altadenablog

Thursday open thread

We've been uber-swamped by return-to-school stuff the past day -- hope to resume updates this afternoon!  In the meantime -- what's on your mind?

(PIctured: Zane Grey)

Wednesday open thread

What's on your mind?

(Pictured: Altadena artist Charles White)

Preparing for the worst

Altadena  and Crescenta Valley deputies participated in a simulated school invasion today at the old Edison School. The post-Columbine theory of school invasions is not to wait for a SWAT team to be assembled, it's grab all the cops you can and go in.  The deputies were faced with several scenarios in the school site, and were loaded with blank ammunition.

Deputies move into the cafeteria in response to shooting.

Two deputies played the shooters.

One shooter down, the deputies take to the stairwell to neutralize the other.

Students from Marshall Fundamental School earned community service hours by playing victims ... which, if you think about it, is a perfect activity for a teenager, as ours "plays victim" pretty steadily!

ISS/Shuttle flyby tonight starting at 7:42

Bill Westphal writes:

Double fly-by tonight of the International Space Station and Shuttle Discovery.

 

The Shuttle has just un-docked from the ISS and is orbiting nearby.  Both should be visible tonight in an excellent pass just before 8pm.  It will first appear in the Southwest and pass overhead to the Northeast.  Look for them in the Southwest just after 7:42 pm

"Hot August Night" caps SSGA's summer concert series at Farnsworth Sat.

Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies for "Hot August Night," a Neil Diamond tribute and the grand finale to the Sheriff's Support Group of Altadena's summer concert series this Sat., Sept. 12, starting at 7 PM in Farnsworth Park.

Lead singer Dean Colley has been performing in rock bands since 1982, after leaving the University of Southern California, where he was studying biology. 15 years of playing in bars and regional fairs followed playing rock and roll covers with other local musicians. All the while, people began taking notice of Dean’s ever more prominent resemblance to Neil Diamond. Soon, audience members were asking Dean if he did any Neil Diamond songs.

A short time later, a local businessman asked Dean if he’d like to put together a tribute to Neil Diamond. Dean accepted the challenge and began studying the songs of the legendary singer/songwriter. After a trial version of Dean as Neil Diamond in a small club, he was offered a chance to perform for a community concert put on by a local Kiwanis club. From there, the show became known as “Hot August Night”, after the title of Neil Diamond’s live album recorded at the Greek Theater.

Many versions of the band followed. Players came and went. However, a chance audition for a tribute show for military personnel in Japan introduced him to a whole new level of players. These musicians were seasoned professionals and put a whole new spin on Dean’s presentation. After arriving home after the tour of Japan, Dean convinced the band to play in Hot August Night. This led to working with better musicians and an outstanding presentation.

Today, Hot August Night has played casinos, corporate parties, fairs, and clubs all over the United States.

Hot August Night has played major showrooms in Reno NV, Laughlin, NV, Las Vegas NV, Carson City NV, Minden NV, Tucson AZ, Lincoln OR, Seattle WA, Atsugi Japan, Iwakuni Japan, Oxford England, Bettendorf IA, Stone Mountain GA, Beverly Hills CA, Palm Springs CA, and Hollywood CA.

Environmental Rendezvous this Sat.

Sierra Club Pasadena Group and Pasadena Area Environmental Organizations Potluck Picnic and Movie

“A Sense of Wonder” An Interpretation of the Life of Rachel Carson

Meet with local environmentalists for a potluck picnic on the patio and viewing of this award-winning new movie about Rachel Carson, author of "Silent Spring," as interpreted through her own words by actress Kaiulani Lee, who depicts Carson as she reflects on the values of the natural environment which she has so strongly worked to defend against risks posed by chemical pesticides.

5:30 pm, Saturday, September 12, 2009

At Eaton Canyon Nature Center

1750 N. Altadena Drive, Pasadena

Dinner at 6 pm, movie at 7 pm. Bring a dish serving 6-8 people.

Beverages, plates and utensils will be provided. All are welcome: come and get acquainted. For information, contact Coordinator Ginny Heringer at 626-793-4727 or ginnyh@ix.netcom.com.

Participating Pasadena Area Environmental Organizations include:
Arroyos and Foothills Conservancy
Altadena Crest Trail Restoration Working Group
Save the Altadena Trails
Eaton Canyon Nature Center Associates
Arroyo Seco Foundation
California Native Plant Society
Sierra Club Forest Committee
Altadena Watershed Committee
Pasadena Audubon Society
Hahamongna Watershed Committee

Pasadena Master Chorale in concert @ ACC Sept. 20

The Pasadena Master Chorale, under the direction of Artistic Director/Conductor Jeffrey Bernstein, will kick off its first full season on September 19 and 20 with a program of international folks songs entitled Songs of the World.  The concert features cherished American classics, well-known European tunes, some contemporary surprises and more colorful fare from cultures around the globe – all in sumptuous choral arrangements for unaccompanied (a cappella) voices.
 
Songs of the World will be performed by a select 36-voice summer choir drawn from the Master Chorale’s broader membership in two performances in two extraordinary acoustical settings:
Saturday, 19 September 2009, 7:30pm
First Congregational Church, 464 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, CA 91101
 
Sunday, 20 September 2009, 4:00pm,
Altadena Community Church, 943 E. Altadena Dr., Altadena, CA 91001
 
Pasadena Master Chorale’s Songs of the World concert is reasonably priced from $10 to $16 and tickets are easy to obtain through Tix.com, through any Chorale member (at significant savings) or at the door.  Tickets on sale now.  Complete details on concerts, ticket prices and venue locations can be found at www.pasadenamasterchorale.org.  Recorded information is available by phone at 626-208-0009.

Friends of the Library hosts graphic novelist Kibuishi Oct. 2

The Friends of the Altadena Library is proud to present author, artist and Eisner Award Nominee Kazu Kibuishi.

Kazu will be on hand to sign and discuss his new book AMULET 2: THE STONEKEEPER’S CURSE. Kazu will also discuss his writing and illustrating process, the creation of the AMULET series and his other award-winning illustrated titles.

Please join us for this wonderful event in the Community Room of the Altadena Library District at the Main Library, located at 600 E. Mariposa Street, Altadena, CA 91001.

Firewatch: Go ask Alice

For those of you who just can't get enough of the Station Fire, Alice Wessen has been posting the official statistic updates on her blog daily.  We're still playing catch-up on non-fire news!

Carol Channing benefit raises $15,000 for ACC

Altadena Community Church's "Raise the Roof" benefit with Carol Channing Sunday raised $15,000 for the church's roofing fund. Based on the success of the packed-house event.  Channing's publicist, church member Harlan Boll, is planning another "diva" event for the fall. PSN has the details.

Tuesday open thread

What's on your mind?  Comments open!

So Cal Edison offers fire help

Shared by Steve Bass:

Southern California Edison's phone numbers related to power outages and other concerns:

Customers Affected by Fire
If recent fires have affected your home, contact us regarding your electricity service and your bill.  1-800-250-7339

Financial Hardships Due to Fire

Those experiencing financial hardships due to the recent fire disasters can call us for assistance information.

1-800-950-2356

Southern California Edison's site lists rotating electric outages

https://www.sce.com/PowerOutageCenter/Rotating/

And some Edison tips for the home (thx Gino Sund):

Wildfire Safety Tips

• With nightfall approaching the threat of electric service interruption could occur at any time in the wildfire areas, SCE reminds its customers to keep flashlights handy in the event of a service interruption.
• Do not rely on candles for lighting during a power outage because they could pose a fire hazard; please use flashlights.
• Do not rely on candles for lighting during a power outage because they could pose a fire hazard; please use flashlights.
• Check on the safety of family members and neighbors, especially those dependent on power for medical equipment.
• If you see downed lines, please call SCE and report it to the police and fire departments immediately. Never touch or try to move a downed power line.
• If possible, stay away from areas severely impacted by the fire damage. Traffic signals could be inoperative, poles and power lines could be blocking streets and utility crews could be in the area making repairs.
• If you are without electrical service in your home or business, leave one light switch in the “on” position to serve as a signal when electrical service has been restored. This will help limit stress on the electrical system when SCE restores service.
• Do not cook indoors with charcoal or other fossil fuels not meant for indoor use. They could create deadly fumes if used indoors.
• Turn off and unplug any unnecessary electrical equipment, especially sensitive electronic equipment.

Old Marengo Park gets a sign

Drilling through the mailbox, playing catch-up -- and got this note from Michele Zack:

First picture of fire smoke taken [Aug. 28], from Old Marengo Park, second one [Aug.30] after first of stone signage engraved. Altadena Watershed Committee will continue to maintain park (at Marengo and Woodbury) with help from neighbors.

This neighborhood beautification project started up in 2006 as joint project with Altadena Foothills Conservancy (since changed its name) and Altadena Watershed Committee. Altadena Heritage kicked in design and consulting services. Metropolitan Water District provided first big grant and Supervisor Antonovich has provided abundant financial and other support over the years. Foothills Metropolitan Water District and City of Pasadena also helped, along with many others. 

Today the first sign appeared, somehow making it official! It is amazing what we can accomplish with perserverence and cooperation. This place was nothing but a hot patch of dirt (frequently trash-strewn) from 1965 when Old Marengo was realigned leaving an empty right-of-way, until a couple years ago when construction began. It was planted about a year and half ago by neighbors and other volunteers. There will be some kind of dedication in November.

