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Half A Million Evacuated in Southern California

By Jesse Ferrell, AccuWeather meteorologist

Published Oct 23, 2007 12:22 PM EDT | Updated Oct 23, 2007 4:34 PM EDT

Copied

UDPATE: Here is a video blog with Western Expert Blogger Ken Clark (PREMIUM | PRO) and Blogger Henry Margusity (PREMIUM | PRO):

http://wwwa.accuweather.com/video/video_inline_launchV3.asp?video=http://qt.accuweather.com/flashvideo/vblog_margusity/20072310fire&category=&thumb=http://qt.accuweather.com/flashvideo/vblog_margusity/20072310fire.jpg&hd=true

Wind gusts yesterday did not exceed those that I posted.

ORIGINAL POST:

Here are some stats as of Tuesday morning regarding the southern California fires:

PEOPLE EVACUATED:

500,000

(UPI)*
FIREFIGHTERS INVOLVED:

6,000

(CNN)
HOMES DESTROYED:

600

(CNN)
NUMBER OF FIRES:

<14

(CNN)
SQUARE MILES BURNED:

425**

(CNN)
ACRES BURNED:

267,000

(BLOOMBERG)
ACRES BURNED IN 2007 - U.S.:

8,251,275

(NIFC)
FIRES IN 2007 - U.S.:

76,451

(NIFC)

*The largest California evacuation ever, according to FoxNews on-air.
**According to WikiPedia, this is equivalent to 1/3 of Rhode Island's total area.

More information is available from Western Expert Ken Clark (PREMIUM | PRO), our Western News Blog (PREMIUM | PRO) and our Breaking Weather News Page (PREMIUM | PRO), and our Weather Headlines (PREMIUM | PRO).

Here is some raw video footage of the fires. The video shows flames burning overnight in Rancho Santa Fe, Cal., where residents were ordered to evacuate as powerful winds pushed theflames closer to the community.

http://wwwa.accuweather.com/video/video_inline_launchV3.asp?video=http://qt.accuweather.com/flashvideo/vblog_penstone/rsf1&category=&thumb=http://qt.accuweather.com/flashvideo/vblog_penstone/rsf%201.jpg&hd=false

Southern California Burns - Oct. 22, 2007 - High winds drive hot embers smoldering in the Malibu Hills, Monday, Oct. 22, 2007, in Malibu, Calif. A wildfire driven by powerful Santa Ana winds forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes in the Malibu Hills and briefly threatened a university Sunday. Flames destroyed a church and several homes, one of them a landmark castle. Streaks at bottom center are embers blown in the wind during a long exposure. (AP Photo/ Damian Dovarganes)

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ABOUT THIS BLOG
WeatherMatrix
Jesse Ferrell
AccuWeather Meteorologist and Social Media Manager Jesse Ferrell covers extreme weather and the intersection of meteorology and social media.
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