Homes go up in flames at the Valley Oaks mobile home park near Fallbrook, California, Monday, 2007. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
by Mark Silva, updated
It is a scene eerily reminiscent of the floods that overwhelmed the Gulf Coast: Tens of thousands of people evacuated from their homes, and many huddled in a stadium.
President Bush declared seven counties of Southern California disaster areas today, which unleashes the resources of the Federal Emergency Management Agency -- now "mobilized.''
This is an overhauled FEMA, not the same one that responded -- or failed to respond -- to the flooding that Hurricane Katrina unleashed on New Orleans and the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi. And the leader of FEMA today is a firefighter by profession, David Paulison, the former fire chief in Miami.
Southern California will need FEMA's help and more to overcome waves of flame, fanned by furious Santa Anna winds, which are overcoming the hills spanning a wide region spanning from San Diego to Santa Barbara.
"All of us across this nation are concerned for the families who have lost their homes and the many families who have been evacuated from their homes," the president said today, during a speech at the National Defense University. "We send the help of the federal government."
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at the fires. Photo by his office.
See the president's emergency declaration:
STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY
"The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of California and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local response efforts in the area struck by wildfires beginning on October 21, 2007, and continuing.
The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, and lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
"Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.
"R. David Paulison, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Michael J. Hall as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.''
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Comments
OK Republicans, let's see you all tell us how these people should help thmeselves, not look for help from the Federal government.
Let's see you proclaim that these areas shouldn't be rebuilt because they are in a persistant danger of this same disaster happening again.
Is Barbara Bush going to drop by the Qualcomm Stadium and tell the people sleeping there that they shouldn't be upset because it's actually better than where they lived before?
Posted by: AJF | October 23, 2007 10:25 AM
Every news story talks about "multi-million dollar homes". While I feel bad for their property losses you have to wonder how much government assistance they really need.
I don't see 2 years of living in a trailer in any of their futures.
Posted by: Carl L | October 23, 2007 11:05 AM
wILL fema GET THESE PEOPLE INTO NEW HOMES BEFORE THE VICTIMS OF kATRINA, OR WILL THEY BE PLACED IN TRAILERS AND MADE TO WAIT?
Posted by: Jim A. | October 23, 2007 11:15 AM
Instead of being 4-5 days late on the scene, it looks like FEMA will be 2-3 days late. Under Clinton, FEMA was right on the scene (CA earthquake) with full-blown personnel, interpreters, and equipment on the very day after. A fire doesn't wait.
Posted by: Nancy K | October 23, 2007 11:59 AM
I could be wrong, but I believe plenty of conservatives live in that area (Think "Housewives of Santa Barbara"). I don't think they'll wait a couple of days after the fire's out before they wait for Bush to fly over in Air Force One so he can at least feel their pain.
Posted by: RomanB | October 23, 2007 12:06 PM
If it makes anyone feel better, there ARE people in SoCal still living in trailors since the 2003 wildfires. Their problem is not with FEMA, the State, or county gov't, but with insurance companies. It has taken lawsuits to help get this straightened out. Yes, shades of Katrina -- but the private sector, not gov't, is to blame this time.
Posted by: Misha | October 23, 2007 12:45 PM
Santa Anna was the Mexican general who commanded the force that overran the Alamo and who was ultimately defeated by Winfield Scott and co. during the Mexican War.
The winds are Santa Ana.
Posted by: Dave | October 23, 2007 2:39 PM
Bush has announced that he will visit the disaster area on Thursday. He's even going to land the plane this time.
I guess the displaced in California don't scare him like the folks in Loiuisiana did. I wonder why?
Posted by: AJF | October 23, 2007 5:59 PM
I was evacuated yesterday in the Santa Clarita Fires. When I woke up at 6:30 and saw the flames about a mile from my house, I immediately had my wife and kids calmly pack our cars with any valuables we would need and a few days worth of food and clothes -- just in case it approached.
I called off work, had breakfast, and watched as the flames approached. I filled buckets and bathtubs in the event we needed water when the pressure dropped if we stayed.
Then, sure enough, at about 11AM the Sheriff's came down the streets announcing immediate and sudden mandatory evacution because the fire was now 1/2 mile away and approaching our house.
SO.... No hassel, no stress. We drove off.
We passed the huge phalinx of support personelle, and scores of panicked and dumbstruck residents who seemed unprepared and surprised at the “sudden” evacuation notice.
Why other people cannot see the warning signs and act responsibly during a crsis (even if it may mean a false alarm) is beyond me. I know some of them may have mental conditions or physical limitations which require assistance. But the rest of us... come on... if you see the flames/hurricane/whatever coming to you and you have even an few minutes to prepare and get the heck away, WHY DO PEOPLE wait until the last minute?
We also drove far away from the danger zones, taking inconvenient but untravelled routes to avoid any hassels of traffic jams, hotels and other accomidation limitiations. Isn’t this, like, logical? I’m not a rocket scientist, but WHY don’t people have a disaster plan for whatever their local disaster is likely to be? (flood, hurricane, snow, earthquake, landslides)
It was inconvenient and I lost a day of work, but it was no big deal. The professionals did an AMAZING job of limiting the damage and we waited until all was clear to return.
We all have a duty to make best efforts to get out of the way of harm and be part of the solution. When we simply cannot help ourselves, THEN, we SHOULD expect outside help. But, if we are simply like a deer in the headlights watching an approaching diaster, do we deserve sympathy? This is a Darwin-like result of survivial of fittest I suppose.
I’m not writing to criticise those in impossible or unpredictable disasters, or those who have suffered a loss. I’m just saying with the internet, amazing resources compared to other countries, and common sense, can’t we be expected to help ourselves and our loved ones in times like these? Is that unreasonable?
Thank you LA County Fire and all those who made my job protecting my family easy.
Posted by: Richard | October 23, 2007 9:18 PM
Fema I can understand. Why was Department of Homeland Security Involved?
Posted by: Wesley | October 23, 2007 9:26 PM
Speaking of Louisiana, did anyone notice the booting out of the incompetent democratic governor. Maybe the folks of Louyisiana really do know where the failure occured during Katrina.
Is the election of an Indian-American Republican a "harbinger" of things to come like a democrat winning in Taxachuttes is.
RomanB,
Would that be conservatives like Sean Penn - gotta love that.
Posted by: Terry | October 23, 2007 9:32 PM