The Airport Fire in Trabuco Canyon threatens broadcasting and radio towers atop Santiago Peak

ANGELES I AM AMY JOHNSON. WE ARE STAYING ON TOP OF BREAKING NEWS SEVERAL WILDFIRES BURNING ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RIGHT NOW IN THE BRIDGE FIRE IS IN THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS ABOVE GLENDORA THE AIRPORT FIRE IN TRABUCO CANYON AND ORANGE COUNTY IN THE LIME FIRE ABOVE HIGHLAND IN THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS THE TEAM COVERAGE IS FANNED OUT ACROSS OUR AREA WE START WITH MARK LIU AT THE DESK WITH THE LATEST EVACUATIONS IN THE BATTLE TO CONTAIN THE AIRPORT FIRE. >> THE AIRPORT FIRE CURRENTLY BURNING ABOUT 9000 ACRES IN THE AREA BETWEEN THE UNDULATE ELSINORE AND TRABUCO CANYON IS APPROACHING THE LANDMARK IN SANTIAGO PEAK, THIS IS A PART OF THE MOUNTAINS REGION BETWEEN LAKE ELSINORE IN RANCHO SAINT MARGUERITE A THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PEAK FOR BROADCASTING RADIO AND TELEVISED INTO TELEVISION AND SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT IS UP THERE WHAT YOU LOOKING AS LIVE PICTURES FROM SKY CAL AS THE FIRE GETS CLOSE TO THE EQUIPMENT ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. THERE MANY TELEVISION STATIONS THAT HAVE RECEIVED SITES INCLUDING KCAL OUR OWN CHOPPER IS SOMETIMES USING THIS RECEIVED SITE AT THE TOP OF SANTIAGO PEAK IN ORDER TO GET LIVE PICTURES BACK LIKELY THE LIVE PICTURES THAT YOU'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW ARE BEING TRANSMITTED TO THE MOUNTAINTOP RECEIVER AND SENT OUT TO VERY ENTER VARIOUS CABLE SYSTEMS YOU CAN SEE THE LIVE IMAGES RIGHT THERE USING THE BROADCASTING TOWERS THERE ARE MULTIPLE TOWERS UP THERE WITH A LOT OF SENSITIVE BROADCASTING AND SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT AND CAMERAS AS WELL YOU CAN SEE THE FIRE HAS BEEN GROWING IN SIZE IS STARTED YESTERDAY AT ABOUT 130 IN THE AFTERNOON, THIS IS THE RESULT OF FIRE, THERE WAS WORK CREWS THAT WERE FACING BOULDERS DOWN IN THE FIELD WHEN SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT CAUGHT FIRE AND IS SPREAD CONTINUOUSLY OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS TO ALMOST 9000 ACRES 0% CONTAINMENT, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS LIVE PICTURES OF THE FLAMES APPROACHING SANTIAGO PEAK. IT APPEARS IN THE LAST FIVE MINUTES THAT SOME OF THE FLAMES ARE GETTING VERY, VERY CLOSE TO A BUILDING THAT IS UP THERE. I'M NOT SURE WHAT IS IN THE BUILDING BUT THERE ARE SPACES OPEN FOR PEOPLE TO WORK, WE'VE NOT HAD ANY INFORMATION ABOUT ANY HUMANS THAT ARE UP THERE RIGHT NOW BUT YOU CAN SEE AS SKY CALZONES OUT THE CLICK COLUMN OF BLACK SMOKE I ALSO DON'T SEE ANY WATER DROPPING AIRCRAFT ON THE RADAR RIGHT NOW THAT COULD BE IN A REFUELING POSITION OR RELOADING WATER DROPS RIGHT NOW AS THE FIRE CONTINUES TO BURN UNCHECKED IN THE MOUNTAINS. I CAN BRING YOU ACTIVE MY SCREEN AND SHOW YOU WHERE THIS IS BURNING THERE ARE EVACUATIONS LET ME SHOW YOU THIS IS THE IMPORTANT FIRE, YOU CAN SEE ORANGE COUNTY AND LAKE ELSINORE. AS WE ZOOM IN THE BRIGHT ORANGE AREA THAT IS THE AREA BURNED CENSUS FIRE STARTED YESTERDAY AT 130. THE EVACUATION ZONES RIGHT HERE ARE IN AN AREA CALLED TRABUCO CANYON CENTRAL PARK THAT THE COMMUNITY UNDER AN EVACUATION ORDER AND THIS AFTERNOON WE'VE ALSO SEEN EVACUATION ORDERS DOWN HERE IN THE SAN JUAN HOT SPRINGS AREA THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE TO LIVE IN THE AREA BUT THE BIG CONCERN IS ALSO THE EVACUATION WARNINGS ALL ALONG HERE IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY THE FIRE IS MOVING IN A NORTHWEST AND SOUTHEAST DIRECTION SO COMMUNITIES AND LAKE ELSINORE ARE UNDER EVACUATION WARNINGS, RIVERSIDE COUNTY FIRE