Ice Castle International and fires?

[md2be]

Ice Castle is precariously close to those fires...any word on their fate?

[Spider68]

The fire is creeping up the hill. Local reporter on TV is reporting from in front of the ROTWHS and can see the flames and fire below. He was told by the firefighters that they expect the flames to be where he was standing (by the Rim of the World highway) by tonight. The rink is further up, but based on the amount of dead trees and brush, it's going to very questionable if it survives...this fire will flare as evening comes and the Santa Ana's kick in. We live way down the hill by the beach, and you can smell the fires and the ashes are covering the cars and pool filters are a mess. Right now, we're all taking turns doing patrols through Laguna Canyon to make sure we don't get a fire there.

[BarbraM]

I lived in Southern California for 15 years in Oxnard and we got ashes in town any time there was a fire in the malibu canyons and Ojai, etc. And those Santa Ana winds could be brutal.

My brother still lives in Simi Valley and my mom in Oxnard, and I have a good friend in Spring Valley (near San Diego)--sure hope their homes survive.

To all those environmentalists who fight against controlled burns, selective brush cutting, etc, or you try to save a field mouse by not letting people living near brush trim it, look what happens!

I wish the best for everyone in harms way and hope the winds stop and you get some rain soon.

[md2be]

Wow..that makes it too real...I was a camp counselor and skater at Ice Castle in the early 90s and stood on the side of rim of the world highway and looked out at the clouds below me and the city peaking through. It was an amazing picture that remains vividly in my memory.

Having gotten to know many people in the community up there, Mrs. Probst, esp., I hope the fires are contained before they meet up with lake Arrowhead and BlueJay. Very peaceful places on earth, very serene and beautiful. I hope the fires are stopped quickly and without any more injury to human life.

Living in CO, I can empathize with all of you having ash rain down. It gets in the air vents of your house and car and is impossible to get rid of that smell and dust for months.

[Lanie]

I'm in Simi Valley, and it's frightening seeing all the fire from my window... I hope the Santa Anas don't do anything more, and I hope the fire in Lake Arrowhead is contained--the news makes it look really horrible.

[ceceB]

I wish you all and all your families the best! I live in BC, and there were some deadly fires here this summer (in case some don't know). I have family in Kelowna who were forced to leave there home because of the fires being so close, and it was really scary for them.

[drmsk8r]

We left Arrowhead yesterday and the fire was working its way up the front of the mountain. It is very close the Arrowhead now and if something doesn't happen soon, I predict Lake Arrowhead going up in flames. It's very sad to see everything burning.

[Mayra]

I'm in Ventura and the skys are completely covered with smoke. Even now it looks like the sky is burning up, looking brown/orangish. I drove down to Oxnard to visit a friend and the smell has horrible! The air is just so thick right now. I hope the SA winds die down, because they are not helping the situation any, it is completely hot and dry outside.

I hope everyone is staying safe and evacuating their homes when need be.

[shuey]

Can anyone give me some more information on Ice Castles and Lake Arrowhead in relation to the fires.

Has Ice Castles facility been evacuated? Any news from Anthony Liu??

[Schmeck]

Spider68, Lanie, drmsk8r, and Mayra, just wanted to let you know that my thoughts and prayers are with you! Wish I could send some of this blasted rain your way!

Schmeck, dealing with 3-4 inches of rain expected tonight - why can't it go where it's actually needed?

[md2be]

here is latest map on fires: not looking good for ice castle... :(

http://a1022.g.akamai.net/f/1022/8158/5m/images.latimes.com/media/acrobat/2003-10/9989757.pdf

[Dave Amorde]

Lake Arrowhead, Blue Jay, Big Bear, etc., are now under mandatory evacuation orders. Regardless of whether or not the training center remains standing, this area is home to thousands of people, including a lot of skaters who train or used to train there. Beyond that, many in the area keep vacation homes there. Even if the current fire is controlled, it is entirely likely that the next windstorm will create another fire.
In fact, the (now abating) Santa Ana winds were actually helping the firefighters with this particular fire. It is approaching from the Southwest, and the Santa Ana winds blow from the Northeast. Now that the Santa Anas are dying down, the more prevalent onshore flow from the West will take over, increasing the chances for more devastation.

[SkateFan123]

From a friend on the fires near the center. I sure hope it survives! There's a lot of history at that place!

Fires Threaten Ice Castle Training Center


Tuesday, October 28

This morning fire fighters began to make a stand at Rim of the World High School to save the village of Lake Arrowhead. During the night the fire approached SR 18 and jumped the road in Rim Forest in several places, burning a few houses and businesses. Efforts of fire fighters and shifting winds have since slowed the fire in that area. Closer to Lake Arrowhead, the fire is less than 1 mile below the road. This morning back-fires are being set from Rim Forest to Lake Arrowhead on the south side of SR 18 in an effort to stop the fire from crossing at the high school. In addition, fire retardant is being sprayed on the north side of the road.

