People Flee California Mountain Communities

    Oct. 28, 2003
    Authorities announced two more deaths in San Bernardino County on Tuesday, bringing the death toll from the fires to 16. The number had been at 17, but San Diego County authorities lowered their figure by one.
    AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
    A firefighter sets a controlled fire to a hillside to burn off brush in an attempt to keep a wildfire from spreading in Lakeside, Calif. Monday night, Oct 27, 2003.
    A firefighter sets a controlled fire to a hillside to burn off brush in an attempt to keep a wildfire from spreading in Lakeside, Calif. Monday night, Oct 27, 2003.
    SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Tens of thousands of people fled mountain communities in San Diego and San Bernardino counties Tuesday and caused a traffic jam on a narrow mountain highway as frantic residents raced to avoid California's deadliest wildfires in more than a decade.

    Frustrated firefighters said there was little they could do to stop the flames, and exhausted crews in San Diego County were pulled back even though two devastating blazes began merging into a super fire near Julian, a mountain town of 3,500 known for its apple crop.

    To the north, about 80,000 full-time residents have been evacuated from the San Bernardino mountains since Saturday. Tens of thousands fled on Tuesday alone.

    Interactive

    Voice Your Opinion!

    To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Firehouse, create an account today!