Bush Declares Disaster as Fires Force Mass Evacuations, Kill 17

28/10/2003| IslamWeb

Thousands of firefighters battled spreading wildfires across southern California, as blazes jumped freeways and threatened tens of thousands of homes after killing at least 17 people including two in Mexico. Eleven blazes, fanned by high and erratic desert winds, devoured close to 200,000 tinder-dry hectares (500,000 acres), gutting an area from the Mexican border to north of Los Angeles. The largest fire was besieging the 1.2 million residents of San Diego, where nearly 250,000 acres were ablaze and more than 585 structures had been destroyed, sheriff's department officials said. "This is beyond belief," said outgoing California Governor Gray Davis as he visited that disaster zone. "It is like a war zone. And my heart goes out to every family that lost a home." US President George W. Bush declared a major disaster in the heavily populated region. "I express my deep concerns and sympathies for those whose lives have been hurt badly by these fires," Bush told reporters Tuesday. "The federal government is working closely with the state government to provide the resources necessary to help the brave firefighters do their duty." While the treacherous winds dropped late Monday, giving firefighters their first break in days, there were few signs that they were winning the life-or-death battle against the flames. "The winds have dropped but the fire is burning through thick and heavy fuel and is not showing any signs of abating," said fire Inspector Roland Sprewell of a blaze threatening Los Angeles' suburban San Fernando Valley. The infernos have burned more than 1,100 houses and forced thousands of people into emergency shelters, with more fleeing their homes Monday night as a sinister red glow lit the sky in the San Fernando Valley. The fires also caused a second day of nationwide aviation chaos after forcing the evacuation of a key southern California flight control center Sunday, triggering long flight delays and stranding thousands of passengers. Major traffic snarls also developed on the region's roads after fires closed freeways, while hundreds of schools and courts were ordered shut for the second day Tuesday as the state reeled from its most deadly fires in since 1991. More than 7,000 firefighters are battling the fires -- two of which were started deliberately, authorities say -- but no containment was in sight. Thirteen people were confirmed dead in the San Diego fires, with dozens of other deaths being investigated. Two people died in San Bernardino County, 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Los Angeles. Another two people died in Mexico when the fire jumped the border south of San Diego, as health officials warned children and people with respiratory conditions to stay indoors and away from the noxious fumes. A giant 36,000-hectare (90,000-acre) fire burning in the Simi Valley, northeast of Los Angeles since Sunday crept into the densely populated area of Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley. The blaze, which is also believed to have been started by arsonists, has destroyed at least 14 homes. Helicopters and air tankers doused the countryside with water and fire retardant as residents anxiously watched the advancing walls of flames and desperately tried to defend their homes. A third major blaze was still burning in San Bernardino, one of four counties where a state of emergency is in effect. Some 33,000 hectares (82,000 acres) have been burned by two giant fires that merged Sunday. More than 460 homes were destroyed in the mountainous area and another 27,000 were threatened by that fire. Two men are being sought in connection with the suspected arson and could face murder charges if caught. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Blaze : A firefighter adjusts his protective equipment as fire blazes along the 118 freeway in Simi Valley, CA, as firefighters work to keep the blaze on the north side of the highway. (AFP/Robyn Beck)