USO performance at Farnsworth Park Sept. 11

Theatre Americana and Show of Support Productions unite for the first time to produce “A USO Show” on Friday, September 11, 2009, 7:00 P.M. at Farnsworth Park Playhouse.  Admission is $10.00 with proceeds being raised to benefit the Farnsworth Park “After-school Program”.   The park is located at 568 East Mount Curve Avenue, Altadena, just north of Altadena Drive.
 
Enjoy musical talent featuring popular artists and songs such as “Bugle Boy”, “I’ll Be Seeing You”, “Ain’t Misbehavin”, an Oklahoma Medley and so on.  The Finale includes a tap routine to “Anchors Aweigh”.  The show narrates the history of the USO and is ultimately a tribute to all military troops fighting to preserve our liberties.
 
Donna Scarantino, President of “Show of Support Productions” (Co-President of Theatre Americana) is very excited to be collaborating with the County of Los Angeles in presenting this memorable USO performance.  The purpose of “Show of Support Productions” is to assist non-profit organizations in their fundraising efforts.  Theatre Americana has strong roots in Altadena, being the resident theater at Farnsworth Park for over 75 years.  This historical Altadena-based theater is known for producing original plays and musicals by American playwrights.  They are currently in the process of redefining their Mission, to broaden the scope of their activities -- wishing to provide educational opportunities to aspiring writers, actors and directors.

Photo: from a recent performance at Brand Park in Glendale.

And after the fire, comes the mud!

Now that the Station Fire is leaving our area (so long, don't let the door hit ya, etc.), it's not too early to worry about preparing for the inevitable mud and debris flows during rainy season.

Altadenablog readers Francine and Roger Smith pointed us to this website from the LA County Dept. of Public Works on preparing for debris flows.

There's also a PDF on the La Canada-Flintridge site here:

 

http://lacanadaflintridge.com/docfiles/city/emrg_na_mis_090904_093408.pdf

Morning question

... from Karen T. Livingston:

Do you know of any neighborhood association for the Eaton Canyon-area dwellers?  I know there's an east-of-Allen group, but they seem to focus mostly south of Altadena Drive; Stonehill group looks to be more Rubio Canyon-oriented?

Anyone know?  Leave a comment!

Mo Martin on the links

Budding pro golfer Mo Martin of Altadena played hurt and still came in as one of the second place finishers at the Futures tour "I Love NY" championship.

Of men and mountains

Mountain man and frequent Altadenablog commentor Greg Sweet has a blog of his observations and rants.

Firewatch: Mt. Wilson ready for backfires

Lots of good stuff coming out Sunday from the Mt. Wilson website:

• They're looking for help to restore the site and make it more fire-ready.
• The Sunday morning report said:

Sunday, 6 Sep 09, 9:55 am PDT - The plan for the day, which I got from several Helena Hotshots, is for "plumbing" the fire break installed over the last couple of days along the northern perimeter of Mount Wilson and heading out Newcomb's Ridge to the powerlines supplying communities well east of Pasadena. About six miles of fire hose, delivered by helicopter slings, will be laid along this line in preparation for the back fire that is likely to be set today or tomorrow on the northside of the break.

The air tankers are staging again now, most likely to finish painting fire retardant along the south side of the fire break to discourage the fire from jumping the break. Once again, this is all being done to keep the fire out of Big Santa Anita Canyon and threatening Monrovia and Sierra Madre. Mount Wilson is, of course, a beneficiary of this amazing effort.

• Dave Jurasevich, Superintendent of Mount Wilson Observatory, has some stunning pictures here.
• And, ABC News has a feature on the LA Times photographers who are jumping into the fire zone.

Project: Altadena -- wasn't that a party?

A look at a few of the scenes at tonight's North Lake Open House:

Altadena authors (from left) Andre Coleman, Ellen Snortland, Michele Zack, and Jervey Tervalon at a meet & greet at Webster's Fine Stationery.  Michelle Hunevan and Revell Revati were also there to sign their works.

Wreck n Sow entertained the crowd in Galloway Alley.

The photos of Project: Altadena! were on display in the outdoor gallery.  Thanks to Molly TIerney, who worked so hard to make this happen!

We photographed Debbi Swanson Patrick photographing firemen for one or the other of her many blogs!

(It was also great to meet so many Altadenablog readers tonight!)

Saturday Firewatch: it was the best of times, it was the worst of times

  UPDATE 10 PM  

Thank you: we're closing down this post early tonight, and since the Station Fire is no longer endangering Altadena and adjacent points (THANK YOU FIREFIGHTERS!) we're closing our running updates, altho' we'll still have stories and links about it as conditions warrant.

One of our favorite movie moments is in "City Slickers," where the characters talk about the best day of their lives.  Bruno Kirby's character relates how, when he was a teenager, he'd finally had enough of his abusive dad and chased him from  the house, swearing that he would take care of his mother and siblings, and how he did it from that day on, and that was the best day of his life.  "That was your best day?" he was asked.  "What was your WORST day?" 

"Same day," he said.

That's been a good description of this week for us.

This has been one of the wildest weeks of our lives, both personally and professionally, and we're glad to see it end well on both counts.  We cannot thank enough all of our collaborators -- that's you -- who contributed pictures, stories, links, first-hand accounts, opinions, good vibes, and energy.   Thank you for your good wishes in our personal struggles as well (our wife is back home, recovering, and making a list of things for us to do under her direct supervision!)

Red-headed stepchild of the foothills that we are, Altadenans this week have shown that we come together as a community when the chips are down. We've also demonstrated, thru this blog, the other blogs, and the neighborhood newsgroups, how vital online communications  are today during a community crisis.  When no news or conflicting news was coming from officials or the media, your efforts turned Altadenablog into a giant self-empowered and self-correcting community information source.  At the height of the fire danger, our traffic grew 100 times above our slowest day in August.

And we've gained some new readers in the process.  Thank you for coming, and stick around -- the news never ends in Altadena!  Thank you for joining Altadena's community news source.

We love this work.  We love Altadena.

  UPDATE 5:30 PM  

Ash Saturday: Karin Bugge the Altadenahiker has a stunning photo on her blog of a post-fire moonscape, and promises more to come later tonight.

We're heading off for the North Lake open house!  Hope to see you there!

  UPDATE 2:30 PM  

Leave the forest alone: Nancy Steele's recent blog entry was referenced in a couple of comments, and is well worth reading.  Hard as it is to watch and wait, that is what we must do.  We were particularly bothered by well-meaning posts about spreading birdseed in the forest to feed the birds -- spreading seed in the forest means bringing plants to the forest, and there's no guarantee those won't be invasive non-natives.  Let's leave the forest to regrow on its own, as it has for centuries, and keep the birdseed at home for all those hungry, tired, displaced birds!

Everybody go home!  Press release from the state office of emergency management says that ALL residential evacuations have been lifted at this time!  Which means:

Everybody come to North Lake for the Project: Altadena Open House!  Lori at Webster's Fine Stationery tells us there's going to be some kind of "do" there at 6 PM -- don't miss it!

  UPDATE 8:30 AM  

For the birds: Lori Paul sent out an email to the newsgroups:

Dear Friends, Neighbors & Trail Users,

I am seeing species of birds at my mixed seed and nyger feeders that I either don't usually see until late autumn (juncos, mountain chickadees, nuthatches) or that I never see at all (mountain blue birds, downey woodpeckers, and even a cactus wren). Someone told me they noticed a /mountain quail /mixed in with the California quail covey under their feeder! Large flocks of band-tailed forest pigeons have been seen flying away from burning oak woodland. Those large birds depend upon acorns.

Many birds have survived the massive Station / Angeles National Forest Fire by flying from the flames; however, they now find themselves without food, shelter, and nest sites. Birds may arrive disoriented, exhausted and frightened in our trees and gardens. Local birds may attempt to chase the "intruding refugees" from their territory.

I've been in contact with colleagues at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology in upstate N.Y. I was told, "/If there is any hope of saving small birds with bird feeders, seed needs to be put out immediately, because small birds can't survive very long without food."/ Small birds have fast metabolisms that burn energy quickly with little fat reserve.

Local residents can immediately assist birds displaced by the wildfire. Fill conventional bird feeders with seed. Nothing fancy, just any brand of basic wildbird seed mix. Scatter seed on the ground for birds that prefer to feed there and to reduce competition at feeder perches. Also put out finch feeders and seed-socks filled with black nyger seed. Suet cakes, preferred by some species such as acorn woodpeckers (many of whom have lost their granary trees) and supplemental sugar water for hummingbirds would also be of great benefit ..

Providing short term food, temporary shelter and fresh water will enable birds who have lost their homes to recover from exhaustion, smoke and stress. From bird feeders they can obtain enough energy to look for replacement habitat elsewhere in the region. Every little bit of supplemental food will help the birds.

Next spring, putting up nest boxes to replace the loss of trees and other nest sites will be helpful. There is a long recovery ahead for the Angeles Forest and wildlife habitat that has burned around us.

Thanks to those of you who can feed the birds along with the Merriam's chipmunks, western grey squirrels and other wildlife who also benefit from seed on the ground.

