Santiago Wildfire

Santiago Peak, A.K.A. Saddleback. Last year, I summited it. This year, it's threatened by fire.

San Diego

Actually... this photo is facing almost directly northward; San Diego is on the bottom right and down.

I can see my house from here

The Santiago Fire began shortly before 5:55pm on October 21, 2007 in the foothills north of Irvine and east of the city of Orange in Orange County. Fire officials have attributed the source of the fire to arson; the fire was reportedly started in three separate spots.

This shot was taken looking northward from Lake Mission Viejo. Thanks Yahoo! News for featuring this shot!

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Comments

-clb- says:

This photo is amazing. I can't imagine looking out onto that. My heart goes out to everyone in Southern California. I don't even know what to say.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Philippe Faurie says:

Great shot
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

mst2008 says:

wow...i'm speechless
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

iolaire. says:

The intensity of the fires is really startling. Your still images are more shocking than those I've seen on the TV news.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Kevin Labianco says:

Thanks so much, all. The sky today is orange. Wonder if I can get some shots a little later.

This is a photo from Silverado, California taken a few years ago in 2005. I'm going to try to go back to the same location and find out what it looks like.

There were fires a few years ago in 2003, from San Diego fires that I got a photo or two from...

San Clemente Beach/Pier, California - Sky Orange
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

tnorwood1_qc says:

like Mst2008 says, i am speechless. what can you say to the people that have been devasted by this. my heart and prayers go out to them. GOD BE WITH YOU ALL
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Yahoo! News says:

A thumbnail of this photo has been included on Yahoo! News.

Calif. wildfire losses top $1 billion

Please add your photos to You Witness News and the Yahoo! News California Wildfires group.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

melcir.meri says:

ANXIOUS TIMES - GLOBAL CONCERN ~ PRAY FOR GOOD RAINS IN CALIFORNIA!!!!

Truly hellfire conditions. Great capture! -- Please accept our "FIRST - THE EARTH!" Photo-ART EXHIB/+comp. [AWARD+ FAV 2]" ~ APPRECIATION AWARD as INVITE to exhibit this image in our group pool, or join to share news update pics with us!!! [Please add tag, "first-theearth".]

HELP PREPARE FOR 2008 ~ YEAR OF PLANET EARTH!!!
Take our 2007-8 LIFE-CHANGING CHALLENGE! ~ Be a "FIRST - THE EARTH!" Volunteer Ambassador for our group's future ECO-COMMUNITIES & OCEAN-VOYAGING 'MINI-CITY' TRAINING VESSEL, to promote organic Sustainable Living in Nature, plus Cultural Heritage & the Future! ~ Let's make it so!!! - Mel [Group Admin - "FIRST - THE EARTH!"]
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Ben Bicais says:

this is truly an amazing picture. great shot.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

allebaysigns says:

that sick !! god bless you all !! thanks firefighter !!
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

llbjork says:

Amazing!!!
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Little Lindz says:

That is an insane shot!
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

hannabnanner says:

A truely amazing photograph.
I have a lot of family and friends down there.
I'm praying for them.
I really hope everyone will be okay..

To all people in So.Cal:We are hoping the best for you=]
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Lisa / Celtic Clicks Photography says:

amazing photo
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Jimmy - Autumn is here! says:

MOTHER EARTH 'PICK-ME-UP' AWARD
to help raise awareness of The State of the Planet, plus our Heritage & Future! Add to pool, with tag, firsttheearth.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Jimmy - Autumn is here! says:

This Great Photographic Art was made by a Diamond Class Photographer!
Please add your photo to Flickr Diamond: The Diamond Class Photographer
Read the group rules please and tag your photo DiamondClassPhotographer
You may tag your photo again as flickrdiamond
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Seoulwoman says:

Beautiful shot!

You deserve "Another Diamond" on your Great Photo!
I have seen your Great Photographic Art in:
Flickr Diamond: The Diamond Class Photographer
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

John Rohan says:

Absolutely incredible shot. I used it (with attribution) it on my web site here:
shieldofachilles.blogspot.com/2007/10/wildfir es-in-southe...
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

bee_lyn says:

This is an amazing capture. God Bless all affected by the devistating disaster.

