Wildfire jumps freeway

I've driven Cajon Pass many, many times since the late '60's. Unless you've experienced how crowded & crazy, not to mention dangerous, this long, 6% grade can be, you'll be hard pressed to fully appreciate the ordeal these people went thru. It is an absolute miracle that no one was seriously injured. That speaks to two things in my mind. The first is that they did act in what turned out to be the best way in a totally unexpected situation. The second . . . Divine Intervention.

Do you remember the fire fighter tragedy in Arizona? The fire fighters were on the top of the hill, the wind changed direction and the fire advanced up that hill to kill them.

It seems this highway fire was about the same thing - a wall of fire crossing the highway. It happens in seconds.

Arizona Fire Fighters Killed

Anyone that has NOT driving this section has no clue.

There is NO place to turn around

There are no other routes/options

Traffic...Friday afternoon....stop/go-----slow moving

One normally does NOT drive thru a wall of smoke.

Fortunately it was NOT as tragic as it could have turned into

Naio wrote:
ABC news says that firefighting planes were grounded because there were 5 drones in the airspace around the fire, making it unsafe for planes and helicopters to fly. They had to first find the drone operators and get them to shut down, before they could fight the fire.

Cue the phrase "all about me generation".

It is a crime to interfere with a firefighter or firefighting operation. Need to prosecute, not warn. Stop being nice to those morons. A midair collision with a drone would be fatal.

Naio wrote:
ABC news says that firefighting planes were grounded because there were 5 drones in the airspace around the fire, making it unsafe for planes and helicopters to fly. They had to first find the drone operators and get them to shut down, before they could fight the fire.

Cue the phrase "all about me generation".

Time for "Drone Skeet". Warm all drone operators that if they are in the air above a hazard, that 12-ga shotguns will be employed.

ABC news says that firefighting planes were grounded because there were 5 drones in the airspace around the fire, making it unsafe for planes and helicopters to fly. They had to first find the drone operators and get them to shut down, before they could fight the fire.

Cue the phrase "all about me generation".

Link was too much data (I LIKE TEXT NOT VIDEO/PHOTO) wonder why with a fire in the median the road was not closed. or was there not enough time? (Suspect time).

There is no median. The road is split by probably 1/4mile at that point. It drops off sharply to the east and rises to the west at the same angle. Its a little difficult to "take a run" at it when the people in front of you are already on foot and running by in the opposite direction.

garyhaupt wrote:
A good time to think...when would you shut'r down and run?

I'm assuming that the highway/freeway there was split - so drivers couldn't see it happening ahead, find a place to cross a median strip, and go back the other direction?

Vulcan Rider wrote:

garyhaupt wrote:


A good time to think...when would you shut'r down and run?

Almost never.
Turn around and head back on the shoulder, maybe.

If it is daytime and you can see around/through the flames I think the best thing to do is take a run at it.....IN the car.

That is assuming that the pavement is not on fire and that the road is not already blocked.

I live about 20 minutes from that area and from I heard, the motorist were trapped in gridlock and had to abandon the cars and run for their lives.