Nuclear Plant In Path Of Out-Of-Control Blaze, 'Dangerous' Official Says
A massive out-of-control fire blazing near San Onofre nuclear plant prompted workers to flee as an evacuation was ordered, as a meeting was held in Sacramento to close the nuclear generating plant for good due to its faulty generator.
The fire is only 5% contained, according to NBC News moments ago.
At least nine fires in total in the same area are blazing. Together, they have consumed thousands of acres in the area. New mandatory evacuations have been ordered Thursday. CNN reports that 36 fires are destroying much of the area and threatening even more since they are only 5% controlled.
Wednesday morning, a fire in a big oil rig spread to surrounding vegetation on I-5 near San Onofre, slowing traffic from San Clemente to Oceanside to a crawl.
A few hours later, California Highway Patrol had to close the 91 freeway after a brush fire sparked near the East Street off-ramp and threatened overhead power lines.
State Of Emergency
Gov. Brown declared a state of emergency in the area hours after conditions prompted San Diego County officials to proclaim a local emergency.
“We’re very worried about today,” said Lee Swanson, a San Diego Fire and Rescue spokesman. ”We’re looking at gusting winds to 50 miles per hour, humidity at 5 percent and temperatures reaching 100 degrees (Fahrenheit). Those are dangerous conditions.”
The massive fires that has already consumed thousands of acres around Camp Pendleton in southern California has been creeping closer to the San Onofre nuclear power plant, prompting evacuations.
The nine fires have burned in a 14-square-mile area. They are being fanned by hot, dry air and unusual springtime Santa Ana winds.
Thousands of people have been evacuated and many schools across the city and the county have canceled classes until at least next week.
New evacuations were ordered Thursday morning in San Marcos. Overall, about 21,000 people are out of their homes, including students who were in the middle of finals at a campus of California State University.
“At times it looks like there’s fire in the sky with the wind whipping back and forth,” Ryan Marble told Los Angeles Times while he waited in a long line at a gas station to get fuel to evacuate.
Thousands of people fled raging wildfires in roasting southern California as flames destroyed homes and triggered evacuations at the nuke facility, a military base and amusement park.
“This is a very difficult firefight,” said Cal Fire captain Mike Mohler. “This is an urban wildland firefight, so it is definitely more difficult than you would see in a more rural setting.”
A brush fire sparked about 9:45 a.m. Wednesday at the Naval Weapons Station, Fallbrook grew to 6,000 acres by 6 p.m., and had reached Camp Pendleton property.
Thursday, the Naval Weapons Station remained closed, but no reports of injuries or damage to structures had been made there. Known as the Tomahawk fire, the blaze on the base caused evacuations at the weapons station as well as several housing areas.
At the Naval Weapons Station Fallbrook, the Du Luz housing and Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary School were evacuated at 10:20 a.m. O’Neill Heights Housing area and Du Luz Child Development Center were evacuated at 12:30 p.m.
The fire reached Pendleton by Wednesday afternoon, leading authorities to ask people on the base to shelter in place.
Record temperatures in the western US state are blistering remaining residents, where the annual wildfire season typically starts much later in the year.
At least 15 buildings have been destroyed, including three homes, said Michael Davis, fire chief in the seaside resort of Carlsbad, north of San Diego.
Southern California, including Los Angeles, has been bracing for record temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) this week, with authorities opening cooling centers for those otherwise unable to escape the heat.
At Long Beach Airport, south of LA, a temperature of 101 degrees was recorded yesterday, beating a previous record of 93 degrees set in 1970.
“We welcome FEMA’s approval of Governor (Jerry) Brown’s request for assistance,” said state OES Director Mark Ghilarducci. “Fires like the Poinsettia Fire can put a strain on resources, particularly at a time when dry conditions due to the drought, above normal temperatures and winds have increased the wildfire threat.
significantly.”
Photo of a smoke whirl near West Lilac Fire in Bonsall, 40 miles north of San Diego. (Photo credit: Allen Repashy #cawx pic.twitter.com/URtci2nTT0)
Southern California, including Los Angeles, has been bracing for record temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) this week, with authorities opening cooling centers for people unable to escape the heat elsewhere.
Night time brings to the area an eerie sight, as captured in the photo below by a Twitter user: Davan Maharaj @DavanMaharaj, who tweeted:
“Tonight full moon has a strange filter: @luissinco captures swaths of smoke trailing from San Diego fire. pic.twitter.com/i40eortWNn“
Sources: Russia Today, LA Times
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Whistler Blowers, Insiders
Poor Californians. Many have tried to shut the dang nuke plant there. It is NOT safe to begin with.
Hold tight. The nuclear workers are dousing the southern part of the plant with water. Boy howdy, do I feel safer now: /energy/2014/05/nuclear-workers-douse-san-onofre-plant-with-water-as-blaze-nears-2454220.html