The October 2007 California wildfires , also known as the Fall 2007 California firestorm , were a series of about thirty wildfires (17 of which became major wildfires) that began igniting across Southern California on October 20. At least 1,500 homes were destroyed and approximately 972,147 acres (about 3,934 km , or 1,520 mi ) of land was burned from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.–Mexico border , surpassing the October 2003 California wildfires in scope, which were estimated to have burned 800,000 acres (3,200 km ). The wildfires killed a total of 14 people, with nine of them dying directly from the fires; 160 others were injured, including at least 124 firefighters . At their height, the raging fires were visible from space. These fires included the vast majority of the largest and deadliest wildfires of the 2007 California wildfire season . The only wildfire in 2007 that surpassed any of the individual October 2007 fires in size was the Zaca Fire .
29-633: Canyon Fire may refer to: Canyon Fire (2007) , a 2007 wildfire in Los Angeles County, California Canyon Fire (2016) , a 2016 wildfire on Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California Canyon Fire 2 a 2017 wildfire in Anaheim Hills, California Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
58-499: A state of emergency in seven California counties where fires were burning. President George W. Bush concurred, and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts. Over 6,000 firefighters worked to fight the blazes; they were aided by units of the United States Armed Forces , United States National Guard , almost 3,000 prisoners convicted of non-violent crimes, and 60 firefighters from
87-638: A result of fires and smoke. On October 22, the California Highway Patrol closed Interstate 15 in both directions between State Routes 78 and 56 . On October 24, 2007, the Ammo (Horno) Fire forced the closure of Interstate 5 as well as the Amtrak California Surfliner service between Oceanside and San Clemente . Traffic from Interstate 5 was diverted to Interstate 15 , which had reopened. Officials from
116-491: A year-round threat, due to a mixture of perennial drought and the increasing number of homes built in canyons and on hillsides, surrounded by brush and forest. The fires had numerous sources. Several were triggered by power lines damaged by the high winds. One fire started when a semi-truck overturned. Another was suspected to have been deliberately caused; the suspect was shot and killed in flight by state authorities. A 10-year-old boy admitted that he accidentally started
145-558: Is a public safety communications technology used by public safety organizations in Canada and the United States to communicate with groups of people in a defined geographic area. The system uses a database of telephone numbers and associated addresses, which, when tied into geographic information systems (GIS), can be used to deliver recorded emergency notifications to a selected set of telephone service subscribers. Reverse 911
174-498: The Del Mar Fairgrounds . Many major roads were also closed as a result of the fires and smoke. On October 22, the California Highway Patrol closed Interstate 15 in both directions between State Routes 78 and 56 . On October 24, 2007, the Ammo (Horno) Fire forced the closure of Interstate 5, as well as the Amtrak California Surfliner service between Oceanside and San Clemente . Traffic from Interstate 5
203-862: The Reverse 911 system. This evacuation came almost four years to the day after the Cedar Fire of 2003 . The fire started in Witch Creek Canyon near Santa Ysabel , and quickly spread to San Diego Country Estates , Ramona , Rancho Bernardo , Poway and Escondido . Locals in the San Pasqual Valley area reported wind gusts of over 100 mph (160 km/h). From there the fire jumped over Interstate 15 and continued west, causing significant damage in Lake Hodges , Del Dios , and Rancho Santa Fe . Strong Santa Ana winds pushed
232-629: The San Diego Wild Animal Park said that its more than 3,500 animals were safe staying in their enclosures where they were protected by the park's fire break and irrigated areas. If the weather conditions worsened, the animals could retreat to their watering holes. However, many critically endangered animals such as the California condor were moved to the park's veterinary hospital, which is fire-resistant and fully equipped with sprinklers. Park spokesperson Yadira Galindo said that
261-666: The Buckweed Fire by playing with matches. The last active fire, the Harris, was fully extinguished on November 16, 2007, about 27 days after the series of wildfires had begun to ignite. The October 2007 wildfires caused over $ 2 billion (2007 USD) in insured property damages. This is a list of the named fires that ignited as part of the October 2007 California firestorm, beginning in late October 2007. Most of these wildfires were managed by Cal Fire at some point in time. Of all