Conditions have thus far prevented an aerial attack on the fire, but there are reports they may begin later this morning. The fire is now less than one mile from the Training Center. Just beyond the high school and Training Center which are most immediately threatened, lies one of the older residential areas in Lake Arrowhead and the Village itself. Winds are currently blowing to the south which is favorable for defense of the town.

Monday, October 27

Forest fires in Southern California threaten the Ice Castle Training Center in Lake Arrowhead, California. One of several fires in the region, this one believed to be set by arsonists, raced up Waterman Canyon this weekend and quickly approached the town of Crestline, just 6 miles to the west of Lake Arrowhead. Fires have forced residents from Crestline east to Big Bear lake, 20 miles to the east, to evacuate the mountains.

Since its outbreak, the fire has merged with another, larger fire to the west, and spread east towards Lake Arrowhead. As of Monday morning (Oct. 27) the fire was about 2 miles from the Training Center and the nearby village of Lake Arrowhead. At that time the fire was located south of Route 18. Fire fighters appear to be planning to make a stand to prevent the fire from jumping north across Route 18, with fire retardant dropped in the vicinity of Rim of the World High School which is located just off Route 18 about 1 mile south of the Training Center.

If the fire crosses north of Route 18, the Training Center and the entire community of Lake Arrowhead face probable destruction. The area has been stressed by several years of drought, and an infestation of bark beetles have left about 1/3 of the forest dead. It is expected this region of the forest will burn explosively if ignited.

Winds in the region began to subside today and are expected to continue to calm further over the next day which will assist fire fighting efforts that up to now have been hampered by high winds that have fanned the flames and have grounded fixed wing firefighting aircraft.



Copyright 2003 by George S. Rossano

[shuey]

Thanks everyone for the information, much appreciated. We do not hear much about the fires here in Oz.

I will pass this information onto the many people enquiring about Anthony and Ice Castles.

Once again many thanks.

[md2be]

david....no disrespect to homeowners in the area for i feel for them, too, but this is a figure skating board and i wanted to bring the ice rink to attention.

[shuey]

I am very sad for everyone that might or will lose their home etc. We were concerned for our skater Anthony Liu hence myself asking that particular question.

Sorry if it offended anyone. Australia understands only too well about bush fires. One of our coaches lost his home in the Canberra bushfires.

[IgglesII]

6:50pm. Ok, msnbc.com is reporting that the "Old" fire has jumped a highway "and was moving as a single wall of flames toward the resort town of Lake Arrowhead and the nearby Big Bear Lake ski resort."

It also states that firefighters are being pulled back because conditions are too dangerous.

So, for those who are out there, what does this mean? Has the fire jumped the highway that they were trying to stop it from crossing?

:(

[Dave Amorde]

Yes, the fire has jumped highway 18.
The biggest problem is that the trees in this area are very tall, allowing the fire to advance right over the top of the firefighters. They are also very dry, and the pine resins combusting cause the trees to literally explode. Extremely dangerous.

[Bogie88]

Anthony Liu and several of the Ice Castles skaters were training today at Center Ice in Ontario. This fire is simply tragic--Arrowhead and its surrounding villages are so beautiful and so pleasant to visit on a hot summer day out here--I am praying that disaster may still be averted.

[shuey]

I am pleased to hear Anthony is safe and well. Have heard that they were trying to save the school at Lake Arrowhead.

These fires are incredible, I have been searching the net for information.

[Chico]

What is the status of Crestline? I lived here once and am very curious. Thanks for any info.

Chico

[Bogie88]

A good place to look for information on the fires in San Bernardino County is:



Incident Control (http://www.incidentcontrol.com)

[Spider68]

According the news as I left the house:

Fire has jumped the 18 highway and is expected to burn towards and past the eastern side of Lake Arrowhead and head northeast towards Santa's Village (an old amusement park in Lake Arrowhead). There is even more dead pine up there. The winds created by the heat are causing "crowning" wherein the flames jump from top to top of the trees. Still pretty far from Big Bear, but that area has also been evacuated. Absolutely no word on the fate of Lake Arrowhead Village.

Oh, another ominous bit of news that was reported: fire crews were evacuating because the winds were shifting so much. Everyone is heading east on the 18 to get away. You can't go west on the 18.

I'll try to call some people (if cell gets through) that live and work in the area and see if they have any news.

For those out of the area, you can log on to our local news channels at www.kfwb.com or www.nbc4.tv for pictures and updates.