Danielle Gersh's Hot and Dry Forecast

This feels like October weather. I'm not complaining, but still. It's weird.

At CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Jennifer Delacruz Dry Windy Fire Warning Forecast

It was 87 degrees yesterday when I was out running errands in the early afternoon.

Oh no! Global warming!

Just kidding. It's dangerous fire weather, though.

Here's the beautiful Ms. Jennifer, for ABC 10 News San Diego:

At least 46 Horses Dead Affter Lilac Fire Rips Through San Luis Rey Downs Training Facility (VIDEO)

What a nightmare.

At the San Deigo Union-Tribune, "Thoroughbred death toll rises to 46 from wildfire":

The number of horses killed at a thoroughbred training facility during North County’s Lilac wildfire has risen to 46, a spokesman for the California Horse Racing Board said Saturday morning.

A small number of additional horses remain unaccounted for after escaping from the facility, San Luis Rey Downs, in Bonsall, said the spokesman, Mike Marten.

The racing board previously put the number of horses killed at the facility at 35. The Lilac fire destroyed eight barns at the sprawling, 500-stall facility on Thursday.

Trainer Martine Bellocq also suffered second- and third-degree burns as she tried to rescue six horses from the facility. She was placed in a medically induced coma at UC San Diego Medical Center on Thursday.

Also at the Los Angeles Times, "At least 46 horses dead, others missing from thoroughbred facility after San Diego County wildfire":

Officials said about 360 surviving horses from San Luis Rey Downs were moved to the Del Mar Fairgrounds, and some 850 horses evacuated during the fires are stabled there.

A fundraiser for the San Luis Rey Downs horses on the website GoFundMe had raised nearly $478,000 as of Saturday afternoon.

Another 29 horses died at a Sylmar ranch overrun by the Creek fire Tuesday. There have also been reports of dead or missing horses and ponies from small farms and ranches throughout the region.

Santa Ana winds moved the fires so quickly and so unpredictably that those fleeing had only minutes to leave. In some cases, horse owners said they had to choose between saving themselves and their animals.

Some owners won't know the fate of their animals until evacuation orders are lifted and they can search their properties.

Driving on the 405 Near the Getty Center

It's Elex Michaelson:

#SkirballFire It’s eerie driving on the 405 near the Getty Center. There are charred hillsides, white smoke and almost no traffic.

Much like the weekend of #Carmageddon, it appears people are avoiding the westside altogether. pic.twitter.com/yIcPxKZasa

— Elex Michaelson (@elex_michaelson) December 6, 2017

Why is Everything Burning?

Arson's one of the main causes of the fires. It makes me so angry.

A good piece, at USA Today, "California fires: Why is everything burning?"

#California #wildfires: Why is everything burning? https://t.co/dJzSwZBa1A

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) December 8, 2017

SoCal Wildfires (VIDEO)

Here's the report from last night at CBS Evening News:

Wildfire on the Sepulveda Pass, Nearby the Getty Center (VIDEO)

The 405 freeway is closed nearby the Getty Center in Los Angeles.

At CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Evelyn Taft's Wildfires Forecast

It's bad people.

Something like 150 structures destroyed by fire up in Ventura. It was windy, cold, and dry when I left for work yesterday at 6:00am. Then I saw the news about the fires.

Here's the lovely Ms. Evelyn. Stay safe, folks:

Jennifer Delacruz's Monday Forecast

It's been actually scorching in SoCal. It was 96 in Irvine yesterday, which is very nice, but a little unusual.

Here's the lovely Ms. Jennifer with today's forecast. Hopefully, all the California wildfires will come under control.

At ABC News 10 San Diego:

Older People Heavily Represented in Fatalities in Northern California Fires

They can't get out fast enough. Some of them can't hear, or had spotty cell phone coverage. They never got evacuation warnings.

What a nightmare. And sad.

At LAT, "California firestorm takes deadly toll on elderly; average age of victims identified so far is 79":

California firestorm takes deadly toll on elderly; average age of victims identified so far is 79 https://t.co/WU3YhPipnX pic.twitter.com/oQml737JpD

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) October 13, 2017

As authorities begin to identify those killed in the wildfires raging across Northern California, a grim pattern is emerging.

Among the dozen people identified by Sonoma and Napa county officials as of late Thursday, the average age of those who died was 79. The youngest victim was 57, the oldest 100.

“The bulk of them are in their 70s and 80s, so there is that commonality,” Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano told reporters at a news briefing.

A majority were found inside their homes, unable to escape as the fire bore down. At least one was confined to a wheelchair. Another was lying next to a vehicle.

The trend highlights a risk for elderly people when a natural disaster strikes: Health problems may limit mobility. They may no longer drive, and often live in areas with unreliable cellphone service.

In Sonoma County, where most of the fatalities occurred, 18% of the population is over the age of 62, compared with 11% for all of California.

“With any sort of disaster … the elderly may not have transportation, they may not have access to evacuate as fast as possible,” said Sonoma County spokesman Scott Alonso. “They may be wheelchair-bound, they may have access issues — those folks may take more care to evacuate safely.”

That’s why, he said, police officers were going door-to-door Sunday night alerting people to get out. But he said it’s too early to tell whether the elderly were disproportionately affected.