You deserve "Another Diamond" on your Great Photo!
I have seen your Great Photographic Art in:
Flickr Diamond: The Diamond Class Photographer
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

kallo39 says:

Amazing shot!!

You deserve "Another Diamond" on your Great Photo!
I have seen your Great Photographic Art in:
Flickr Diamond: The Diamond Class Photographer
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

.debbie T says:

An amazing shot. wow, it is a shame how something so destructive can look so beautiful as a photo.
--
Seen in Flickr Diamond: The Diamond Class Photographer - Invited Photos (?)

You deserve "Another Diamond" on your Great Photo!
I have seen your Great Photographic Art in:
Flicker Diamond: The Diamond Class Photographer
Commented with SOS
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Linda O'Dell says:

Fantastic!!

You deserve "Another Diamond" on your Great Photo!
I have seen your Great Photographic Art in:
Flickr Diamond: The Diamond Class Photographer
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

sharonmw3 says:

WOW.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Hapylif [deleted] says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called The West Coast Needs Our Help, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

shengvn says:

I`m comming from VietNam. I`m realy frightened when I saw that.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

A&T (aka whitebear) says:

Really horrifying. The people who started this conflagration must be really sick!

Found in:-
www.flicker.com/group/First-theearth
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

katiedogs says:

Looks like what hell really looks like....
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

PamelaTP says:

Kevin, I couldn't help being awed by this picture. It's truly amazing....beautiful, with the reflections in the water....but, yet, also tragic and terrifying. I don't know if you and/or your family live in the area, but I sincerely hope that all (and you, of course) are okay. From PamelaTP from Princeton, New Jersey.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

freakOnAleash27 says:

I moved to Arizona from Orange, CA in Orange County a year and a half ago and I can't believe what I am seeing! It is so "close to home"! And to think that someone intentially set this fire? People work hard to pay their mortgage and provide a good home for their families and some pyro gets a thrill out of potentially destroying that? That's pretty pathetic. My heart goes out to those who have lost their homes, their belongings and their memories.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Moontide07 says:

That is absolutely surreal, it looks like a set from an Armeggedon type movie.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

flickrloon says:

Great shot! I was updating one of our corporate blogs yesterday and this was just the photo I was looking for. I've used it (with attribution) here:
talk.thelife.com/2007/10/25/california-burnin g/
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Kevin Labianco says:

Thanks everyone. PamelaTP, we're safe here. Thanks for your concerns. My thoughts and concerns are with the people in San Diego though, since that's where the fire is still raging on, and President Bush is going to visit there today. It's great to see people being evacuated and so many donations coming in, in light of Katrina's disaster. Looks like lessons were learned from that.

Thanks everyone else that's linking the photo to be used in blogs too. =)

I got a question, even though this isn't really a debate forum.

I kiddingly joked with a friend of mine at the beginning that these fires were a result of Global Warming. (Sidenote: notice the change in term to Climbate Change?). We had a good laugh, initially. But is there any weight behind this? Could Climbate Change be affecting the intensity and widespread range of these fires? And if so, could Hurricane Katrina, and the Tsunami in 2004 be attributed to CC as well?
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

cuzinaddie says:

I saw this picture and it bought tears to my eyes. It's a great shot and completely terrifying all at once. I was so impressed with this shot that I added it to my screensaver.
I live in the Vista area of North San Diego county and I am totaly overwhelmed at all of the fires. The fact that someone would set a fire on purpose is so alien to my thinking. It makes me so sad and scared all at the same time. I pray for us all...
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

SAND DUNES ADDICT says:

WOW!!! I know this shot! I use to live a the base of the mountain (called Portola Hills 7 years ago) I now live in South Lake Tahoe. I use to wake up on my porch with coffee in hand and look up at the Saddle Back Mountain as it was my back yard. My good friend (old next door neighbor, actually a few house down) told me last night my old home burt down. Wow!!! I didn't know the folks as it has sold again since I lived there, but oh my god. What a shame. I miss it there and I'm very sad for all those people in Cota de Caza, Portola Hills, and Silerado Canyon. My heart goes out to them. Sad....very sad.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

dpquesada says:

Wow what a great capture of what was happening there, the fire in the upper right burning a Hot and Bright white \yellow color and the orange Smoke in the air hovering and reflecting the fire down below. This looks unreal to imagine it really happened. Thanks for sharing.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

sherilowe says:

WOW Your picture is great. I too have set it to be my desktop wallpaper. Thanks for posting it.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Kelson says:

Wow... that's an incredible shot. The closest I've gotten to the fire was being at the Tustin/Irvine Marketplace when it climbed over the hills on Sunday, and, since then, working in the Spectrum area. I took a couple of pictures from there on Wednesday night, though the hills blocked most of the flames from where I was, leaving only the glow.