As deer, rabbits, raccoons and other wildlife move through the burn area and our yards, please try to be forgiving when your roses, fruit trees, shrubs and vegetables get browsed. These animals are bewildered, some are injured, and all will be hungry. Give displaced wildlife respect and room to move east and west through our neighborhoods to new homes in unburned canyons. We may even see an increase in bear, bobcat, cougar and snake incursions. Foxes and coyotes have been seeing moving across Hahamongna Watershed Park. Be alert and take reasonable precautions to store food waste properly and avoid surprise encounters.

Who are you?  Many of us are going to displace our cares for awhile tonight and go to the Altadena Arts Coalition's Project: Altadena open house tonight. One of our readers in the comments (and we can't find the post, or we'd give 'em full credit!) had the idea that we wear nametags with our Altadenablog comment handle: "I'm the Chaney Trail Kid from Altadenablog," for example.  We think that's a great idea, and we'll look forward to meeting many of you tonight!

The bullet: From Monica Hubbard:

Random Saturday bits and pieces. LA County cooling centers are listed here: http://css.lacounty.gov/docs/July%202009%20Community%20Cooling%20Centers.pdf Altadena's is closed this weekend, but the Pasadena Senior Center is open on Saturday. Others open this weekend are highlighted in yellow. As noted earlier, the Mt. Wilson Tower Cam is back in operation. http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~obs/towercam.htm Eaton Canyon Nature Center is currently closed. http://ecnca.org/ Bill Westphal has loaded "a few" photos of the fire to his photo gallery. http://www.westphalfamily.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=16 The Co-op and Food Exchange of Altadena (COFEA) is having a discussion about garlic. Firefighters are encouraged to include aged garlic extract in their diets since it has been shown to help reduce plaque and lower blood pressure. http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_13264263. COFEAltadena has several recommendations for places to purchase garlic seeds. Find the COFEAltadena Yahoo Group here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/COFEAltadena/ Over on the Chaney Trail listserv, residents are encouraging everyone to fill bird feeders since the birds that rely on seeds are hungry right now. The birds also need a water source for bathing and drinking. Pasadena Star-News staff photographer (and Altadena resident) Walt Mancini's photos are part of the Star-News story about the funeral procession of fallen firefighter Tedmund Hall yesterday. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_13273572 Posted earlier, but worth repeating. For those who would like to contribute, information about the Fallen Firefighters Fund is here: http://firefamilyfoundation.org/tributes/hall-quinones.php

Early wire:

Millard saved: Dan Abendschein of PSN has a few graphs about Millard Canyon and talks to Lonnie Fehr.

Saturday open thread

... where to go if you don't want to talk about the fire!  Comments open!

Friday Firewatch PM: $150K in rewards offered for Station arsonist

Are we ready for the afternoon?  Yes we are!

This is the afternoon post split so Typepad doesn't freak out on everyone.  To get today's full story, read
"Friday Firewatch AM" and comments.

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  UPDATE 10:30 PM 

Out and about today: We finally had a chance to take the camera around town today. Here's what we saw:

A pyrocumulus cloud (our Word of the Week) near Mt. Wilson, seen from the Webster's parking lot.

We were there to see Lori Webster to get the lowdown on the Altadena Arts Coalition event Saturday.  Lori keeps Altadenablog on display at Webster's Fine Stationers.  

We signed the sign at Lake and Loma Alta near the Cobb Estate.  Whoever set it up thoughtfully left markers on the rock, lower right.

Another sign set up at Loma Alta and Chaney Trail.

And a special "thank you" to Carolyn Seitz, who sent us this gorgeous (and tasty!) fruit arrangement!

  UPDATE 10 PM 

Tonight's view from the Mt. Wilson towercam.

Gov ups the ante:  Per the LA Times, Gov. Schwarzenegger has offered a $100,000 reward for the Station Fire arsonist.

Eaton Canyon park closed: per reader Melanie Symonds in the comments, who says the park will be used as a staging area thru the Labor Day weekend.

Next time, the ice cream's on Greg: Greg Sweet shares a pic:

I witnessed a crew of Forest Service firefighters coming out of the Rite-Aid at Altadena & Lake. They saw me with my camera and turned their backs as if they didn't deserve a cone each. But I caught one young man enjoying his prize. I would have purchased for each of them a double.

  UPDATE 3:45 PM 

From Supv. Antonovich's office:
ANTONOVICH TO OFFER $50,000 REWARD FOR ARSONIST(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR STATION FIRE

LOS ANGELES COUNTY – Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich announced that he will be offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the Station Fire.

As of this morning, the Station Fire has burned 148,258 acres, destroyed 96 structures, resulted in the death of 2 firefighters and injured 8 others.  Thousands of lives and property have been threatened and over 4,847 personnel are on the frontlines fighting the fires.  The estimated cost of the fire thus far is $28,554,000.

 The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Unit has ruled the fire as being caused by arson.
 The motion will be voted on by the Board of Supervisors at their next regularly scheduled meeting on September 8, 2009.

Supervisor Antonovich encourages anyone with information on the individual(s) responsible for the Station Fire to contact the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

Fire raises mesothelioma fears: Richard Moyle, the National Awareness Coordinator for the Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com, emails us this link about possible dangers of asbestos contamination in the fires.  Moyle assures us that "while our website is sponsored by attorneys, all of the medical information on our site has been reviewed and approved by a doctor and we offer many other services (like VA Claims assistance and patient advocacy) in addition to legal advice. I mention this as a way to avoid confusion as to our affiliation because our intention is not to deceive."

Mt. Wilson triumphant: the danger isn't over, but the towercam is back!

Everybody get together: Check the comments -- all listservs/Yahoo groups/neighborhood blogs are being asked to put their information in the comments section so we (well, not US, but somebody!) can have a citywide list for the next emergency!

Looking for Pat Sylvis

UPDATE SAT.: We've got some initial reports that Pat Sylvis was discovered in an LA area hospital.

From Monica Hubbard:

Pat Sylvis has Alzheimer's Disease.  She wandered away from her home near Elizabeth St. and N. Lake.  Please contact her husband, Ed, or the Pasadena police if you see her.  Thank you.

------

From: "Ed Sylvis" <Seismic@earthlink.net >
Date: September 4, 2009 5:52:21 AM PDT
To: "Ed J Sylvis" <ed@seismicsafety.com>
Subject: Pat Sylvis is missing

 
My daughter Patty along with a big bunch of her friends, Pat’s daughter Carrie, & grandson JOSH spent an all day into the night blitz of media, hospitals, shelters, news stands, transportation, distribution of nearly 2,000  flyers.
 
Sad to say the fire & Michael Jaxkson’s funeral have dominated the news. We have yet to see a flash on any TV spot for my sweetheart. It has been far too long for all of us. Maybe something soon today.
Ed Sylvis

Friday open thread: cease-fire zone!

What ELSE do you want to talk about? (Posts about fire are forbidden here!)  Comments are open!

Hello, Carol: welcome to smoky Altadena!

The fabulous Michelle Mills interviews Carol Channing, who will appear in a benefit concert Sunday here at our little ol' Altadena Community Church.

Arroyo Timebank to hold yard sale at Zane Grey Sept. 12

The Arroyo Timebank is a Pasadena-based effort to create, well, a "time bank" -- one hour of your services earns an hour of someone else's -- babysitting, housepainting, whatever you have to give.

But even a time bank needs money!  The Arroyo Timebank is holding a community yard sale on Sat., Sept. 12, at the Zane Grey Estate, 396 E. Mariposa.  Coordinator Janine Christiano send out a message to volunteers, which we share after the jump:

Weekendin'

.. and isn't it about time??

Fri., Sept. 4

• Alex Schaefer will paint and sell his 20-minute oil portraits at Altadena Junction, 2524 & 2526 El Molino Ave., 7-11 PM.
• The Coffee Gallery Backstage features cowboy singer/songwriter Gary Allegretto, 8 PM, tickets $15

Sat., Sept. 5

• Arroyo Food Co-Op social meeting at Yoga House, 11 W. State St., Pasadena, starting at 7:30 PM.
Will be rescheduled!
• Altadena Arts Coalition Open House, Lake Ave., 5 PM -?  Check out our page for more details!
• Coffee Gallery Backstage features guitarist Robby Longley, 7 PM. Tickets $15.

Sun., Sept. 6

• Coffee Gallery Backstage features Jim Curry's tribute to the music of John Denver.  Matinee at 2 PM, evening show at 7 PM.  TIckets $18
• Carol Channing (!) performs at Altadena Community Church, 7 PM Sunday. Balcony: $35; main floor $75; VIP (includes reception with Carol Channing) $125. Details: (626) 395-9923.
  
  

Friday Firewatch AM

Welcome to Friday morning.  If this is your first time here (or you haven't been here in awhile) we strongly encourage you to take a moment to read The Ground Rules page.  It will tell you how things run here, how to make comments, how to return to this page AND protect yourself from viruses, and how to support the work we're doing.  Thank you!

------------------------------------

Scott Flodin contributes a photo of his daughter, Isabella, in front of the banner at Lake & Loma Alta.

Posts will start Friday morning, but nightowls are free to comment!