That was the case two years ago when the fast-moving Valley fire ripped through Lake County and took the lives of four people. They were a 72-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis trapped in her home, and three men over the age of 65, two of whom decided not to evacuate.

The Butte fire that year didn’t spread as quickly, though the two people killed were seniors: a one-legged 65-year-old man who stayed home to protect his property and an 82-year-old man.

A 2008 report criticized disaster response systems in California. The state Department of Social Services subsequently launched functional assessment service teams, which consist of government workers and volunteers who deploy to shelters to observe conditions and identify what’s missing. The teams assess the needs of seniors and those with disabilities, working to get them the services and equipment they need.

On Sunday night when the Atlas fire erupted, Sara and Charles Rippey were home in Napa with their caretaker, Maria Sandovar. Strong winds made the lights flicker. Sandovar looked out the back window and saw that the home’s fence was on fire.

She ran to lift Sara, 98, out of bed and onto her wheelchair. Charles, 100, was in the hallway.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

In a matter of minutes, black smoke had filled the house...

La Tuna Canyon Fire Torches More Than 5,000 Acres (VIDEO)

Well, it's been awful hot out.

It'd be a living hell to be caught in this inferno.

At LAT, "Three homes burned as wildfire torches more than 5,000 acres":

Santa Barbara Whittier Fire

It's up by Lake Cachuma. Been burning for well over a week now.

At the Santa Barbara Independent, "Whittier Fire Quiets Down Overnight: Crews Working to Contain Bear Creek Edge, State of Emergency Declared."

And at KEYT News 3 Santa Barbara, "State of Emergency and Local Emergency declared in Santa Barbara County," and "Whittier Fire burns 18,311 acres. Continued updates16 homes and 30 other structures destroyed."

Also, "AirTankers work to stop the spread of the Whittier Fire."

Video here, "LIVE CAM : Whittier Fire July 15, 2017."

The air-tankers used to fly overhead --- and I mean literally over the top of my head --- just about every summer when I was living up in Goleta, attending UCSB. Those dry mountains had wildfires every year, some catastrophic. There was always the threat that the fires would burn down the ocean-facing mountainside and wipe out the local foothill communities.

Amber Lee's Comfortable Cooler Forecast

We've had local wildfires over the last few days, and the air quality's been nasty at times.

But the coastal areas have been quite comfortable. I'm enjoying the nice breezy weather.

Here's the lovely Ms. Amber, for CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Big Cat P-22 Shares Griffith Park With Millions of People

I like the big cats, although I wouldn't want to meet up with one while out on a hike. They're ferocious.

At the Los Angeles Times, "A week in the life of P‑22, the big cat who shares Griffith Park with millions of people."

And click through to spot that darned lion, heh.

Can you spot the mountain lion in this photo? A week inside the life of the stealthy P-22, L.A.'s most famous cat https://t.co/cmbveGNGRP pic.twitter.com/elEBoP4smG

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) February 8, 2017

Mom and Daughter Terrorized by Turkey (VIDEO)

Don't run.

Those turkeys will chase you down like a mofo, lol.

At CBS News 2 New York:

Dangerous Weather Conditions Across Southern California (VIDEO)

Following-up from earlier, "Kristen Keogh Hot Sunday Forecast."

At ABC News 10 Sand Diego, "Dangerous heat and fire risk."

And at CBS News 2 Los Angeles, "Firefighters on High Alert Due to Dangerous Weather Conditions."

Quick-Thinking Seal Hops on Boat to Escape Orca Hunt in British Columbia (VIDEO)

But how does the seal know that it's safer on the boat. You could have someone up top with a baseball bat ready to bludgeon the hell out of that little puppy, heh.

That wouldn't be good, of course. But who knows? Maybe the seal's got a good track record of hopping up on boats.

Via ABC News:

Blue Cut Fire Updates (VIDEO)

Following-up from last night, "Blue Cut Fire Closes I-15 Freeway at El Cajon Pass (VIDEO)."

At the Riverside Press-Enterprise, "What we know right now about the Blue Cut fire burning in the Cajon Pass":

The 15 Freeway, the main artery in and out of the High Desert, remains closed Wednesday morning as firefighters battled the out-of-control Blue Cut fire in the Cajon Pass overnight.

The massive wind-driven wildfire devoured 30,000 acres and multiple homes and buildings by Wednesday morning, forcing more than 80,000 people to evacuate their homes. No portion of the perimeter has containment lines...

More.

Also, live updates at the Los Angeles Times, "Live updates: Devastating Blue Cut fire in Cajon Pass consumes homes at rapid rate, burning out of control."

And ABC News 7 Los Angeles, "BLUE CUT FIRE CHARS 30,000 ACRES, MOVING CLOSER TO WRIGHTWOOD."

Blue Cut Fire Closes I-15 Freeway at El Cajon Pass (VIDEO)

At the Riverside Press Enterprise, "9,000-acre Blue Cut fire puts 82,600 under evacuation orders in Cajon Pass."

And at the San Bernardino Sun, "Blue Cut fire burns 9,000 acres in Cajon Pass, more than 80,000 evacuated."

Still more, at LAT, "Buildings burn, residents flee as out-of-control brush fire burns 9,000 acres in Cajon Pass."

And watch, at CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Two 'Super Scoopers' Arrive in Van Nuys to Help Fight Seasonal Wildfires (VIDEO)

At CBS News 2 Los Angeles.

This is cool: