Deep Pockets wrote on Oct 26, 2007 7:04 AM: Hum, I just wondered if anyone saw the sparks. Did they call the fire department? I think we are all looking for someone to blame and to point the finger at. Diane Jacobs was sure doing this yesterday. How about the weather conditions and the fact that we live in a dessert? Or are we just looking for someone to sue?

rainbow wrote on Oct 26, 2007 7:52 AM:we live right down the road from the rice fire origin. we saw the flash at around 4am. smelled electric fire and the phone calls began. we have a fantastic volunteer fire department in rainbow with dedicated folks who had been out several times during the night for calls before this one. the woman who lived in the house where the fire began was found hiding in the creekbed hours later. she was life flighted to burn center. we do not know her condition.

S wrote on Oct 26, 2007 8:56 AM:The fire dept. was called by our friends when they woke up to flickering lights and saw sparks and fire on the pole only outside their home, called 911 and woke up their neighbors. By the time the volunteer fire dept. was able to arrive the fire has spread to the canyon.

FireFly wrote on Oct 26, 2007 3:13 PM:So, let's go over what we know. We know that when Santa Ana winds hit the region, electric transmission lines fail, and start wilefires. We know that wildfires knock out more transmission lines. We know that when Santa Ana Winds hit the region and wildfires start, firefighting planes can't fly due to the wind and smoke. So why would we want to further increase our risks by putting yet another transmission line smack dab though the fire burn areas?

SDGE to blame! wrote on Oct 28, 2007 2:06 PM:Power lines are dangerous and SDGE wants to put more through our rural lands! They should be sued for all the damage their power lines caused. The Santa Ana winds didn't create the fires, they just spread it from the fallen power lines. We need to get rid of SDGE and require SOLAR everywhere in Southern California!! This is an outrage!

Vdot wrote on Oct 29, 2007 7:38 AM:The frustrating thing is that Daly Company was just in the Rainbow area two weeks ago under contract with SDG&E trimming trees around the electrical lines to try and avoid this type of problem. They were on my property the Friday before the fire started trimming my avocados from the lines. Limbs fall on lines, lines fall on the ground, fire starts. Any further news on the woman living in the house by dead man's curve where this started would be nice.

Margie wrote on Oct 31, 2007 12:37 PM:SHAME ON SDG&E: I am glad to see other people are getting tired of SGD&E's poor and degrading equipment is the cause of many fires. Looks like Fallbrook almost burned completely down because of them. But - they are skirting responsibility. Blame it on the winds? NOT! Winds blow every year! They need to fix the power lines and poles to withstand the inevitable - and pay monetarily and morally for the damage and destruction they are causing us.

Elisa wrote on Nov 1, 2007 8:26 PM:Thank you so much for your concern. I was trapped by the fire, so I headed for a pool of water in the creek. I lay in it, and breathed through cloth soaked with cold water. After our wonderful and dedicated volunteer firefighters found me, I was life-flighted out, checked and released at the emergency room, very happy to be alive.

Melanie wrote on Nov 2, 2007 11:11 AM:SDG&E and SEMPRA Energy want their rate payers to pay for any repairs and/or new power lines. We need to creat our own locally-generated power (solar, wind, etc) and feed our our immediate communities. Take SDG&E out of the loop entirely. We can decide locally where to put the lines, above or underground, and can turn the power off when threatened. Won't have to rely on a profit-driven corp.to keep us supplied and safe!