---------

  UPDATE 11 AM   

The Tourinator: Governor Schwarzenegger tours a neighborhood damaged by the Station fire Thursday. From left to right: U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Angeles National Forest Supervisor Jody Noiron, California Emergency Management Agency Acting Secretary Matthew Bettenhausen and California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner.

Also, from a press release issued by the governor's office:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today joined Secretary of Service and Volunteering Karen Baker to visit the Station fire in Los Angeles County. Together they encouraged Californians to visit, www.CaliforniaVolunteers.org, where individuals, businesses and groups interested in helping the victims of these devastating fires can go to find volunteer and donation opportunities. The Governor and Secretary Baker also received a briefing on the Station fire and on the status of firefighting efforts statewide. The Station fire started on August 26 and has burned 140,150 acres and is 22 percent contained.

“I am committed to directing every possible resource to help firefighters successfully fight these fires and help fire victims throughout the state get their lives back together as quickly as possible,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “My Administration will work with our local and federal partners at every level to help all fire victims and their communities recover.”

The Governor's CaliforniaVolunteers Office is coordinating volunteers and monetary donations to help Californians cope with the effects of the wildfires. There are currently 81 volunteers registered to help in Los Angeles County and approximately 100 trained volunteers on site. These volunteers, which consist of Community Emergency Response Team and Volunteers in Police Service, are on rotation helping at the command center and in other roles in an effort to assist the response effort. 

Additional resources to help with the recovery effort can be found at www.rebuildyourlife.ca.gov. The Web site and Consumer Protection Hotline, 1-800-952-5210, were established by the State and Consumer Services Agency to reduce fraud and provide easy access to information for victims of these devastating fires. Victims of the 49 fire and fires throughout the state can access the hotline and Web site for help in replacing important documents and checking contractor’s license numbers to avoid fraud and tips to avoid scams.

Through the hotline, callers can speak to a live operator and receive assistance in several languages. They will be provided with contact information for vital resources like housing assistance programs and receive guidance on the services that are available for disaster recovery efforts. The hotline and Web site will also direct victims to other federal, state and local government agencies that can directly assist with their needs.

The bullet from the Incident Command this morning:
> Altadena. Chaney Trail north of the Forestry gate going into the forest remains closed
> There are no other mandatory evacuation areas in Altadena.
> Morris Fire is 100% contained
> Station Fire is 42%

New and better maps: the latest here.

  UPDATE 7:30 AM   

We got pictures: Several folks have pointed out Dan Finnerty's collection of fire pictures, including a time lapse that got picked up by a local TV station (in between breaking stories about Jon & Kate and Michael Jackson's funeral)

  UPDATE 6 AM   

They like us: Shoutout to Pasadena Weekly's Andre Coleman and Jake Armstrong for a good wrapup of the week's fire.  Even a couple of quotes from the A-blog panjandrum!

And Tracy Record, co-pub of the legendary West Seattle Blog, also takes time to pat us on the head as she faces down local blog doubters!

Arts Coaliton Open House Sat.: even fire can't bring us down!

The North Lake Ave. Business District in conjunction with the Altadena Arts Coalition will have an open house on Sat., Sept. 5, from 5 PM until whenever to celebrate Project: Altadena!

Project: Altadena! will be the largest photo-exhibit of its kind in Altadena history. Over 2,000 photos, all taken with disposable cameras by Altadena residents of what they love about "their" Altadena! One photo from each entrant will be enlarged to 8X10 and will be on display (and for sale) at Altadena Junction on El Molino Ave.

There will be food booths highlighting selections from O'Happy Days, The Coffee Gallery and Park Bench Deli, plus there will be a taco booth, too!

Altadena's own band, Wreck & Sow, will be playing for your enjoyment....brothers Pierre and Andre Dupuy along with band members Mike Stave, Randy Cochran and Dan Leahy are all set to tear it up. This night is going to be huge, people!

Webster's Fine Stationery  invites you to a book signing by Altadena authors from 5-8 PM.

Webster's says, "This is going to be so much fun....hope you can make it!  Live music, food, entertainment - we've got it all at the Altadena Arts Coalition's  North Lake Business District Open House!".

Scheduled authors include Andre Coleman, Revvell Revati, Michele Zack, Michelle Huneven and Jervey Tervalon.  (Just added: Ellen Snortland!) We'll also have Bo Astrup's LA Photobooth outside the store so you can record your memories of this fabulous evening forever!

Gallery at the End of the World: Group art show: Wreck N Sow playing on the 'Cement Stage',  vegetarian catering by John from O Happy Days, and The Coffee Gallery mobile coffee unit will be available.  The Gallery has events all weekend -- check the ad in the right-hand column for more details!

Photography by Walt:  will be open for "funphoto" sessions at the studio and offering other studio specials!

Conservancy acquires Rubio Canyon land

PSN's Janette Williams writes of the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy -- formerly the the Altadena Foothills Conservancy -- acquiring the land they sought at the mouth of Rubio Canyon and their plans for the future.

Thursday Firewatch PM: Officials suspect arson in Station Fire

Wife's home, so catch up will be sporadic, altho' comments are still wide open.

A note to begin:

FREE ACUPUNCTURE STRESS RELIEF AND LUNG SUPPORT TREATMENT

WHAT: As a 10-year Altadena resident and a practicing acupuncturist, I would like to offer free stress relief and lung support treatments to those who could use a boost to help them deal with the trauma, both physical and emotional, of the Station fire.

The treatment is a silent, sitting, mostly ear acupuncture protocol in a group setting.

WHEN:  Today, Thursday, September 3, until 6:00 p.m.
            Tuesday, September 8 through Thursday, September 10 from 10 a.m. until
                6:00 p.m.
            Saturday, September 12 from 10 a.m. until  2 p.m.

HOW:   Just call the office in Arcadia at 626-446-5900, to let us know when to expect
           you.  All comers will be treated on a first call, first served basis as the office
           can accommodate a few people at a time.

WHERE:  Barbara Burns, Licensed Acupuncturist's office is in Arcadia in the two story
            brick buildiing on the corner of Oakwood and Foothill, one block east of
            Santa Anita and one block north of the 210 Freeway.          

We look forward to seeing you soon.

--------

  UPDATE 10:30 PM 

Community safety meeting: Please check the comments for reports from folks who attended the community meeting at Pas Naz church this evening.

Chantry Flats: here's the official Forest Service communique:

Subject:  Response to Chantry
Date:     Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:26:29 -0700
From:     Jody Noiron <jnoiron@fs.fed.us>

Recently my office has been contacted by concerned permit holders and
recreationists regarding misinformation on our suppression efforts
around Chantry Flats, Big Santa Anita Recreation Residence Tract,
Sturdevant Camp, and Adams Pack Station.

The Angeles National Forest has a long proud history of preserving our
natural, cultural, and historical resources.  These efforts will
continue.  As you are well aware, the Station Fire has been very
unpredictable and intense.  Fire managers will engage the fire when it
is safe to do so and they will disengage when it is not safe for
firefighters.  In 2006, we lost 5 fire fighters in the Esperanza fire in
San Bernardino trying to protect a structure.  We will not endanger any
firefighter to protect property.  We value our permit holders and the
resources in the forest but none is as important as the lives of our
firefighters or citizens.

I appreciate your concern and input.  I assure you we will continue to
work safely to contain and control this fire.  Let me assure you that
the Forest Service has no intention to let these historic and popular
recreation areas burn.  As they have throughout the Station Fire, the
Incident Management Team will continue to use all defensive tactics and
suppression resources available to fight fire aggressively and safely.
 The team is actively engaged in suppression activities with the goal of
keeping the fire away from Santa Anita Canyon and the Foothill
communities.

******************************

*******
Jody Noiron
Forest Supervisor
Angeles NF, R5
Phone (626) 574 - 5216
Cell      (626) 590-7628
Fax       (626) 821 - 6777
E-MAIL  jnoiron@fs.fed.us

*************************************

Altadena, the red-headed stepchild of the foothills: Monica Hubbard points out that they seemed to remember us in THIS alert:

Google News Alert for: Altadena
Free anger management classes for victims of the Station Fire
Examiner.com
If you need to manage your anger regarding the Station Fire and you live in the following cities: Tujunga, Acton, Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Sunland, ...

Photos: we will close off today's post with a link to Bill Westphal's collection of fire photos.

  UPDATE 6:10 PM 

Just received from Ann Erdman, Pasadena's public information officer:

All Pasadena residents are advised to avoid outside activity, run air filters or air conditioners that don’t draw in outside air, monitor fire and smoke status via local news organizations and be prepared to leave homes if conditions change.
 
If the fire reaches antennas on Mt. Wilson and damages TV and radio transmission equipment, the Pasadena Fire Department advises residents who don’t have cable to get updates on news affecting Pasadena from the city’s website (www.cityofpasadena.net ).  Updates on nearby fires also can be found at http://inciweb.org/incident/1856 and http://www.lacanadaflintridge.com.
 
As of Sunday morning, residents of the Florecita neighborhood in Pasadena were notified that they may return to their homes.  However, if conditions change and evacuation orders are issued by local authorities, residents are asked to comply with the orders to prevent loss of life and ensure that firefighting efforts are not compromised.
 

The Pasadena Fire Department has had 10 personnel assigned to the Station Fire since last Friday.

Smoke and ash from the Station Fire are still heavy today, so everyone is advised by the Pasadena Public Health Department to avoid outside activity, especially elderly residents, children, pregnant women and people who have heart or respiratory health issues.  Schools that are in session, after-school programs and sports organizations for children (such as Little League) are advised to cancel outdoor practices in areas where there is visible smoke, soot or ash, or where there is an odor of smoke.  Outdoor activities should be suspended until conditions improve.

The following recommendations from Pasadena Public Health Department will help residents protect themselves and their families from harmful effects of bad air quality:

 * If outdoor air is bad, try to keep indoor air as clean as possible by keeping windows and doors closed.  Air conditioners that re-circulate air within the home can help filter out harmful particles.
  * Avoid using air conditioning units that only draw in air from the outside or that do not have a re-circulating option.  Residents should check the filters on their air conditioners and replace them regularly.  Indoor air filtration devices with HEPA filters can further reduce the level of particles that circulate indoors.
  * If it is too hot during the day to keep doors or windows closed and you do not have an air conditioning unit that re-circulates indoor air, consider going to an air conditioned public place, such as a library or shopping center, to stay cool and protect yourself from harmful air.
  * Do not use wood-burning or gas fireplaces, candles and vacuums.  Use damp cloths to clean dusty indoor surfaces.  Do not smoke.
  * If you have symptoms of lung or heart disease that may be related to smoke exposure, including severe coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness or pain, palpitations, nausea or unusual fatigue or lightheadedness, contact your physician immediately or go to an urgent care center.
  * When smoke is heavy for a prolonged period of time, fine particles can build up indoors even though you may not be able to see them.  Wearing a mask may prevent exposures to large particles.  However, most masks do not prevent exposure to fine particles and toxic gases, which may be more dangerous to your health.
 
All Pasadena residents and businesses should review their personal, family and workplace emergency plans and make sure their emergency preparedness kits are up to date.  More information about emergency preparedness can be found at www.cityofpasadena.net/disaster; more information about preventing the health impacts of fire-related smoke can be found at www.aqmd.gov/ej/cac/wildfire_safety_tips.htm.
 

Due to hot temperatures, possible gusty winds and low humidity expected to fall below 10 percent for several hours today, the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning – a higher risk of wildfires – that will be in effect in the moountains of Los Angeles County until 9 p.m. tonight.

Also breaking: news that fire officials are looking at arson as the cause of the Station Fire.  More on this as it develops.

 

Thursday Firewatch AM: 38% containment

THIS POST IS CLOSED AS OF 4 PM, ALL NEW STUFF MOVED TO THURSDAY FIREWATCH PM

Welcome to Thursday morning.  If this is your first time here (or you haven't been here in awhile) we strongly encourage you to take a moment to read The Ground Rules page.  It will tell you how things run here, how to make comments, how to return to this page AND protect yourself from viruses, and how to support the work we're doing.  Thank you!

------------------------------------

  UPDATE 9 AM  

CERT training: We expect an uptick in folks who want to sign up for CERT (Community Early Response Team) training on Oct. 13-17 at Loma Alta Park.  It's free!  Here's a link to our earlier story.

The bullet from LA County FIre:

• Last night's operating period yielded sucessful fire operation and continued line construction.
• Containment: 38%
• Acres:144,753 acres at this time.
• Fire Behavior: Fire behavior is extremely active with rapid rates of spread and flame lengths up to 80 feet.
• Cause: Under investigation
• 94 structures have been destroyed
• • 64 Residents
  • 3 Commercials
  • 27 others
• 2 Firefighter fatalities
• 6 injuries
• For more information call 323-881-2411

  UPDATE 8:30 AM  

Sign the sign! We saw this as we were driving our brother-in-law (an MSN senior editor) around last night.  We hope to get a picture up later today.  Here's the story from Andrea Davis-Griffin:

A neighbor has graciously posted a big Thank You sign on Chaney Trail--It would be nice if all the neighbors could stop for a moment at the sign tomorrow and sign their names and addresses and/or add decoration to show our appreciation as a neighborhood for the sacrifice, courage, and heroism of the strangers who worked tirelessly to protect our homes from the fire.

  UPDATE 8 AM  

The bullet this morning:    Thx to Monica Hubbard, who sent it to us, and especial thanks to whoever actually compiled it!:

Summary: The Station Fire has burned 218 square miles of land within the Angeles National Forest and near surrounding foothill communities of La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Acton, Soledad Canyon, Pasadena, Glendale and Sierra Madre.  The goals of the firefighters are to keep the fire west of Highway 39 and Angeles Crest Highway, east of Interstate 5, south of Highway 14, Pearblossom Highway, and Highway 138, and north of the foothill communities and the Angeles National Forest Boundary.  As of today, the fire is moving into areas of the forest with no recorded fire history. 

Community Meeting/Station Fire Update
First Church of the Nazarene
3700 E Sierra Madre Blvd
Pasadena  91107
September 3, 2009  7 p.m.

Mandatory Evacuations:
Glendale:  Dukmejian Wilderness Park

Angeles National Forest:  entire eastern main body of the Angeles National Forest will be closed effective 12:00 p.m. 9/3/09 until full containment of the Station Fire.

Open to Residents Only:
City of Los Angeles:  Riverwood, Sister Elsie Canyon, and Blanchard Canyon
Openings:  All OTHER residential evacuations associated with the Station Fire have been lifted at this time.

Road Closures:
•       Angeles Crest Hwy between Big Pines Hwy and the Angeles National  Forest Boundary in La Cañada Flintridge
•       Little Tujunga Rd between Placerita Canyon Rd and Osborne St
•       Big Tujunga Rd between Mt Gleason Ave and Angeles Forest Hwy
•       Angeles Forest Hwy between Aliso Canyon Rd and Angeles Crest Hwy
•       Chaney Tr at Angeles National Forest gate
Evacuation Shelters: Located at La Cañada High School, and Golden Valley High School, Recreation Building at Marie Kerr Park, Verdugo High School. 

Animal Shelters: Located at Pasadena Humane Society, Baldwin Park Animal Shelter, LA County Agora Hills Animal Shelter.  Antelope Valley Fairgrounds will accept all large animals.  Pierce College can only accept horses, donkeys and mules.  Lancaster Animal Shelter and Agoura Animal Shelter are both accepting small animals.

Los Angeles County Fire Department /s/ Dep IC Luke Claus for IC Michael Bryant

US Forest Service /s/ IC Mike Dietrich
Glendale Fire Department /s/ IC Greg Godfrey
Pasadena Fire Department /s/ IC Martin Johnson
Los Angeles City Fire Department /s/ IC Greg West

Los Angeles County Sheriff'ss Department /s/ Christy Guyovich for IC David Fender

Mars attacks Mt. Wilson: Thanks to Wildfire Today, here's an KCAL9 hi-def look at the Martin Mars drinking up Lake Elsinore and dropping it on Mt. Wilson.  Yeah, baby!

----------

--------

Hollyslope Rd. resident and photographer Mohamad Elarabi shares his dramatic on-the-ground pictures of the fire that approached his house and the firebirds that are helping to beat it down.

  UPDATE 6 AM  

Look, Ma, we're a virus!:  Compugod Steve Bass has been spreading the word about the malware we've found when you put "altadenablog" in Google, and  several notable computer security sites have run with that information.  (Of course, their quotes of Steve is actually Steve quoting us!)  Just remember to link to us directly -- don't go searching now, you don't know what you'll drag home!

Wednesday Firewatch PM

Sorry -- we didn't get a chance to split today's entries (hospital visits!) so all traffic for today goes here now. To get the full picture, read the Wednesday Firewatch AM post and comments as well.

Karen TenEyck write:

I thought the kids might enjoy this drawing from my flicker Panda Group. It is by Linda McCoy who lives in Northern California (Livermore). BTW, she is an adult, not a child as the drawing style might suggest. She writes a cartoon called "The Cool Gang" for our group. The National Zoo's panda "Tai Shan" is the star of the show. .

---------------

  UPDATE 7:10 PM 

Sierra Madre prepares: sent to us by Monica Hubbard:

The Sierra Madre Fire Department and City Officials are closely monitoring the Station Fire. At this time, there is no imminent danger to Sierra Madre residents.

The City of Sierra Madre has begun preparations in case the Station Fire enters Sierra Madre. At this time the Station Fire continues to be a slow moving fire and if the fire continues moving toward Sierra Madre, officials do not expect it to enter the City for at least five days. This prediction is contingent on if the current weather conditions continue.

Today, fire officials began pre-treating the northern border of Sierra Madre by sending handcrews to work behind the northern-most properties in Sierra Madre creating a small fire break. This fire break is expected to extend from Altadena to Azusa.

Residents north of Carter Avenue traveling east to Mira Monte Avenue and across Alegria Avenue to Grandview Avenue are ask to begin their emergency preparations in case the City has to evacuate residents. Residents are reminded to be “Ready for 7” with 7 days worth of food, clothing, medicine, pet food and supplies should they have to leave their homes. If the City evacuates residents, an evacuation center will be set up at the Community Recreation Center at 611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Crated pets will be allowed.

