Comments on: As SoCal Burned …

By: Jake

Jake — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:11:47 +0000

The Horno (not Hondo) fire did cross I-5, near the border checkpoint, I believe. It also over ran Camp Horno and SOI–in fact, driving through the base today you can see, on both sides of Basilone Rd at Camp Horno, utter destruction of the vegetation. Right up to within inches of Camp Horno buildings…but no large structures were damaged other than an obstacle course and few range houses-kudos to the firemen on that one. Camp Del Mar was not really threatened, other than by a smaller fire that started at a power substation and was quickly contained–Camp Del Mar was never evacuated unlike several other spots on base. I don’t think the LCACs were ever seriously threatened. Camp Margarita was evacuated due to the Wilcox fire–that’s most likely the fire you see in the photo above. Some parts near mainside were also evacuated due to the fire that started near the horse stables. Camp Horno and SOI, of course, were evacuated. Las Pulgas was evacuated as well, I believe, and you can see devastation right up to the road across from Camp Las Pulgas. It’s still smoldering, even today.
–Jake

By: Byron Skinner

Byron Skinner — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 21:20:21 +0000

Good Afternoon Ward,
The facilities that were the most in danger were the LCAT base and the Amphibious Training Area called Camp Del Mar, both on the West side of I-5. As of last night both these areas were considered secure as the Hondo fire is begaining to burn itself out.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner

By: Edward Walker

Edward Walker — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:42:51 +0000

If I am not mistaken, those are not all UH-1s on that flight line. About midway down the line, there is one aircraft which has a lower tail section and different engine mounting, at least from what I can tell in the picture. It looks to me like an AH-1 Cobra.
It even seems to have the winglets as well like the AH-1. Can anyone else see that?

By: Ward

Ward — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:40:30 +0000

Thanks for the straight intel, Byron.

By: Byron Skinner

Byron Skinner — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:48:27 +0000

Good Morning Folks,
This is a case of don’t believe what you think you see. The Hondo Fire never crossed I-5 and the air strip a Camp Pendleton is about a mile East of I-5.
If you look carefully at the shot it is looking down the runway to the North. The some and flames that appear to be comming at the UH-1’s is in fact at least a mile North/West of the air strip. Those that know photography know that this picture was take with a telaphoto lens which compresses the scene.
No structures or equipment was lost at Camp Pendleton during the current fire storm. Any aircraft at either MCAS Miramar or Camp Pendleton that even had the remotest chance of being involved in the fires was evacuated to NAS Yuma or MCGCB Twenty Nine Plams.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner

By: Mark Pyruz

Mark Pyruz — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:40:46 +0000

For a second there, I thought this pic was DaNang AFB during TET. A Marine cousin of mine fought in that battle.