Summer Fire Season Arrives
9:28 AM June 16, 2008
(Banning) -- You can tell summer is just around the corner.
All it takes is a day or two of warmer weather, some gusty wind, and some low humidity. And before you know it, flames are marching down a hillside in the direction of homes.
That's what happened in the hills north of Banning this morning.
This time, humans were responsible. Four different fires started in separate places. They broke out within minutes of each other in a canyon next to the San Gorgonio Memorial Cemetery.
That can only mean one thing: arson. Whoever did it got away, for now. Investigators suspect "juvenile activity".
Soon, the fire was burning up against some backyards in the neighborhood down the hill.
And we saw the images that are familiar to everyone who lives in Southern California: homeowners hosing down rooftops, blackened hillsides, trees burning, folks packing up their cars.
This time, firefighters attacked and won.
They kept it from damaging homes or hurting people
Next time, the result could be different. I'm sure we'll back back on some hillside somewhere else countless times over the next few months covering other fires.
This morning's fire broke out in one of the windiest parts of Southern California. The San Gorgonio Pass is west of Palm Springs. It's where they have all those windmills that generate power.
But you know the really windy, really hot Santa Ana weather is still a few months off. What happened this morning was just a preview.
Posted by Eric Spillman | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)





Tornadoes, floods, forest fires - every day scores of people are losing their homes due to natural disaster.
What could possibly justify setting a fire that destroys natural habitat, wildlife, threatens human life and basic refuge - a home?
Hopefully authorities will find the arsons and deal very harshly with them.
Posted by: jozielee | June 16, 2008 at 03:38 PM
jerichatham: 3 words - politics, politics, politics. Nobody cares what's best for the general public, they care about their pocketbooks.
There was a water dropping plane that was based at John Wayne Airport and fires in So Cal broke out. He was told he can't do anything because of the contract that existed with the Super Scoopers. Does that make sense? A resource is here and was not allowed to do anything! It's all about who is greasing who.
And as for the arsonists, they should be treated the same way as they are treating the land they are burning!
Posted by: Curt | June 16, 2008 at 03:08 PM
Again, we will hear the same story about the super-scoopers. They are only contracted for certain times. Why with all the money this city, county and State spends on fighting fires why cannot they get one or two to be used year round? Dedicate just one Lottery week to buying them. Minn uses them all year very successfully. Why are we so far behind the curve?
Posted by: jerichatham | June 16, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Look at what's been going on in Northern California in the last week or so. It gives us a preview of how things will be soon for Southern California.
Posted by: Donna | June 16, 2008 at 10:46 AM