WANTS PEOPLE TO LIVE IN THE AREAS TO PACK THEIR BAGS AND BE READY TO LEAVE AT A MOMENTS NOTICE AND LAKE ELSINORE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS CLOSED TODAY BECAUSE OF THE FIRE IN THE AIR QUALITY ISSUES, GOING OUT LIVE PICTURES FROM SKY CAL YOU CAN SEE THE ENORMOUS FIRE LINE WERE LOOKING AFLAME LINKS, 20, 30 FEET IN THE AIR THIS IS AN INDICATION OF VERY HOT TEMPERATURES, VERY OLD GROWTH IN THICK VEGETATION THAT IS BURNING AT THE TOP OF THE CELL IT IS CHRISTINE WERE SANTIAGO PEAK IS ALL OF THE BROADCASTING EQUIPMENT THERE, I TELL YOU IT DOES LOOK LIKE IT'S GETTING VERY CLOSE TO THE RADIO TOWERS. >> IT SURE DOES, WE WERE ON THIS FIRE LIVE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AND I JUST PULLED UP MY NOTES YESTERDAY WHEN WE WERE ON THE AIR BEFORE 3:00 O'CLOCK CALLING THIS REPORT FIRE THAT BROKE ON THE AREA WHERE THERE IS A REMOTE CONTROL AIRPORT LANDING STRIP THAT IS WHERE IT STARTED WE WATCHED IT RAISED UP THE HILL WHICH IS A GOOD SIGN BECAUSE IT WAS GOING AWAY FROM THE HOMES THAT WERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BUT WE HAVE NEVER IMAGINED IT% WAS GOING TO REACH THE TOP OF THE PEAK WHERE WE HAVE ALL OF THE TOWERS AFTER AND YOU WERE TELLING OUR VIEWERS HOW IMPORTANT THOSE TOWERS ARE AND YESTERDAY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BREAST CLEARANCE IN THE AREA AND HOW MUCH SMOKE WAS OUT THERE BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH BRUSH THAT HADN'T WOUNDED MANY, MANY YEARS, WE WERE HOPING THAT IT WOULD NEVER REACH THE TOP OF THE HILLSIDE BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND RESOURCES ARE SPREAD OUT THEN BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY FIRES BURNING ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RIGHT NOW AND THIS IS A FIRE WHERE WE DID SEE CREWS ON THE BOTTOM WHERE THE FIRE STARTED BUT THIS IS WHETHER THIS FIRES THAT THEY'RE FIGHTING FROM THE AIR AND AIR RESOURCES WERE BEING SPREAD THIN BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE FIRES THAT ARE BURNING RIGHT NOW, THIS WOULD TAKING A TERRIBLE TURN AS IT CONTINUED UP THE HILL AND GETTING SO CLOSE TO THE TOWERS. >> REALLY IS A GREAT RESEARCH FROM ASANTE AGAR PEAK IS ON THE TOP SATO BACKGROUND 4000 FEET ELEVATION. IN RADIO SITES WITH MULTIPLE DIFFERENT AGENCIES OUT THERE WITH IMPORTANT RADIO COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT INCLUDED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA SA SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON OUR OWN STATION KCAL ALL OF THESE ENTITIES HAVE EQUIPMENT UP TH THERE, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TELECOMMUNICATION SITE FOR RADIO, TELEVISION AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN THE FIRE CONTINUES TO BURN I'M SEEING WATER DROPPING AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA THERE IS ONE TYPE 1 HELICOPTER, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT KIND, MIGHT BE A SPOTTER HELICOPTER BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY A TACTICAL AIR TANKER IN THE AREA. ANOTHER VERY LARGE JETS, THE FOUR ENGINE JETS WATER DROPPING AIRCRAFT TO CARRY 3000 GALLONS ARE OPERATING IN THIS VICINITY, WE MAY BE ABLE TO SEE A WATER DROP FROM THEM SOON BECAUSE THERE ARE CERTAIN WATER SOURCES HERE THAT COULD GO TO LAKE ELSINORE, THEY COULD ALSO FOR ANY KIND OF REFILL ON WATER, THERE IS ALSO THE UPPER RESERVOIR AMONG THE 241 THAT MAY BE ABLE TO WATER DROPPING HELICOPTERS MAY BE ABLE TO GET SOME WATER FROM THERE AS WELL. THERE IS ALSO SOME CAMERAS THAT I MAY BE ABLE TO GO TO HEAR, I WILL HAVE THAT FOR YOU IN JUST A SECOND, I'M WORKING ON THAT BUT THEY ARE PUBLICLY ASSESSABLE CAMERAS IN THE AREA ASANTE AGAR PEAK THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THE IMAGES THAT I'M WORKING ON RIGHT NOW BUT I TELL YOU THIS PICTURE FROM SKY CAL REALLY SHOWS HOW MUCH SMOKE, HEAT AND INTENSITY THAT THE AIRPORT FIRE IS NOW MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION TOWARDS THE TOP OF SADDLEBACK MOUNTAIN. >> IT IS SO HARD TO SEE THE PLANES OR HELICOPTERS WHEN THERE'S SO MUCH SMOKE. OF COURSE WITH HIS NICE CLEAR BLUE SKIES WE CAN SEE THEM BUT THIS IS A LARGE AND VERY THICK PLUME OF SMOKE UP THERE BURNING SO MUCH OF THE BRUSH THAT IS ON THE HILLSIDE THAT HAS NOT BEEN FOR QUITE SOME TIME. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE OUT THE AIRCRAFT THAT IS UP THERE BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THEY ARE FIGHTING THE FIRE FROM UP ABOVE BECAUSE OF THE RUGGED TERRAIN. THERE ARE LITTLE FIRE ROADS AND WAYS TO GET UP TO THE TOP OF THE PEAK, SANTIAGO PEAK, WE DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYONE UP THERE WE KNOW OCCASIONALLY THERE ARE CREWS THAT GO UP THERE TO MAINTAIN AREA AND OF COURSE BRUSH CLEARANCE IN THE AREA BUT THIS IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE SITUATIONS THAT WE ARE HOPING NOT TO SEE AND THAT IS THE FLAMES REACHING THE SPEAK AS TOWERS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT TO ANYONE WITHIN THE BROADCAST AREA BECAUSE SO MANY OF US USE THIS FOR TELEVISION AND RADIO AS YOU WERE MENTIONING AND WERE HOPING TO SEE SOME DROPS, NO YESTERDAY AFTERNOON WE SAW A LOT OF THAT RETARDANT BEING DROPPED AS THEY WERE REALLY TRYING TO CIRCLE THE FIRE. IT LOOK LIKE THE LINES WERE REALLY WORKING, THEY MADE REALLY SUCCESSFUL DROPS BUT WITH THE SUN DOWN OR WHEN PICKING UP IN THE FIRE REALLY FIGHTING UP THE HILLSIDE AND OF COURSE YOU HAVE THE HIGH TEMPERATURES THAT ARE GOING ALONG WITH THIS, THE FORTUNATE THING HAS BEEN WHILE IT WAS 100 DEGREES UP THERE WHEN THE FIRE BROKE OUT THE WINDS WERE RELATIVELY CALM AND TO PUT THIS INTO PERSPECTIVE WHEN WE STARTED COVERING THE FIRE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AROUND 3:00 O'CLOCK IT WAS ONLY 7 ACRES AND NOW IT'S EXPLODED AND WE TYPICALLY SEE IT GO UP HILLSIDE, FIRES THAT USUALLY GO DOWN THEY GO UP BUT IT LOOKED AS THOUGH THE TANKERS HAD REALLY DROPPED ENOUGH OF THE RETARDANT BUT CLEARLY THIS IS A DIFFERENT SIDE OF THE STORY BECAUSE WE SEE THE FIRE HAS REACHED THE PEAK. >> AS SOMETHING REALLY INCREDIBLE TO SHOW YOU, AS I MENTIONED THEIR PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE CAMERAS ON THE PEAK ON SANTIAGO CANYON PEAK, HERE IS WHAT OF THEM RIGHT NOW, THIS IS A TIME OF BASICALLY THE LAST 30 MINUTES OF SANTIAGO PEAK YOU CAN SEE IT THE FIRE IS BURNING RIGHT UP TO THE BUILDINGS AND THERE'S A LOT OF SMOKE I'M GOING TO LUCAS AGAIN AND YOU CAN SEE IT THIS IS FROM THE ACTUAL CAMERA EQUIPMENT THERE ON SANTIAGO PEAK, YOU CAN SEE IT IS RUN BY ELDER CALIFORNIA THIS IS A LINKAGE OF CAMERA SITES ACROSS HEAVEN CALIFORNIA THAT ANYONE CAN ACCESS AT OTHER CALIFORNIA.COM IS USED FOR FIREFIGHTING IN NORMALLY AT THE ASSIGNMENT DESK WOULD WE USE THESE CAMERAS IT IS TO GET A LOOK AT FIRES THAT ARE VERY, VERY FAR AWAY BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE WE SEE A FIRE THAT IS CRAWLING UP THE SIDE OF SANTIAGO PEAK, YOU CAN SEE IT REALLY DOES LOOK LIKE IT'S RIGHT LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET MY PICTURES WITH THIS THIS IS CURRENTLY LIVE AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE BUILDINGS MAYBE GOING SOON. >> IT IS TOUGH TO WATCH THE FIRE CAUSING SO MUCH DAMAGE. AGAIN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE WEATHER AND YESTERDAY WAS THE HOTTEST DAY AND THE TIME THE FIRE BROKE OUT WAS 100 DEGREES WINDS WERE RELATIVELY CALM BUT PAUL DEANNO KEEPING A