DC-10 tanker now over Malibu, Flea's house consumed...

[bdk]

More fires in Malibu under mild Santa Ana wind conditions. Film at 11:00.

[BrianB]

I have been watching the tankers overfly my house, which is directly on the line between Fox Field (tanker base) and Malibu. Question..... what are the pods outboard of the engines on some of the Neptunes?

[RickH]

Jets ?

[Larry Kraus]

Cal Fire called Butler's two DC-7's back to Fox Field in Lancaster last Monday because of worries about high fire danger this week.I ended up flying 6 loads of retardant to the Corral Fire at Malibu today in Tanker 62 and Tanker 66 did the same.It was pretty crowded out there at times with Tanker 910 (the DC-10),two CL-415 water scoopers,at least four P-2's,five or six S-2T's and a gaggle of helicopters.The fire looked in pretty good shape when I left around 1600 (sunset is at 1630 these days) and the forecast is calling for a marine layer to move in tonight.We can only hope it works that way.The fire started at 0330 this morning and most of the worst damage to homes was in the morning hours.At least the sky was crystal clear and the winds drove the fire toward the ocean,which makes an excellent fire break.

[Curtis Block]

Fly safe Larry.

[Old SAR pilot]

Rick,

Those pods are the old aux jet engines. Good pic of a tanker with same at:

http://www.vpnavy.com/recycled/N96264_p ... ar2003.jpg

[Jack Cook]

Who's Flea
I sure understand what all those people are going through.
It really sucks

[JohnH]

Flea is the awesome bass player of the multi million selling band the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Drummer Chad Smith also has a house in the area but I think it's on the beach.

John

[RickH]

Thanks SAR, I was answering BrianB's question.

[bdk]

Correction... One of Flea's TWO houses in Malibu was consumed.

[Old SAR pilot]

Thanks SAR, I was answering BrianB's question.

Doh! Sorry 'bout that!

[BrianB]

Do the Neptune tankers fly with the aux jets installed or are the pods empty?

[Neal Nurmi]

A Neptune working out of Stead before the Reno Air Race in September:

[bdk]

And now for something completely different, but related:

After fires, Calif. rain mudslide threat
By GILLIAN FLACCUS, Associated Press Writer
Fri Nov 30, 7:04 PM ET

SANTA ANA, Calif. - Southern California's weather turned from dangerously dry to extremely wet Friday as a storms brought the threat of mudslides and flash floods in areas burned by recent wildfires and prompted evacuation orders.

Residents were ordered to leave 200 homes in Orange County's Modjeska and Williams canyons, while voluntary evacuations were urged in a third canyon and authorities were keeping an eye on a fourth, said fire Capt. Chris Concepcion.

The National Weather Service said that some flash-flooding and debris flows were reported in the Modjeska Canyon area at midafternoon. Sheriff's deputies went door-to-door to alert residents to the risk and an emergency shelter was set up at an area high school.

Flash flood warnings and watches were issued throughout Southern California, where wildfires have stripped vegetation from thousands of acres of land, leaving it susceptible to excessive runoff and erosion.

In north-central San Diego County, more than 2 inches of rain fell in the vicinity of vast areas burned by the wildfires of late October, the weather service said.

Firefighters and residents also kept an eye on Malibu, where the most recent blaze fanned by powerful, dry Santa Ana winds scorched 4,900 acres on slopes and in canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Downtown Los Angeles had .31 inch of rain by afternoon — not much by normal standards but relatively significant the course of the West's long dry spell. Just 3.21 inches were recorded there in the rain-year that ended June 30. Average annual rainfall is 15.14 inches

The rain also turned commuting into a mess.

A tractor-trailer rig lost control before dawn on rain-slicked Interstate 5 in Orange County and all lanes were blocked for hours as firefighters worked to rescue the driver of a pickup truck that became wedged under the trailer. Traffic backed up for miles on the major route.

[Larry Kraus]

We were lucky to be released back to Redmond by Cal Fire at 10am yesterday.Other than the outside air temp being 5 degree F at 14,000 ft and the fact that we no longer have a heater or deicing capability,both of Butler's DC-7s made it home safely.It was clear as far as Lakeview,OR. and light mixed icing in the clouds after that.Fortunately,the weather was good within a 20 mile radius of Redmond and the temp was just high enough to melt most of the ice from the windshields.Some fun.My feet are still cold.Redmond got down to 20 degrees F last night with a dusting of new snow and today's high was 31 degrees.