VIDEO)

Well, I doubt Ezra Levant and the folks at the Rebel credit the premiere's sincerity here.

Via Telegraph UK:



PREVIOUSLY: "Eco-Freaks Exploit and Demonize Fossil Fuels During Ft. McMurray Wildfires (VIDEO)."

Eco-Freaks Exploit and Demonize Fossil Fuels During Ft. McMurray Wildfires (VIDEO)

The sick far-left prog Elizabeth Kolbert exemplifies the leftist hatred, at the New Yorker, "Fort McMurray and the Fires of Climate Change."

And see even the mainstream (craven) take at LAT, "Wildfire at Fort McMurray quickly overtakes Canada's environmental debate."

Meanwhile, check out this killer video featuring Holly Nicholas, at the Rebel.

Facts. Those pesky facts leftists hate, lol.

Environmental Wackos Cheer Canada's Fort McMurray Fires (VIDEO)

Following-up from the other day, "Canada's Fort McMurray Engulfed in Flames (VIDEO)."

Here's Ezra Levant:

Canada's Fort McMurray Engulfed in Flames (VIDEO)

Following-up, "Uncontrolled Wildfire Burns Near Fort McMurray, in Canada's Oil Sands Region, Force Residents to Flee (VIDEO)."

And at Rebel Media, "Rebuild Fort McMurray."

Uncontrolled Wildfire Burns Near Fort McMurray, in Canada's Oil Sands Region, Force Residents to Flee (VIDEO)

Via Telegraph UK:

Venomous Sea Snakes at Coronado Beach (VIDEO)

A lot of strange creatures have been washing up with the El Niño storms.

Watch, at ABC News 10 San Diego, "Unique sea snake washes to shore in Coronado: Marine biologists blame El Niño for the rare occurrence."

California Wildfires Highlight Risks to Elderly, Less Mobile, Residents

Actually, some of those killed last week refused to leave their homes, although I agree the elderly are going to be more vulnerable.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Five wildfire deaths highlight vulnerability of isolated seniors in disasters":

Some were pulled from the fire zone by relatives or neighbors, with or without their wheelchairs. At least a handful made the bumpy ride out in the back of a pickup through heavy smoke and fire-blackened debris — thanks to a former paramedic who breached the blockades.

They arrived at area shelters with oxygen tanks, without their medications, anxious and in some cases disoriented. Then there were the ones who stayed behind —intentionally or not.

Of the three deaths reported so far in Lake County's devastating Valley fire, all were senior citizens, among them 72-year-old Barbara McWilliams, who suffered from advanced multiple sclerosis. Two other men who are believed to have died were in their late 60s.

The aging are woven into the fabric of Lake County, where 18% of residents have passed their 65th birthdays, versus 11% for the entire state. Some have flocked here to retire, drawn to the independent streak that favors community over government; others have aged in place, their grown children gone in search of better job opportunities.

And though it was unclear in the disaster's aftermath how many were living in the evacuation zone, officials said about 2,300 county residents rely on state-funded in-home care or delivered meals.

In the Rocky and Jerusalem fires, which burned to the north and northeast of the Valley fire in August and July, staff of the county Office of Adult Services were able to contact those living in "advisory evacuation zones" and offer transportation to shelters, program manager Todd Metcalf said.

But the Sept. 12 blaze "moved too quickly for us to perform outreach as we normally do," Metcalf said...

Some folks just want to go. At the accompanying photo, the caption reads, "Winnie Pugh was evacuated from her home by her sons after she refused to go with firefighters."

Keep reading.

3-Year-Old Xander Poore Donates $20.00 to Charity Fund for Fire Relief Effort (VIDEO)

It's was his birthday money.

At KCRA News 3 Sacramento, "3-year-old donates $20 to fire fund, melts everyone's heart."

One Person Dead as 'Incredibly Fast' Valley Fire Scorches Hundred of Homes (VIDEO)

At the San Francisco Chronicle, "Valley Fire grows to 61,000 acres."

Also at the Los Angeles Times, "Hundreds of homes and structures destroyed; blaze not yet contained in any area."

Butte Mountain Fire Continues to Burn Out of Control (VIDEO)

At the Sacramento Bee, "Thousands flee ‘mass destruction’ as Valley, Butte, Rough fires widen," and "Update: California emergency chief says fires ‘spreading faster’ than they have in 30 years."

Plus, watch at KCRA News 3 Sacramento, "Butte Fire keeps destroying homes, disrupting lives," and "Butte Fire proves its unpredictability, burns out of control."

PREVIOUSLY: "Gov. Gerry Brown Declares State of Emergency as Butte Mountain Fire Rages in Northern California (VIDEO)."

Gov. Gerry Brown Declares State of Emergency as Butte Mountain Fire Rages in Northern California (VIDEO)

At the Amador Ledger, "Governor Brown delcares a State of Emergency in Amador and Calaveras counties," and "CalFire Butte Mountain Fire Update - 6:43 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11."

And at the Los Angeles Times, "Brown declares state of emergency in 65,000-acre Gold Country fire."

More at USA Today, "'Explosive' fire forces evacuations in Northern Calif."

Plus, watch at KCRA News 3 Sacramento, "Firefighters making progress in ravaging Butte Fire," and "Devastating Butte Fire rips through Calaveras County homes."

Tip Line Lets California Residents Report Irresponsible Drone Pilots

Yeah, that was a bummer earlier this summer with the Cajon Pass North Fire. Drones hampered firefighting efforts.

See CBS News Sacramento, "Drone Reporting Tip Line: The move comes after more than a dozen instances of firefighting operations being slowed by drones in the air."

Wind-Whipped 'Hellstorm' Wildfires Kill Three U.S. Forest Service Firefighters in Washington State (VIDEO)

God have mercy.

At the Seattle Times, "Wind-whipped wildfire kills 3 firefighters, injures 4 near Twisp," and "Who they were: The 3 firefighters killed near Twisp."

Chelan Fires in Central Washington Destroy More Than 50 Structures

The heat wave has hit all across the Western United States, and the wildfires are out of control in Central Washington.

At the Seattle Times, "Chelan blazes: 900 firefighters, 100,000 acres, no end in sight."

And at KXLY News 4 Spokane:



RELATED: At the Boston Herald, "Western wildfires: Wind, heat, dry land fueling large blazes" (autoplay video warning).

Northern California Jerusalem Fire Jumps Into Napa County (VIDEO)

Temperatures are expected to soar well past 100 degrees up near Sacramento. That's not good for firefighters.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Northern California wildfire jumps into Napa County; 150 homes evacuated."

And watch, via KCRA Sacramento, "Fast-moving Jerusalem Fire grows to 12,000 acres."