As the fire continues to burn closer to Sierra Madre, wild animals will be leaving the forest and entering the City. Public Safety Officials warn residents to be cautious and leave them alone and to please not feed the wild animals. Residents may want to take caution and keep small children and pets indoors.

In compliance with an order from the US Forest Service and the LA County Sheriff Department, the City is closing until further notice Bailey Canyon, Mt. Wilson Trail and the road up to Chantry Flats.

For more information, please tune into SMTV3, channel 3 on Time Warner Cable, or <http://www.sierramadrepio.blogspot.com>www.sierramadrepio.blogspot.com. eBlasts will also be sent out to registered users – to register for email alerts please visit <http://www.cityofsierramadre.com>www.cityofsierramadre.com, click on AccessSierraMadre, and then click CommunicationLink to register your email address.

Other sources of information about the Station Fire can be found at InciWeb the Incident Information System <http://inciweb.org/>http://inciweb.org/

  UPDATE 6:50 PM 

Hidden Springs: the skeleton: Rose Magazine's website has a picture of what's left of the Hidden Springs Cafe.

After the fire: PSN's Larry Wilson goes through the Upper Arroyo Seco burn area with Meadows resident Christopher Nyerges -- treasure and pain.

  UPDATE 6:05 PM 

This from Pasadena's PIO, Ann Erdman:

NEWS FOR RELEASE:  September 2, 2009
 
COMMUNITY MEETING WILL UPDATE RESIDENTS ON FIRE SITUATION
 
A community meeting will be conducted by the Station Fire Incident Management Team (IMT) Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m., to update residents of Pasadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia about the fire that has been burning since last Thursday.  City of Pasadena officials will be present as well.
 
The meeting will be at Pasadena Church of the Nazarene’s Lee Chapel, 3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. 
 
The IMT is conducting a series of meetings in San Gabriel Valley foothill communities over the next few days.
 
For more information call (626) 744-4675. 
 
# # #
 
Ann Erdman
Public Information Officer
City of Pasadena
Public Affairs Office
100 N. Garfield Ave., Room S228
Pasadena CA  91109
(626) 744-4755
Cell: (626) 375-2742
www.cityofpasadena.net/publicaffairs/citynews.asp

www.pasadenapio.blogspot.com

Altadenans, presumably affected by the fires, aren't mentioned, but let's assume they won't shoot us on sight.

We love TV:   Dudley Johnson gives us a tale from life, about 5:15 tonight:

We just went up to the top of Lake Ave. and talked to the fire guys there and we are not in trouble. They have cleared tons of brush away and the fire is miles above us. We had seen a report on channel 7 who were right there and said there might be an evacuation. When we told the fire guys what Carlos Grande had said, they got really annoyed and went right over to the Eyewitness news van and "spoke" to them.
Thought you'd like to know.

  UPDATE 6 PM 

Hoses at Zane Grey: Tom Gollnick contributed these pictures to the "neighbors" list:

The Hotshot crew just ran the hose line from Zane Grey across our property and on toward Eaton Canyon. The main line is 1 1/2 inch with 1" laterals connected periodically. The path follows the "scratch line" that was cut by several crews in the last two days from Lake Ave to Eaton Canyon.

It's Phos-Check: in response to an ongoing discussion, we went to the firm's website: the orange fire retardant chemical is spelled "Phos-Chek."

Kralik appointed to judgeship

John J. Kralik of Altadena was appointed a judge to the Los Angeles Superior Court by Gov. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.  PSN has the details.

Wednesday Firewatch AM: Now officials say no evac plans

THIS POST IS CLOSED.  PLEASE POST NEW COMMENTS AT "WEDNESDAY FIREWATCH PM" ABOVE!

Starting yet another day of siege ...

The big story still looks like the retaking of Mt. Wilson.  Firefighters are up there on the job, and the largest planes we've ever seen dumped water and orange fire retardant yesterday.  It's a good thing.

If you're new here, this is how it works:

• Don't just read the posts, read the comments.  The comments are where the action is in this fire.  You can read the comments and add your own by clicking on either the "Wendesday Firewatch AM" headline above, or the tiny "Comments" on the lower right of the post, right under the line.
• Need a question answered?  Look through the previous posts and comment first.  If it's still not answered, ask it in the comments.  If you email us directly with a question, we probably can't answer it today.
• Bookmark www.altadenablog.com to return to this page.  The increase in hits is astronomical, and that's encouraging the cyber bad guys.  Google searches of "altadenablog" are turning up malware sites that will put a virus in your computer.  We even saw one yesterday that said "Altadenablog Official Page."  It wasn't! We're working with Google to identify and quarantine these jokers, but naturally we can't devote a lot of time to it.  If you made it here, bookmark this page to come back.
• Consider a contribution: In response to many requests over the past few days, we have set up a "tip jar" on the right hand column.  We've added extra bandwidth with our provider to ensure that this site remains open despite the traffic, and we want to make several improvements to our site and upgrade equipment to continue to cover Altadena like we do, all year long.  We are grateful for your support!

--------

 UPDATE 2:30 AM 

No evac plans:   Town council chair Gino Sund emails us (as of 11:15) :

Just got off the phone with Lt. Mike Bornman. He had just spoken with the Command Center at County Fire.  There are no evacuation plans in Altadena at this time, 11:15 a.m.

And, via Robert Klomburg at the Sheriff's Support Group from Sgt. Marsha Williams at Altadena station:

You can add onto the blog – We understand There is quite a bit information being disseminated in various outlets, but this is the most accurate to date “September 2, 2009, as of 11:45 am, there is no information regarding any planned evacuations of the Altadena area.”  Bob, this is as simple as it gets.  If we get further info, we’ll pass it on to you to update.    Marsha

And a note from Beth Andrews:

I just drove up to Rubio Cyn where it meets Loma Alta. I saw hot shots laying fire hose up above the homes overlooking the Cyn. Nobody at Tanoble. The Forest Service professional I spoke with said that they are putting hose up there all the way to Hwy 39 (not sure where that is). He said that right now the fire is moving East. If it comes down towards East Altadena they will see if the line holds and if not back burn up to the fire. I asked in that case how far down evacuations might go...since Loma Alta is at the top followed next by Altadena Drive and Mendicino (as the major streets below)...he said it could come down that low to be able to get equipment in. Right now they don't expect the fire to go that way but if wind shifts then things can change. I guess the bottom line is that East Altadena is not out of risk yet.

Chantry Flats:  received this from several sources, from Greg Sweet:

I have just received word from a Forest Service briefing that they are going to let Chantry Flat and Big Santa Canyon burn. The Station fire is to the west and they have cut a fire break to the east. This canyon is home to 80 historic cabins, 113-year-old Sturtevant's Camp, and the last pack station in Southern California. It would be a shame to loose this piece of history, but to have no intention to defend it is disgraceful. This canyon is a living museum and as much a part of LA history as the Observatory. PLEASE pass this along - and fast!

Angeles National Forest
Contact: Sherry Rollman
626-574-5208
srollman@fs.fed.us

Supervisor's Office
701 N. Santa Anita Ave.
Arcadia, CA 91006
Jody Noiron, Forest Supervisor
jnoiron@fs.fed.us
(626) 574-5200
FAX (626) 574-5233
CRS 1 800 735 2929
M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

District Ranger
Mike McIntyre, District Ranger
mmcintyre@fs.fed.us
(818) 899-1900
FAX (818) 896-6727

Going to make hospital visit, back in a few.  Comments remain open.

 UPDATE 11:30 AM 

Play the home game: Reader Tom Rosebrook sent us this pdf, Calfire's guide to firefighting aircraft!  Now you can skywatch at home and come off like an expert!

The natives are restless. We're going driving to look at fire trucks and out to lunch.  Back later!  Comments remain open.

 UPDATE 10:30 AM 

The Battle for Mt. Wilson: latest from Steve Bass:

A note from Mt. Wilson ops to engineers. Feel free to us if it seems valuable.

Hi everyone,

A group of us are going to be headed up the hill around noon.  KNBC, KCBS, KABC, FOX, and more, all in a convoy. The plan is to meet at the la Canada gate at noon, pickup more of us at Redbox around 12:30

Please note as of last night NoMex is required to go past the road blocks and must be worn or you will get thrown out (at least as of last night this AM)

We still have lots of little fire burning so PLEASE be careful to protect yourselves.

Best Regards,

DRD

North of Altadena Dr.: Please note that there now NO evac orders, either voluntary or mandatory.  Just know that fire officials are considering it, and the sheriffs have advised residents to be ready if the orders come down. Firefighters are now laying hoses and planning backfires to forestall that event, so don't panic.

 UPDATE 9:30 AM 

The Battle for Mt. Wilson: President Street's computer dude (and scanner dude) Steve Bass emails the latest:

Report from Mt. Wilson Operations Manager on Wednesday, 9/2 at 9:00a.m. via online scanner

Mt. Wilson OPS: Hi Steve, I geared up on my NoMex gear and was up on the hill last night. The ground attack on the hill was insane ....  100's of crew, ground foscheck tankers had soaked everything all over, trees had been cut, brush cleared ...  active fire was everwhere, but the fire was mostly small and under control ... tremendous thanks to the fire fighters.