I've been posting about the fire on my blog, including my own photos from Sunday-Wednesday. Since the last 2 days have just looked like smog from out here, I posted thumbnails & links to a couple of photos I found online, including this one.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

docentjoyce says:

Kevin, your Image is incredible. Now I know what the end of the world would look like, and I can imagine that to many people in San Diego County it is the end of the world. The crime of arson should be punishable by death. dj
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

.: sandman says:

Great shot. Oddly enough, I found it on a Texas blogger's page.

skattershooting.blogspot.com/2007/10/californ ia-fire-pic....
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Rachel the Jetsetter says:

You have great photography skills!

Rachel
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

I_Do_Travel says:

WOW.
Who are we in the face of the power and beauty of nature? We can only watch, wonder, some of us pray, and in some cases get out of its way. I hope that humanity will step up to the task of low or no impact activities. Burning fossil fuels accumulated over the ages, changes composition of air around us. Other saddle changes follow. There will be no climate wall of change in our life time, all change will be slow for average person able to comprehend changes over a time span of less then 100 years. Will humanity gather enough wisdom to react on time, before it will have to move out of the way for good?
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

hayleyyerkes. says:

great shot. basically what i saw from my window
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Photoz Darkly says:

And I thought hurricanes were bad. My aunt and uncle don't live horribly far from here. My heart sinks every time I hear about a fire there. Ugh.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

ruthieonart says:

I used to live right there up the hill from the Lake. My neigbor sent me the photo. I am the webmaster for Good News Now and I am making this the Shot of the Day. Wow that was close.

Ruthieonart
webmaster
www.goodnewsnow.com
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Kevin Labianco says:

Thanks everyone. Now that the fires are contained, everyone's returning back home. Unfortunately, for the most "photogenic" areas, it's for residents only. Hopefully I can get back there soon to see what's left and snap some photos.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

anothergrapher says:

that's insane. unbelievable photograph, i don't know what i'd do if that happened to me..

--
[discovered in the photophlow main room] (?)
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

shelby yo says:

i live there, on the lake, and it was so unreal looking at that out from my dock...
Posted 14 months ago. ( permalink )

RyaninVa says:

amazing shot.
Posted 6 months ago. ( permalink )

lefteris_ says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Wildfires, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 6 months ago. ( permalink )

flatcoatNH says:

Very amazing photo. Beautiful if wasn't such a terrible event. I used to live in Mission, not far from the Lake. Fire was a minor reason why I left.
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

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Taken in Mission Viejo, California (map)
Taken with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT.
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Taken on October 23, 2007
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Santiago Wildfire

Comments

-clb- says:

Philippe Faurie says:

mst2008 says:

iolaire. says:

Kevin Labianco says:

tnorwood1_qc says:

Yahoo! News says:

melcir.meri says:

Ben Bicais says:

allebaysigns says:

llbjork says:

Little Lindz says:

hannabnanner says:

Lisa / Celtic Clicks Photography says:

Jimmy - Autumn is here! says:

Jimmy - Autumn is here! says:

Seoulwoman says:

John Rohan says:

bee_lyn says:

kallo39 says:

.debbie T says:

Linda O'Dell says:

sharonmw3 says:

Hapylif [deleted] says:

shengvn says:

A&T (aka whitebear) says:

katiedogs says:

PamelaTP says:

freakOnAleash27 says:

Moontide07 says:

flickrloon says:

Kevin Labianco says:

cuzinaddie says:

SAND DUNES ADDICT says:

dpquesada says:

sherilowe says:

Kelson says:

docentjoyce says:

.: sandman says:

Rachel the Jetsetter says:

I_Do_Travel says:

hayleyyerkes. says:

Photoz Darkly says:

ruthieonart says:

Kevin Labianco says:

anothergrapher says:

shelby yo says:

RyaninVa says:

lefteris_ says:

flatcoatNH says:

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