290-554: The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, who had attempted to rescue them. The fire may also have caused the deaths of four migrant workers near the U.S.–Mexico border . An estimated 1,210 firefighters battled this fire. The Harris Fire also burned into northern Mexico, near the town of Tecate . On November 5, the Harris Fire was 100% contained. However, hotspots continued to burn within
319-655: The Mexican cities of Tijuana and Tecate . The fires forced approximately 1,000,000 people to evacuate from their homes, becoming the largest evacuation in California's history. Major contributing factors to the extreme fire conditions were drought in Southern California, hot weather, and unusually strong Santa Ana winds , with gusts reaching 85 mph (140 km/h). California's "fire season," which traditionally runs from June to October, has become
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#1732783880427348-592: The Poomacha Fire merged into one gigantic complex fire, with the two wildfires joining to the south of Palomar Mountain. On October 26, the Witch Fire also merged with the contained McCoy Fire, which had previously burned 400 acres in the Pine Hills area, in eastern San Diego County. The Harris Fire burned in a northwest direction from its starting point at Harris Ranch Road in the town of Potrero, in
377-658: The animals were "alert but not showing any concerned behavior." Fire data was provided by the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection and independent news media. As of November 2007 : the following fires burned in San Diego County: The Witch Creek Fire was the largest of the October 2007 wildfires and surpassed the 1970 Laguna Fire as the third-largest fire in California history. Hundreds of thousands of residents were informed of evacuations through
406-567: The calls after they had been driven from their homes. On the other hand, in Carmel Valley , only the northern half was officially evacuated, but a computer error mistakenly sent Reverse 911 calls to the southern half as well. Law enforcement officers also notified residents by driving through evacuation areas. On October 24, 2007, San Diego County Sheriff Bill Kolender stated that the number of people evacuated in San Diego county exceeded
435-569: The cities of Del Mar , Chula Vista , and Poway , and the San Diego neighborhoods of Del Mar Heights and Scripps Ranch to return home. On October 24, more evacuation orders for parts of Rancho Bernardo and other areas further west were lifted. However, the fires continued and damage was severe. The four major fires across San Diego County burned over 368,000 acres (1,490 km ) and destroyed or damaged 1,350 homes and 100 businesses since October 21, 2007. Many major roads were closed as
464-552: The evacuation centers. Officials estimated that 12,000 gathered at Qualcomm stadium. Volunteers provided food, blankets, water, internet services, children's toys, massages, and a live rock band performance for those at the stadium. Nearly all public schools and universities in the San Diego area were closed. Many businesses closed as well. To ensure clear roads for emergency vehicles, San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders asked residents to stay home and inside. By October 23, some evacuations were lifted, allowing about 50,000 residents from
493-471: The evacuation orders for the Witch Fire around Rancho Bernardo were lifted, as the Witch Creek Fire became 45% contained. Late on October 24, after the winds had reversed, the Witch Fire began approaching the nearby Poomacha Fire to the north, which was burning near Palomar Mountain , with firefighters and officials fearing that the two wildfires would soon merge. On October 25, the Witch Fire and
522-413: The far south of San Diego County, a few miles north of Tecate , Mexico. On October 23, the fire approached eastern Chula Vista . Many communities were evacuated, with evacuation centers set up at a nearby high school and community center. Thomas James Varshock, 52, of Potrero, died on his property during the Harris Fire on Sunday. His teenage son suffered burn injuries, along with four firefighters of
551-537: The fires did not surpass the Cedar Fire, if they had combined as one, they would have. Residents were subjected to a mix of mandatory and voluntary evacuations, depending on the projected path of a fire. Hundreds of thousands of residents were notified of evacuations via a computerized Reverse 911 phone call system. While this alert system was mostly effective, many residents in Rancho Bernardo received
