USA: NFL American football stadium plays host to wildfire evacuees

Wildfires force hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes and seek temporary accommodation in San Diego's NFL stadium. A wave of fast-moving wildfires engulfed a massive swath of southern California on Monday (October 22), destroying hundreds of homes as more than 250,000 people were told to evacuate from neighbourhoods, schools and hospitals. Two fires that merged north of the city of San Diego and scorched 18,000 acres (7,280 hectares) prompted authorities to order 250,000 people to be evacuated from an area roughly 12 square miles (31 sq km) encompassing clusters of upscale communities, ranches and country clubs. Qualcomm Stadium, home of the NFL's San Diego Chargers football team was turned into an evacuation centre. Evacuated San Diego residents described feelings of fear and confusion. One evacuated resident, Neil Levine, said the fires started in a manner which was "unbelievably instantaneous." Darlene Morgan said the situation was "Scary as heck." Daniel May said the evacuees were trying to get information about the spread of the fires. "We're still trying to find information about where we live, we've been here since about nine in the morning. They've taken good care of everybody, I mean they've been spectacular here, so we're still trying to find information about Rancho Bernardo and certain areas, and especially where we live, so hopefully we can get some information." Kristy Compton said she had heard that her parents' house had been burend down. Jacquelline Hollowell said she had already lost a home in Florida. She said "this is like, kind of a nightmare." Goerge Biagi, deputy press secretary for San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders said: "hopefully we'll get through the night and then we'll take it a day at a time." Among the evacuees were Spanish exchange students. Emergency services provided by local, state and federal government have supplied thousands of necessities to meet demands of the evacuees. Trucks brought in food and water for up to 10,000 people who could be forced to spend the night in the stadium. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visited evacuees in the stadium. He said he had been meeting officials to discuss meeting the needs of the evacuees. At least 13 fires, whipped by dry, gale-force Santa Ana winds blowing unchecked over the lower half of the state, torching 200,000 acres (81,000 hectares), killing one person and injuring more than 30 others. Schwarzenegger said 1,500 National Guard troops had been summoned, including 200 from the Mexican border, to help with firefighting, evacuations and crowd control. The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed it will send six C-130 aircraft capable of dropping 3,000 gallons (13,200 liters) of water or fire retardant. The planes, stationed in Colorado, Wyoming and North Carolina, should arrive on Tuesday (October 23).

ITN Source | October 23, 2007

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