Gap Fire Evacuation Ordered

Winchester Canyon also now evacuating.

I just wanted to let everyone know that the number 961-5770 that is shown everywhere as fire info contact number does not give any information about the fire. First of all I tried 40 times and the line was busy all the time.
Finally I got through and I got a recorded message saying that they are closed weekends and holidays.

There was absolutely no info about the fire at all. I find it rather horrible that there is not one number to call to get information about the fire. We had to drive around a few times and talk to police or any personal to make sure we don't need to evacuate as we are the first row of houses on the south side of cathedral oaks, right across from the mandatory evacuation area.

We had very heavy smoke coming our way, like fog rolling in, but no radio station had any news, no one did. The radio at that point was only playing music, all stations. That can be very disturbing when you have 4 firetrucks lined up 5 houses up the street and smoke coming down the canyon, and no information anywhere about what is going on and what we should do. Power was out too.

Sorry to say, but this should be a lot better organized and better updated for us people. Information is lacking, and information eventually comes our way but when, 1, 2, 3 hours later.

WE NEED TO HAVE A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL (specially during power outage). NEED A WEBSITE THAT UPDATES EVERY 30 MINUTES WITH DETAILED NEW INFO ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE FIRE.

I finally got thru to the number they gave out and told the woman that I got that same recording and she denied it saying she was answering the phone all day on the fourth until 7:30 or 8. No way. I think the city of Goleta needs to seriously consider reducing it's contribution to the County services. The firefighters are probably doing a great job on the line and in the air, but the support services such as the emegency information are very poor.
In addition the madatory evacuation of neighborhoods in the Fairview area are clearly unjustified and people need to get back into their homes. The sherrifs are rude and intimidating to residents and need to be removed from our neighborhood immediately.

For a map with all of the current evacuation areas, visit maps.google.com, and search for "Gap Fire Evacuations." I have created a map with that name, that I am updating with the evacuation order and warning areas, extent of the fire, information kiosks, and other points of interest. Feel free to leave comments on the map if there are any features you would like to see.

The direct link is here:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&a...

Don't count on the kiosks to give you anything up to date -
The Camino Real Kiosk had a map showing the fire perimeter as of July 2 !! right up to this morning (July 5th!) Also don't count on KTMS 990 - see my comments and those of others at: http://www.independent.com/news/2008/jul...

These and other comments about this subject mysteriously dissappeared but I reposted them.

If KTMS hasn't suggested removal as they apparently did the first time (since I invited them to the discussion) I posted them again have a look.

When the power is out or you are driving in your car and have no internet or TV - these are the only sources available of just where the fire perimeter is and they have NO IDEA - they don't send anyone into the field, they just report and rehash what they have heard at press conferences, or you are forced to drive around to see for yourself. This is not advisable when the roads are supposed to be used for evacuation and emergency services.

If you are the closest to the fire and your power goes out as is most likely the case - sadly, despite all of the emergency preparedness we have been hearing about from the City and County propaganda, you are on your own with zero communication - no idea where the fire is, how fast it is approaching, how your friends and loved ones might be doing, nothing up to date, nothing to help make decisions about whether to stay or go- maybe a two day old fire perimeter map at a kiosk. That's it.

We have become a society dependent on power and internet for information - most people do not even have land phones that work without power!

Pity us when something like this happens during Santa Ana conditions...we got lucky this time, maybe.

RForsyth:

Do you have a cell phone? You should try the link at the end of the article to receive Twitter alerts -- they work as long as you have cell service (no power necessary).

Thanks Binky I have internet now obviously, and a cel phone but I am talking about the evening when there was the first blackout and all we could think about was packing, while simultaneously trying to get info.. No power or time to sign up for things on the internet or look up info, - more of a concern was getting the hard drive in the car. No info like this was coming over the only news source that I knew we had after the power blacked out - KTMS 990 - they were back to regular programming already and the news crew had apparently gone home for the day. Cel phones by the way do require power to charge -I was actually using what little power it had left as a flashlight to unsuccessfully look for the charger and another flashlight! Didn't find it - no cel phone. What is left? The radio and and an information kiosk that says nothing, at the time we didn't even know there was one, because of a radio, that was just as useful as nothing.
People don't seem to understand that the internet or Television is not available in these situations. Cel phones arent much good when you dont know where to call - Some disaster preparedness . We have been fed this disaster preparedness propaganda for so long by government officials that even I believed it. Oh yeah - none of this stuff works without power... oops.