This animation was created using the still active fire map frames available to your right.  It shows how the fires evolved in Southern California from October 28to October 29, 2003.

Note: The animation above shows how you can use the images to your right in your weathercast to show the fire evolution.  Save the still active fire map images to your right at the appropriate resolution for your system (either 720x486 or 640x480) and dissolve from one to another in sequence to achieve the above effect.

Facts:

• Fourteen fires are burning in southern California on federal, state, and private lands, on 623,917acres.  An additional 100,000 acres burned since yesterday. 

• Sixteen civilians (unconfirmed) have died due to fire-related incidents.  No firefighter fatalities have occurred. 

• To date, 1,994 structures have been lost in California.  Yesterday, 1,106 structures were reported as lost.  The majority of the increase is attributed to the Cedar, Old, and Paradise fires. 

• Structure protection measures and evacuation orders are in place and widespread across affected areas in southern California. 

• Four southern California counties- San Diego, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Ventura- were declared disaster areas on Monday 

•  Acres burned to-date this year:                     3,586,288
•  Acres burned to-date year 2000                   7,025,680
•  Acres burned to-date year 2002:                   6,707,560

Environmental Impacts:

• Very Unhealthy Air in Southern California --

  People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid all physical activity outdoors. Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.

Very Unhealthy air in the Southern California Region:

Very Unhealthy air in the Los Angeles Region:

California Air Quality - EPA AIRNow

For the latest air quality information please visit the EPA AirNow site

TIPS FOR YOUR VIEWERS:

Place this link on your website and mention it on-air:

EPA Brochure - How Smoke from Fires may Affect your Health

http://www.epa.gov/airnow/smoke2/smokecover.html  

How to tell if smoke is affecting you

 Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways, causing coughing, a scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, headaches, stinging eyes or a runny nose. If you have heart or lung disease, smoke might make your symptoms worse.

People with heart disease might experience chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, or fatigue. People with lung disease may not be able to breathe as deeply or as vigorously as usual, and they may experience symptoms such as coughing, phlegm, chest discomfort, wheezing and shortness of breath.

When smoke levels are high enough, even healthy people may experience some of these symptoms.

Protect yourself:

Pay attention to local air quality reports. Stay alert to any news coverage or health warnings related to smoke. Also find out if your community reports EPA's Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI, based on data from local air quality monitors, tells you about the daily air quality in your area and recommends precautions you can take to protect your health. As smoke gets worse, the concentration of particles in the air changes — and so do the steps you should take to protect yourself.

Use common sense. If it looks smoky outside, it's probably not a good time to mow the lawn or go for a run. And it's probably not a good time for your children to play outdoors.

If you are advised to stay indoors, take steps to keep indoor air as clean as possible. Keep your windows and doors closed — unless it's extremely hot outside. Run your air conditioner, if you have one. Keep the fresh air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent bringing additional smoke inside. Note: If you don't have an air conditioner, staying inside with the windows closed may be dangerous in extremely hot weather. In these cases, seek alternative shelter.

Help keep particle levels inside lower. When smoke levels are high, try to avoid using anything that burns, such as wood fireplaces, gas logs, gas stoves — and even candles! Don’t vacuum. That stirs up particles already inside your home. And don't smoke. That puts even more pollution in your lungs, and in the lungs of people around you.

Dust masks aren’t enough! 

Paper "comfort" or "dust" masks — the kinds you commonly can buy at the hardware store — are designed to trap large particles, such as sawdust. These masks generally will not protect your lungs from the fine particles in smoke.

Morning Report from the USDA Forest Service

National Incident Information Center

Cedar is located 10 miles east of Ramona, CA.  A Unified Command between a CDF Type 1 Incident Management Team and various fire agencies in San Diego County has been established.  Threatened residences and commercial properties have been evacuated.  Structure protection is a priority.  Extreme fire behavior with flame lengths over 200 feet and long range spotting were observed.

Grand Prix is 2 miles west of Mira Loma, CA.  This fire is burning in heavy chaparral and has exhibited extreme behavior, including sustained runs and spotting.  Evacuation orders have been lifted for the southern perimeter. Evacuation orders for the Lytle Creek area remain in effect. 

Old is on the north side of San Bernardino, CA and burning in Chaparral.  Structure protection is in place for numerous residences and commercial properties.  Rapid rates of spread and spotting were observed.

Piru is 14 miles northwest of Santa Clara, CA.  Extreme fire behavior, steep rugged terrain and heavy fuel loading have hampered suppression efforts.  The fire crossed the Sespe River Drainage and increased in size by over 50%; intense fire behavior with uphill runs was observed.  Structure protection continues to be a priority.

Paradise is burning in heavy chaparral six miles northeast of Escondido, CA.  Fire spread was influenced by the Cedar fire.  Torching and crown fires were observed as the fire moved through wooded areas.  Structure protection is in place for numerous residences.

Paradise 2 is seven miles northeast of Three Rivers, CA.  This fire is burning in mixed conifer and chaparral with active fire behavior.  Fire activity continued in well developed thermal belts with no perimeter growth.

Mountain is 13 miles northeast of Temecula, CA.  This fire is burning is heavy brush and hardwood slash.  Fire activity has decreased from yesterday and road closures have been lifted.

Padua is in chaparral, six miles north/northeast of Claremont, CA.  Interior islands of fuel continue to burn.  Evacuations orders for the southern perimeter have been lifted; evacuation orders for the Mt. Baldy Village area remain in effect.