They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.

For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?

Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.

The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly. (Jeremiah 23:17-20)


Raging fire forces evacuation of Sierra Madre homes

A wildfire in the Sierra Madre foothills swelled to 230 to 270 acres early this morning, forcing the evacuation of at least 100 homes and drawing hundreds of firefighters from around the region.

By David Pierson and Richard Winton
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 27, 2008

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-weather27apr27,1,4259901.story

A wildfire in the Sierra Madre foothills swelled to 230 to 270 acres early this morning, forcing the evacuation of at least 100 homes and drawing hundreds of firefighters from around the region.The fire was moving southwest in remote brush at 1 a.m. today, and containment was not expected for two to three days, said Elisa Weaver, spokeswoman for the city of Sierra Madre. Warm, dry weather is predicted for the fire area this morning, with winds gusting to 15 miles to 20 miles an hour before slowing this evening, the National Weather Service reported.

• Satellite image of fire
• Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles
• Sierra Madre evacuation centers

Crowds of residents stood on major streets normally deserted in the middle of the night, staring up at hills aglow with flames. Police had blocked off several streets nearby.A convoy of fire trucks from around the county moved up Mountain Trail at 12:45 a.m. U.S. Forest Service water trucks were parked nearby, and dozens of firefighters stood ready in the streets.

The blaze started Saturday night in the Angeles National Forest north of Sierra Madre, forcing a mandatory evacuation of dozens of homes, authorities said. It threatened residences in the northern reaches of the San Gabriel Valley city of 11,600 people east of Pasadena, city officials said.

Evacuations were ordered shortly before 11 p.m. for all homes above Carter Avenue between Oak Crest Drive and Mountain Trail Avenue, and homes above Grandview Avenue between Mountain Trail and Santa Anita avenues.Shelters were established at Sierra Madre Congregational Church, 170 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., and Hart Park House, 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.

The fire started in the Chantry Flat area and initially stranded about 100 hikers. The hikers were guided to a closed outfitters' station and safety by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies later in the afternoon.Hours earlier, about 60 Boy Scouts were evacuated from a campground 2 1/2 miles from the fire. They were never in serious danger, Weaver said.

The fire was one of several on a day of record temperatures in Southern California.Records for the day were set in Burbank, which broke its previous high of 91, set in 2001, by reaching 95 degrees, and Torrance, which hit 90 degrees -- three degrees more than its previous high, set in 1987.Other cities that saw records set included Camarillo, which registered 95, shattering its previous high of 86, set in 2004, and Oxnard, which reached 91, eight degrees hotter than its 1997 record of 83.

"We can expect similar conditions and warmer temperatures by four or five degrees Sunday in the valleys," said Curt Kaplan, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. "It's a preview of summer."Kaplan said offshore winds are bringing in warm desert air, which heats up as it flows through mountain passes.Pierson reported from Los Angeles and Winton from Sierra Madre.