Fast science facts about the Santa Ana windstorm
October 20th, 2007, 1:48 pm · 33 Comments · posted by Gary Robbins, science writer-editor
Monday’s peak Santa Ana winds …
Demographer to discuss Hurricane Katrina at UCI
Did you know that:
1. Southern California’s wind-driven wildfires are producing plumes of smoke that are visible from a NOAA weather satellite that’s located above the Pacific, 22,000 miles above Earth.
“They are a great marker of the power of the Santa Anas. Smoke is being lifted into atmosphere and being blown more than 300 miles off the coast,” says Bill Patzert, a climatologist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.
2. The wildfires also are visible to the crew aboard the International Space Station, which is currently following a path that takes it over California. Space station is located about 220 miles above Earth. The space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to leave for space station on Tuesday.
3. The smoke is adding some carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. “But what we’re mostly getting is just ash,” says Don Blake, an atmospheric chemist at UC Irvine. “The larger particles rise, then fall not far from the fire. But the smaller particles can go way out to sea.”
Blake says the ash represents a serious danger to people who suffer from asthma and cardio-pulminary disease.
4. 
As they’ve blown across the landscape, the Santa Anas have swept up nutrients which cling to dust particles. Much of those nutrients are carried offshore and fall into the ocean, where they help spawn plankton blooms, providing food for fish. This photo was taken by marine photographer Tom Haight of Capistrano Beach. Check out his work at oceanimages.com
October 21st, 2007 at 10:10 am
I live in Garden Grove and we woke up to some pretty strong winds today. I had to go secure all of my halloween decorations after I saw my 3″ decorative plastice pumpkin rolling down the street. No trees have fallen yet!
October 21st, 2007 at 11:54 am
Yes, this tree did do a lot of damage to the van that was under it. I thought 4 other trees were going to give way during that gust, it was intense.
October 21st, 2007 at 3:08 pm
I am in Tustin and there is a smell of smoke … is this from the Malibu fire or is it possible that a fire has broken out in OC since this article was posted? I know there are 3 fires burning in San Diego and the smell is all across the entire county … maybe that’s what I’m smelling?
October 21st, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Something is burning near us in Tustin. It’s smoky outside, and we’re hearing sirens for that past 1/2 hour or so (3:30pm here).
So, something is burning somewhere.
October 21st, 2007 at 3:56 pm
When we were driving south on I-5 today, we saw the round logo on the Bristol something building in Santa Ana blow off and down onto the I-5 South lanes. Barely missed a couple of cars! Just blew right off the building!
October 21st, 2007 at 4:02 pm
We smelled smoke in the Fountain Valley Parking lot of Costco too
Around 2:30pm
We went home under a lot of smokey haze to our house in Huntington Beach and closed all the windows to keep the smoke smell out.
Something IS burning!
October 21st, 2007 at 4:06 pm
I heard on the radio that there are NO fires in OC. They said that we are smelling smoke from all the other fires.
God Bless the Firefighters!!
October 21st, 2007 at 4:36 pm
We could smell smoke here in the hills of Orange earlier, but not any longer (4:30PM). Still howling…
October 21st, 2007 at 6:13 pm
I’m hearing there is a new fire around the San Canyon area. Can anyone confirm?
October 21st, 2007 at 6:16 pm
There’s a huge pillar of smoke close to us in Tustin–the smoke is probably between Red Hill and Jamboree near the 5. What’s going on?
October 21st, 2007 at 6:37 pm
I was jogging on the Hicks Canyon Trail about 40 minutes ago as I turned around where the trail meets Portola road, at that time the sky was clear. Ten minutes later, after smelling smoke I turned around and dark smoke filled the sky…batten down the hatches, folks it looks like a long night.
October 21st, 2007 at 6:40 pm
I live in Orange and as i was driving on a freeway overpass i could see the smoke billowing from the Orange/ Santa Ana hills. b/c of the smoke blowing south you can’t tell where it ends and it doesn’t look good
October 21st, 2007 at 6:48 pm
From Mission Viejo/Lake Forest border. Looks like river bed on MCAS El Toro? Or near the 241? Lots of dark smoke, billowing.
October 21st, 2007 at 6:57 pm
HUGE fire behind Northwood high school and Portola - we live 1-2 miles from there, the roads are closed off!!
October 21st, 2007 at 7:07 pm
In Anaheim Hills tree leaves were trashed about so much so as to cause them to break for the very limbs sustaining them.
October 21st, 2007 at 7:21 pm
There have been reports of a wildfire in the area of the 241 near Jamboree. And closure of the 241.
Can anyone confirm?
Is it under control?
Any additional information?
October 21st, 2007 at 7:28 pm
Just got home from adventure hunting in Tustin/Orange area. LOTS of traffic on Jamboree from Chapman to I-5. The fire appears to be between 241 and Portola (?), burning south toward Northwood High and that area of Irvine. Winds along Jamboree were brutal; a few gusts made it feel like the car would tip over. KNX 1070 is doing a great job of covering all the fires in SoCal, and they spent considerable time on the OC fire (which they are oddly calling the Anaheim Hills fire).
October 21st, 2007 at 7:31 pm
My son called from UC Irvine. He saw a huge plume of black smoke and it’s blowing in his direction. I can’t find anything on any news about this. Any news here? Is this the one on Portola?
I’m in San Diego and smoke is over my house from the Witch Creek fire (where the Cedar fire started 4 years ago). We had to evacuate in 2004 so my son is worried there in Irvine.