Back up to the towers today at 11:00am

 UPDATE 8:30 AM 

Meadows' planned power outage cancelled: A scheduled power outage in the Meadows for today has been moved to Sept. 14 (Edison has been scheduling these outages to work on improving infrastructure -- but now is just not the time!)  People in the Meadows need to keep track of local developments by checking out Greg Stanton's fine Welcome to the Meadows blog.

(BTW, we took one of those Facebook quizzes awhile back: "What is your Victorian name?"  Ours was Stanton Gregory.  We thought it was funny!)

As for power, the main power lines are still endangered, and there may be sporadic outages in Altadena.  If anyone is experiencing or has knowledge of someone with an outage, please contact Town Council chair Gino Sund at 794-9609.

 UPDATE 8 AM 

EVACUATIONS POSSIBLE NORTH OF ALTADENA DRIVE: Just talked to the sheriff station -- as of now (despite what Inciweb and the LASheriff website are saying) the only Altadena area under mandatory evacuation is in the Chaney Trail area (we assume MIllard Canyon Road and Prieto Fire Road north of Risinghill are also included in mandatory evac.)

However:  sheriffs are advising that residents north of Altadena Dr. get ready for a possible evacuation.  According to the deputy, the fire is only two ridges away, and if firefighters cannot keep it contained in the next few days, that area will be evacuated.  More to come.

 UPDATE 7:45 AM 

The bullet: Inciweb  says Station Fire is at 140,150 acres.  Structural protection crews are on Mt. Wilson.  Firefighters are in Altadena at the Cobb Estate, northern Tanoble, Eaton Canyon, and other areas, making preparations in case the fire takes a swing back downhill again.

The Air War: from Inciweb, emphasis ours:

There are a variety of aviation resources available to this fire, including our typical helicopters and conventional airtankers. The helicopters are being used for a variety of Logistical and Operational type missions. Logistical missions including: moving equipment and firefighters to remote locations on the fire. Operational missions include providing water dropping support to ground fire fighters and structure protection. The conventional airtankers are dropping fire retardant in direct support of personnel and equipment constructing fire line, and structure protection as well as indirect line construction for perimeter control. In addition to these resources we also have available an unprecedented number of additional aviation resource that can be deployed. These include the DC-10 and 747 aircraft that have a capacity of 12,000 gallons and 20,000 gallons respectively. We also have the Martin Mars and 2 Canadair 415 water scooping aircraft available with a 7,200 gallon and 1,600 gallon capacity respectively.

All of these aircraft serve a purpose in different situations and conditions and we try to deploy them where they can do the best job in the safest manner. It is important to remember that all of these aircraft are support tools for the ground firefighter and do not "put out" the fire by themselves. Drops need to be followed up by ground crews and more importantly they may be totally ineffective due to high fire intensity or long range spotting of the fire. Visibility is also a very critical factor for aircraft as they need to have sufficient forward visibility in order to get in and fly safely. Fixed-wing aircraft will require increased visibility requirements then helicopters due to their higher airspeed and their inability to stop and hover.

20 minute oil portrait at Altadena Junction Fri.

From Lance Anderson at Altadena Junction:

In the Spirit of Franz Hals and Fotomat, Alex Schaefer will be painting 20 minute oil portraits from life! Sit and get painted.

Alex Schaefer was born in 1969. Like many artists, he took an interest in painting relatively late in life, but for whatever reason, at 18 he began to study drawing and painting in earnest a study that has continued to this day. He applied twice to the Art Center College of Design and was accepted the second try. His exposure to certain influential teachers such as Richard Bunkall, Dan McCaw, and Harry Carmean cultivated a deep fascination for art, specifically the history and craft of oil painting, representation, and expression.

After graduation in 1992, Mr. Schaefer entered the burgeoning video game industry where he worked for nine years with the virtual light and space of digital media, an experience that invariably influenced his perception and depiction of painted light and space on canvas. While no longer making video games, he still loves computers but takes particular delight in all the earthy, messy, “analog” aspects of paint and flaunts its physicality.

In addition to his expanding reputation as a fine artist, he is a loved and admired composition and painting instructor at the Art Center College of Design. Mr. Schaefer’s artwork is in a growing number of collections, both public and private, in the United States and abroad.

The event will be 7-11 PM Fri., Sept. 4, at Altadena Junction, 2524 & 2526 El Molino Ave.

We need a party: Arts Coalition Open House Sat!

From the Altadena Arts Coalition:

Remember how great the last North Lake Business District's open house was? The Altadena Arts Coalition is about to do it again on Sat., Sept. 5!

Starting at 5 PM., Project: Altadena! photo exhibit will be unveiled in Galloway Alley, right behind Altadena Hardware & Steve's Bike Shop. There will be food booths highlighting selections from O'Happy Days, The Coffee Gallery and Park Bench Deli, plus there will be a taco booth, too!

Altadena's own band, Wreck & Sow, will be playing for your enjoyment....brothers Pierre and Andre Dupuy along with band members Mike Stave, Randy Cochran and Dan Leahy are all set to tear it up. This night is going to be huge, people!

Various merchants on North Lake will be open late and offering their own entertainment and goodies....Webster's Fine Stationers will host a book signing with Altadena authors Andre Coleman, Revvell Ravati, Michele Zack, Michelle Huneven and Jervey Tervalon. We'll also have Bo Astrup's LA Photobooth outside the store so you can record your memories of this fabulous evening forever!

We urge you to come check it out. Project: Altadena! will be the largest photo-exhibit of its kind in Altadena history. Over 2,000 photos, all taken with disposable cameras by Altadena residents of what they love about "their" Altadena! One photo from each entrant will be enlarged to 8X10 and will be on display (and for sale) at Altadena Junction on El Molino Ave.

After all the anxiety over the Station Fire, Altadena could surely use a party. Come join us Saturday, Sept. 5th at 5:00 p.m. and let's celebrate Altadena!

Antonovich calls for review of county's wildfire response

From Supv. Antonovich's office:

In response to countless reports from constituents on the lack of timely, accurate and user-friendly incident updates on County websites about evacuations, road closures, shelters, transit schedules and school closures, Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich has requested a thorough review of the County’s response to the Station Fire to  ensure that the information posted on the County’s website about the fires is real-time and accurate, in addition to reviewing the effectiveness and failures of the County’s mass emergency notification system.
 
“Information on evacuation orders and evacuation shelters has not been readily available to the impacted communities,” said Antonovich.  “Several impacted cities, provided hourly updates to the communities they serve via their websites and phone notification systems. The County’s Public Information Office has the capability to provide the same level of service to its residents but failed to do so during this incident.”
 

Antonovich also called for a review of the County’s new mass emergency notification system which sent an erroneous evacuation order to the community of La Crescenta.

Tuesday Firewatch PM

As we did yesterday, we're breaking up the posts on fire information because our provider gets the vapors if the posts get too long.  For the full picture, check out the previous story and comments.

And a nod to Mary McNamara of the LA Times for a trenchant article on "You can send a helicopter to hover over an empty freeway waiting for the corpse of Michael Jackson, but where are you when my house and the national forest is burning down?"

(Our theory in journalism school was that people went into TV news -- not to become journalists -- but to be on TV.  And they lacked any performing talent, so what was left?)</snark>

COMMENTS: We have had some very legitimate concerns about people who don't know how to comment (a major flaw in this canned design).  To reach the "Comments" section, the easiest way is to just click on the "Tuesday Firewatch PM" headline.  That will give you the post, all comments, and space for your own at the very bottom.

The other way is to scroll down to the bottom of the post, where you'll see a line and the words

Posted at [time} Permalink Comments

Click on "Comments," and voila! 

Hope this helps!

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 11:30 PM 

A few thoughts before closing the post for the day:

9/11 was a great American tragedy, but for Al Qaida it was a 25% failure.  Why a failure?  Because Flight 93, on its way to the White House or the Capitol building, didn't make its target -- it crashed in a Pennsylvania field instead, and our leaders were saved and our government could continue.

How? The terrorists were armed with knives, box-cutters, fanatical devotion to causing death and destruction, and years of preparation for this moment.  Yet they were utterly thwarted and sent  to Islamic hell by unarmed Americans who had just prepared to go on a plane ride.

The passengers didn't have weapons, but here's what they did have:

• Information: they used their cellphones to call loved ones and find out the big picture, finding out that they were part of a plot.
• Determination: that whatever the terrorists had planned, it would not happen --"not today, not on our watch."
• Organization: they improvised weapons (hot coffee and hot water, flung into faces); they improvised tools (the drink cart, turned into a siege weapon to hammer open the cockpit door).  Many became one in purpose.
• Bravery: they knew that it was likely they would not survive, but the cause was necessary.
• Sacrifice: a sense that they would do and endure whatever was necessary so that evil would not triumph.

The passengers of Flight 93 were heroes.  They possessed the qualities of heroes.

In the past few days, we've seen these qualities on display in our community.  Yes, there's the obvious sense of determination, bravery, and sacrifice of the firefighters.  But what we've also seen is ordinary people -- residents of Altadena -- who have displayed these same qualities in facing this crisis.

So TV and radio isn't interested in our little fire?  Fine.  Print media's too slow? That's OK, too.  We'll take this little Internet blog, and turn it into a real-time information center -- we'll ask questions, share information, scotch rumors, offer help.  We will survive this, together.  Many different individuals (and heaven knows Altadena's full of those!) have become one -- united in purpose, becoming a community, helping each other as we ride this out together.

