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U.S. NEWS Saturday 9 december 2017

Fast-moving flames force people to flee on a moment’s notice

cash. Winds were howling told a friend whose home
outside, and flames leaped was reduced to black rub-
through the brush on a ble. The fire 50 miles (80 kilo-
nearby hillside. meters) north of San Diego
Metier, who expected to ignited for unknown rea-
lose everything, was sur- sons and destroyed at least
prised to find his place 85 structures as it burned 6
intact Friday. He zipped square miles (16 square ki-
through the mobile home lometers). Meanwhile, fire-
park in a golf cart, fielding fighters northwest of Los An-
calls from neighbors and geles gained some control
reporting whose homes over the largest and most
survived and whose were destructive fire in the state,
gone. which destroyed 430 build-
More than a third of the ings. The blaze in Ventura
community’s 213 mobile County grew to 206 square
homes burned as the fire miles (533 square kilome-
zigzagged along a hill- ters) since igniting Monday.
side, skipping some streets Along the coast between
and razing others. On one Ventura and Santa Barba-
street, all 24 mobile homes ra, tiny communities had
were gone, with only hulls so far survived close calls.
Fire crews search for hot spots among destroyed homes in the Rancho Monserate Country Club of cars and stoves left. Slopes along U.S. 101 were
community Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, in Fallbrook, Calif. The wind-swept blazes have forced tens of “It’s really horrible to see blackened, but homes still
thousands of evacuations and destroyed dozens of homes in Southern California. some of these little streets stood at La Conchita and
(AP Photo/Gregory Bull) look like a moonscape,” he Faria Beach.q

Continued from Front where Marsala and others
Flames sprang up so quick- in the community played
ly and moved so fast that regularly.
three people were burned Many residents were on the
Thursday trying to escape. course when the fire swept
Many of those who man- into the area, driven by dry
aged to get out unscathed desert Santa Ana winds
did so with only the clothes that surpassed 35 mph
on their backs after aban- (56 kph). That was too fast
doning a lifetime of posses- for firefighters to stop the
sions to fate. flames.
The Marsalas and other “The crews were trying to
unlucky homeowners re- stay out ahead of this as
turned Friday to find their quickly as they could,”
homes in ruins. said Capt. Kendal Bortisser
Dick Marsala was too over- of the California Depart-
whelmed to speak as he ment of Forestry and Fire
searched through the smol- Prevention. “As we know,
dering remnants in search when a tornado hits the
of his wallet. It was still too Midwest, there’s no stop-
hot, so he climbed back ping it. When a hurricane
out. Peering through a bro- hits the East Coast, there’s
ken window, he spotted a no stopping it. When Santa
framed photo still hanging Ana winds come in, there’s
on a blackened wall. It was no stopping them.”
a picture of him golfing. Tom Metier was brushing
“I’ll be darned,” he said, his his teeth to get ready for
eyes tearing up as he put a doctor’s appointment
on sunglasses. when sheriff’s deputies
The charred gray remains pulled up and yelled, “Get
of much of the 55-and- out now!”
over community stood in He grabbed the key to his
stark contrast to the bright safety deposit box, pre-
green nine-hole golf course scription pills and some