October 21st, 2007 at 7:34 pm
Why don’t you report on TimeWarner Cable being out? It just came back on in downtown Orange, but has been out for a couple of hours.
October 21st, 2007 at 7:44 pm
I am here in Anaheim Hills and this fire is nowhere near Anaheim Hills. It is moving towards Anaheim Hills away from northeast Irvine/South Orange. It is moving into the terrain that the Windy Ridge fire burned in February. Winds are 72 MPH gusts in the ridges of this fire, and are being reported at 89MPH in Anaheim Hills. If it moves into Anaheim Hills, there is absolutely no way it could be contained with the winds here (it has blown down 5 trees on my street so far)
October 21st, 2007 at 8:19 pm
Placentia here up in the hills about two miles from the 91, serious wind. We’ve had power hits a couple of times and a transformer blew somewhere down on Orangethorpe.
October 21st, 2007 at 8:35 pm
The 241 IS CLOSED. Fire between 241 and Portola and behind Northwood Highschool - we are covered with soot here in Northwood (Irvine)
October 21st, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Which way is this heading? Is it heading towards the I-5 or away from it?
October 21st, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Parallel to the I-5, northward. The winds are blowing east out of the Santa Ana Canyon, but northern winds are also a factor in this particular location causing it to hear northerly. It might be heading a slight bit closer to the I-5 at some point however, which would be devastating. If one of those embers starts flying because of the winds, Orange Hills and Anaheim Hills could go up. It is a terrible situation for all of the eastside right now.
October 21st, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Also, Santiago Canyon College students should check tomorrow morning to see if classes will go on.
October 21st, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Here in Fullerton by CSUF there is major wind… seems to have picked up this evening… it was nowhere near as windy three hours ago. Trees are falling all over Kraemer Blvd… On southbound Kraemver between Madison and Chapman we saw a huge eucalyptus that fell the width of the road and an unlucky driver plowed into it. I believe the driver was OK, there were police on the scene but no ambulance. I just heard popping, like the sound of another tree breaking outside my apartment… I’m going to go check.
October 21st, 2007 at 9:42 pm
Report Updated:
9:15 PM 10/21/07
——————————————————————————–
TIME OF ALARM: 5:55 PM 10/21/07
INCIDENT#: ORC 07068555
INCIDENT NAME: Santiago Incident
LOCATION: Originated at Santiago Canyon and Silverado Canyon (Thomas Brothers page 832 A2). Burned through Hicks Canyon toward Jeffery and Portola, now wind-driven in a south-westerly direction.
CONDITIONS ON ARRIVAL: Unknown
CONTAINMENT: Not at this time
CONTROL: Not at this time
PRELIMINARY CAUSE: Unknown
WEATHER CONDITIONS: For information check with National Weather Service - Southern California or California Weather
COMMAND: Orange County Fire Authority
INCIDENT COMMANDER: Chief Rich Witesman
FIREFIGHTING ASSETS: Info coming
400+ Firefighters
ACRES BURNED: Approximately 3,800
STRUCTURES BURNED: None at this time
REPORTED INJURIES: None at this time
EVACUATIONS: No mandatory evacuations at this time. Residents of Orchard Hills and Portola Springs areas of Irvine may voluntarily exacuate to the Lakeview Senior Center at Lake and Barranca. Other residents are asked to stay at home with windows and doors closed.
ROAD CLOSURES: Portola is closed between Sand Canyon and the 241 and Jamboree is closed between Chapman and Portola. Check with Cal Trans for freeway and toll road closures. Check with the local police department for city street closures.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Orange County Operational Area Public Information Hotline - (714) 628-7085
News Radio for current and future incidents:
AM 980 - KFWB
AM 1070 - KNX
AM 640 - KFI
AM 1640 for Irvine residents
Please save these stations on your battery-powered and car radios.
RESIDENTS:
Wildland Fires: Defensible Space
Wildfire Preparedness
Smoke in the Air
Other Safety Bulletins
October 21st, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Drove the fire line from Irvine down through the base property and a line of fire seems to have turned south of the Hines nursery and is heading through the old housing area and rifle range.
October 21st, 2007 at 10:06 pm
Just got back from birthday celebration in L.A. and can’t believe the smell of smoke here in Huntington Beach. Called the “board and care” home I take the Eucharist to and one patient who had COPD had died. No proof it was from the smoke but it certainly didn’t help her!
October 21st, 2007 at 10:25 pm
This fire is nowhere near Anaheim Hills and nowhere near the Windy Ridge fire area. You should delete those statements.
October 21st, 2007 at 10:41 pm
Yes, now it is not anywhere near it (Windy Ridge/Orange Hills and Anaheim Hills). But when it started, it was moving in that direction, then started to move southward and westward.
October 21st, 2007 at 11:14 pm
From the CHP CAD log (read bottom to top):
11:06PM 1039 STA/91 W/LINES 99-103 — WL RESPOND
11:05PM PLS ADVISE FIRE / THANKS
11:04PM AT THE OFRAMP A COUPLE 100 FT FM THE TOLL PLZ
11:04PM PER 93 FIRE SPARKING UP ON THE RS / 1200 FT FM PORTOLA / NEAR HOMES
October 22nd, 2007 at 12:30 am
We had an evacuation on Amberhill an hour ago. The fire was near the Orange County Fire Authority. We went from nothing to you need to get in your cars and leave now. A large gust of wind came up and embers started flying across the 261 toll road. The entire neighborhood was full of fire engines, and this neighborhood backs up to the fire authority.