We've read every email, every comment that's been sent.  We live in a constant state of surprise, wonder, and gratitude.  And we've never been more proud of any place that we've lived in.

We love this work.  We love Altadena.

 11:00 PM 

Map-tastic: Reader Tim Stough contributes this:

I work for JPL and do data visualization for earth science and decision support data.  I threw together, in Google Earth, the MODIS fire detections (http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/wms.php) with the LA Times map.  I've put together a screen shot.

I turned off certain aspects of the LA Times map and the MODIS detections to get a less cluttered view. 

Chris Considine "The Skywatcher" has drawn our attention to http://www.wildfiretoday.com/, a font of great information on the fire.

Sitrep Kinneloa: We were forwarded an email from Shirley Spenser of the Kinneloa Canyon homeowner's association (Kinneloa is unincorporated county, just east of Altadena);

Re fire situation from Kinneloa Canyon area which was hard hit in 1993:  The Rocky Mountain Hot Shots from Colorado arrived this morning to set up camp at the entrance to the Angeles National Forest which is at the end of Kinneloa Canyon Road which is also the entrance to the Los Angeles County Flood Control District and reservoirs.  These are federally-paid crews that are the best of the wild fire fighters.  They are doing some clearing and if things go bad, they will do a backburn but only after notifiying residents.

Yay, Insurance!: Jonnee Kohler of Williamsport, PA (!) emails us this from CBS Moneywatch:

The Los Angeles fire has hundreds of homeowners fleeing their flame-threatened homes under mandatory evacuations. While the bulk of evacuees will head to the homes of friends, relatives and high school gymnasiums turned into temporary shelters, you should know that your homeowners insurance policy would cover the cost of staying in a hotel.

California insurance regulations demand that all homeowners policies cover temporary living expenses if you have been ousted from your home by authorities in a declared state of emergency, said Candysse Miller, executive director of the Insurance Information Network in Los Angeles. You do not have to lose your home for this coverage to kick in. In fact, the requirements for “loss of use” or “additional living expense” coverage have been met for many Southern California homeowners, who have been told to leave their homes by fire personnel, she said.

 10:30 PM 

This has been a long, hard day at Altadenablogland - two trips to the hospital today, and the children are really acting up after such a long time without Mommy, whose time has been extended another day (we're looking at a Thursday discharge now).  Sound of Music was finished, and turned out OK, too -- altho' we still wonder (1) why a landlocked country HAS a navy, much less how you can be a captain in it, and (2) the odd puzzle of the first Mrs. Von Trapp dying seven years before, yet the youngest daughter is five.

On the good side, our brother-in-law from Seattle is coming to help out, and he REALLY wants to work on A-blog while he's here.  He's an online journalist, too, and senior editor of this page.  We'll just try him out on some small stuff, see if he works out  ...

But thanks to all of you Altadena community journalists -- the comment section is pure gold today!  A few key ones to look at:

Pearl's report from the Mt. Wilson fire page really made us cry; 

This is the most beautiful thing we've seen all day:

_________

__________

Bill Westphal tells us Mars holds 7,200 gallons of water, and only seven were made.  She's gorgeous!

More to come!

Tuesday Firewatch AM

AS OF 2 PM, THIS POST IS CLOSED.  PLEASE CONTINUE COMMENTS IN THE "TUESDAY FIREWATCH PM" POST ABOVE.

And welcome to another day in the land of fire and smoke.

If you're new here, welcome.  Here's the ground rules:

• Read the comments.  They are the most important part of the blog right now. We are grateful to those who are sharing their on-the-scene reports.
• Want to ask a question?  Read the posts and comments first.  The Altadenablog staff (i.e., me) are too overwhelmed to answer individual email questions right now (a popular one is "How can I help?") We recommend that you drill through the stories and comments for the past few days, and most of your questions will be answered. Or, ask the question in the comments section, and we're sure somebody will have an answer! We have the greatest readers in the world!
• Bookmark www.altadenablog.com to return to this page.  The increase in hits is astronomical, and that's encouraging the cyber bad guys.  Google searches of "altadenablog" are turning up malware sites that will put a virus in your computer.  We're working with Google to identify and quarantine them, but naturally we can't devote a lot of time to it.  If you made it here, bookmark this page to come back.

And here's something cool: THEY'RE SICCING A 747 ON THE FIRE!

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(thx to Firefighter)

Supporting our work: We've had several requests about giving financial support to the work we do -- not just during fires, but the work we do throughout the year as Altadena's community news source. Of course we have display advertising (and feel free to contact us about it after the Current Unpleasantness is over, because we love our advertisers and encourage you to check 'em out).  And we certainly need it (we had to buy more bandwidth today because of all the traffic).  So we've put in a "tip jar" in the right hand column, which goes to our Paypal account.  Your support will go to buy more bandwidth and features for the website, and upgrade the equipment we use (we're particularly in need of a good DSLR camera!)  Thank you for supporting Altadena's community news source! (UPDATE 9:45 AM: Per one of our readers: These are NOT tax deductible and NOT endorsed by any government agency!)

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  UPDATE 2:00 PM 

Okay, we're back for a quick time and then it's back to the hospital (not to worry, everything's going fine on that end!)

Google Mail seems to have gone down, so we're not getting your emails. Will keep trying!

The Battle for Mt. Wilson: it's on.  Flames are in the complex, but there's a lot of "fog of war" as to what's really going on up there.  Air support seems to be the only way to fight it now, altho' LA County Fire twittered  around 1:45:

*Station IC* LACoFD is sending units to stage at Red Box Ranger Station for structure protection @ Mount Wilson.

Lots of aircraft flying over us in East Altadena, apparently headed for Mt. Wilson.

The comments have been great!  Keep it up!

  UPDATE 10:00 AM 

Altadena Sheriff Capt. Roosevelt Blow points us to a new list of Station Fire information that is now at the top of the LA Sheriff's website: www.lasd.org

Ken Farley has sent us the latest MODIS map.  Oy gevalt!

We'll be out of pocket for several hours.  Comments are still open.

  UPDATE 8:00 AM 

Missing Links: Sussy Nemer of Supv. Michael Antonovich's office has given us a couple of links for more information: the supervisor's website is antonovich.lacounty.gov or antonovich.com.  LA County Fire is fire.lacounty.gov.

And reader Emily Corey recommends KPCC's link as being very up-to-date.

AND: We have added a "tip jar" to the right column.  Explanation above.

  UPDATE 7:00 AM 

County disaster website: a motion will be presented by the County Supervisors today about the fire, which includes the following clause:

Instruct the Chief Executive Officer to ensure that the information posted on the County’s website about the fires is real-time, accurate and user friendly and that protocols and procedures are developed to institutionalize the real-time posting of such information/updates on natural disasters and other significant incidents in the future; and

Instruct the Chief Executive Officer to provide a report to the Board in two weeks with the status of [paragraph] above which shall also include a review of the County’s newly implemented mass communications system, its failures and anticipated modifications to ensure effectiveness in the future.

  UPDATE 6:30 AM 

Broadcast news says that the Station Fire is 105,000 acres. Mt. Wilson is still in danger, altho the cam is working.

Evacs for the most part have been lifted -- Millard Canyon, El Prieto, and the upper part of Chaney Trail are still closed, per the sheriff.  "If there's no deputy blocking your way, you can go in," is what they told us.

Coming home: The joy of homecoming was best expressed by Alice Wessen in the Chaney Trail neighborhood, who sent us this note last night:

It has been a roller coaster few days

As for all the miscues on communication with various agencies, the supervisor's office knows, our congressman knows, heck, even the Gov.'s office knows. The supervisor's office will review the last few days and the county's emergency response procedures. To be worked.

But for now.....

When we came home to Chaney Trail, we saw the handwritten signs by Eric McCalla and Leslie Lowes who had written "WELCOME HOME" ... and I just teared up. I honked my van horn and waved my idiot hands off.

There are large fire trucks parked on our roads right now. The fire fighters are sleeping in their rigs, though several of us "ladies" have said howdy...and I know one who offered to have their babies cept for being post menopausal.

On a serious note, we hear winds may shift around 2AM and flare ups possible so it isn't over.

But for now, my neighbors, my kids, my hubby, my pets and home are safe, and I am so so sooo grateful to all the firefighters who worked so hard and are doing their jobs even now, so we can come home.

Staging on Tanoble:  A comment from Karen from about 5:30 AM, which we're bringing up to the posts:

From one of my neighbors in the Woodglen, Altadena area: "A crew of "hot shots" from San Bernardino County are setting up a base camp at the head of Tanoble on the sand in front of the debris basin dam. I stopped to talk with the 'hot shot' team - they're building a firebreak on the ridge above us, laying hose, and planning a backfire up to Mt. Wilson for tomorrow IF winds permit (absolutely no wind right now - temperature 82, going down to 70, humidity 28%."

Library offers homeschool information night

The Altadena Library is holding a "Homeschool Information Night" on Tues., Sept. 29, from 6:30-8:30 PM at the Library's community room, 600 E. Mariposa.

Speaker will be Tammy Takahashi, homeschooling author and expert, who will answer questons and address concerns about homeschooling.