580-403: The fires west towards the coast. San Diego County Sheriff William B. Kolendar stated that the Witch Creek Fire could be "well in excess of the Cedar Fire of 2003". While many coastal communities were evacuated as the fire moved west, the shifting winds prevented it from directly threatening those areas. During the duration of the Witch Fire, fire officials reported 80–100 feet-high flames within
609-409: The number evacuated from New Orleans, Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina . Two days into the fires, approximately 500,000 people from at least 346,000 homes were under mandatory orders to evacuate, the largest evacuation in the region's history. Evacuation sites included Qualcomm Stadium , as well as many schools, civic centers, and churches throughout the area. The American Red Cross managed
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#1732783880427638-594: The perimeter of the Harris Fire until November 16, when the last hotspot was finally extinguished. Numerous fires burned in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Fire data has been provided by the CAL FIRE and independent news media. As of October 2007 : Current data on the fires has been provided by the CAL FIRE and independent news media. As of October 30: Reverse 911 Reverse 911
667-607: The road was closed. During the late afternoon of October 23, the evacuations for Del Mar , Chula Vista , Poway , Del Mar Heights , and Scripps Ranch were lifted for many residents. At 9:50 P.M. PDT on October 23, 2007, the town of Julian, California was ordered to evacuate. Due to the fires, there was no power or phone service in the town. Evacuation sites in San Diego County included Qualcomm Stadium , Escondido High School , Mission Hills High School , Poway High School , Mira Mesa Senior High School , and
696-538: The title Canyon Fire . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canyon_Fire&oldid=851015703 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages October 2007 California wildfires#Canyon Fire California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared
725-627: The wildfire. On the morning of October 22, at 5:22 AM PDT, residents located between the Del Dios Highway and State Route 56 were ordered to evacuate. By 9:30 P.M. PDT on October 22, a dispatch from the city of Del Mar 's web site stated: "For your safety, we are strongly advising that all Del Mar residents evacuate." Evacuations were also ordered for Scripps Ranch neighborhood , specifically "Everything south of Scripps Poway Parkway, north of MCAS Miramar, east of Interstate 15, and west of Highway 67". The Mesa Grande Indian Reservation
754-635: The wildfires, the two largest ones were located in San Diego County . The largest, the Witch Creek Fire, burned areas in north and northeast San Diego County. The second largest, the Harris Fire, burned northwest from the U.S–Mexico border towards San Diego . Officials feared that the fires could become even more destructive than the 2003 Cedar Fire that burned 280,278 acres (1,134.2 km ), destroyed 2,820 buildings (including 2,232 homes), and killed 15 people (including one firefighter) before being contained on November 3, 2003. Although individually
783-505: Was being diverted to Interstate 15, which had reopened. 1,841 firefighters were assigned to the fire. On Wednesday, October 24, 2007, some of the evacuation orders in place for Rancho Bernardo , Rancho Peñasquitos , 4S Ranch , and other areas west of Rancho Bernardo were lifted, after the western part of the Witch Creek Fire had been extinguished. However, the evacuation orders in place for eastern and northern Rancho Bernardo, around Lake Hodges , were still in place. On October 25, more of
812-446: Was developed by Sigma Micro Corporation, later known as Sigma Communications, in 1993. After a number of corporate acquisitions, Motorola Solutions ultimately gained ownership of the technology and rights developed by Sigma, and Motorola has folded Reverse 911 into their Vesta suite of public safety systems. The system is used to notify residents in emergency situations, for example: This article related to telecommunications
841-538: Was evacuated due to the Witch Fire. Residents of the Barona Indian Reservation were advised to leave, though the evacuation was not mandatory. The casino on the reservation was closed. At approximately 01:00 UTC on October 23 (6:00 PM PDT on October 22), fire broke out near Wildcat Canyon to the south of Barona, where many houses were destroyed and lives lost in the Cedar Fire. Residents of Wildcat Canyon and Muth Valley were ordered to evacuate, and
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