The University of California, San Diego, as well as three
California State University campuses, closed Monday in response to
the fires that have engulfed Southern California.
California State University, San Bernardino evacuated students
Saturday before small spot fires northeast of the campus destroyed
one temporary building containing five classrooms and damaged
another temporary classroom and a temporary student fitness center,
said Sid Robinson, a spokesman for the university.
Residential students who did not have friends and relatives to
stay with were evacuated to temporary shelters set up at the former
Norton Air Force Base, according to a statement from the
university.
Residential halls are expected to open today and classes are
expected to resume on Wednesday, the statement added.
UCSD, Cal State San Marcos and San Diego State University also
closed down their campuses Monday because of their proximity to the
fires, but did not evacuate students. As of Monday afternoon,
classes at all three campuses were expected to resume today.
The fires have also caused flight delays and cancellations at
all major commercial airports in Southern California because of low
visibility for airline pilots.
A Federal Aviation Administration radar facility north of San
Diego that controls all flights into and out of Southern California
airports was also closed.
Arriving flights were delayed for as long as eight hours on
Monday at LAX. Flight delays averaged around two hours and 30
minutes, said airport spokeswoman Nancy Castles
Los Angeles International Airport officials expect air traffic
to begin to return to normal this morning with the opening of the
San Diego radar facility, Castles added.
Maria Fermin, a spokeswoman for Ontario/Palmdale International
Airports, said the airport resumed normal operations Monday, but
they still experienced some flight delays and cancellations.
Sunday, Ontario/Palmdale airport grounded air traffic for three
hours because of problems with visibility.
Flights at John Wayne Airport experienced fewer problems, with
flight delays averaging one hour and 35 minutes.
California’s deadliest fire outbreak in more than a decade
has destroyed at least 1,134 homes, killed at least 15 people and
consumed more than 400,000 acres stretching from the Mexican border
to the suburbs northwest of Los Angeles. It is also threatening at
least 30,000 more homes.
“˜”˜This will be the most expensive fire in California
history, both in loss of property and the cost of fighting
it,” Dallas Jones, director of the state Office of
Emergency Services, said in a telephone news conference Monday.
Managers of California’s power grid estimated that 70,000
to 85,000 Southern California customers were without electricity
because fires had damaged transmission lines.
The dry, hot Santa Ana winds that have fanned the flames began
to ease Monday, raising hopes that overwhelmed firefighters could
make progress with the help of reinforcements on their way from
other Western states.
But the danger was still high.
President Bush designated the fire-stricken region a major
disaster area, opening the door to grants, loans and other aid to
residents and businesses in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego
and Ventura counties.
“˜”˜This is a devastating fire and it’s a
dangerous fire. And we’re prepared to help in any way we
can,” Bush said at the White House.
Firefighters mounted a major challenge to the firefight, hoping
to take advantage of the wind break. Police were sent to patrol
hillsides. Arson is suspected in the fire and “˜”˜we
don’t want any copycats” or sightseers, the
mayor said.
The Simi Valley fire could reach the Pacific Ocean, California
Department of Forestry Battalion Chief Thomas Foley said.
“˜”˜Worst case scenario, and that’s the Simi
fire, this fire could spread to the west across Los Angeles County
to Rocky Peak and into Malibu,” Foley said Monday
during the conference call with reporters.
Gov. Davis moved to activate the National Guard and summon help
from neighboring states. He predicted the cost of the fires would
be in the billions.
He toured the fire area in San Bernardino and saw
“˜”˜just homes reduced to rubble, charred belongings
still sending off smoke.”
He was followed later by Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger, who
had a fire briefing in Ventura County and praised work by
firefighters.
Many of those who have died in the wildfires ignored evacuation
orders and were caught by flames because they waited until the last
minute to flee, San Diego County Sheriff Bill Kolender said.
“˜”˜When you are asked to leave, do it
immediately,” he said. “˜”˜Do not
wait.”
San Diego Fire Chief Jeff Bowman said he was worried that three
fires that incinerated 585 homes in San Diego County would merge
into a super fire, pushing already strained resources to the
breaking point.
Days after running for her life from a fire that ripped through
her San Bernardino neighborhood, Pati Wecker returned home in the
Del Rosa area to find the only thing left standing of her house was
an archway.
Across the street, a park with green grass and trees was
untouched.
Digging through the ruins of her home, Wecker found an untouched
porcelain angel and two beer steins. A burned photo album crumbled
when she picked it up.
Her husband was killed in Vietnam and she raised her six
children in the home that is known in the neighborhood as
Momma’s House.
“˜”˜They all said we will build another
house,” said Wecker, 69.
With reports from Daily Bruin wire services.