Every Picture Tells A Story

[Note: A number of sources, via the US Ultralight Association, allowed us access to the following heart-breaking evidence of the many tragedies occuring in California. Our best wishes and sympathies go out to them all....-E-I-C]

The California wildfires have killed at least 20 people, destroyed more than 2500 buildings and charred more than 700,000 acres. Most are still burning out of control.

When you talk about numbers of that magnitude, it's sometimes a little hard to get your mind around them. But the pictures tell the story of how the blazes have devastated ultralight aviation in Southern California.

Barona Ultralight Park, San Diego County (CA): These pictures were taken on the ground, Tuesday morning, Oct. 28, 2003 between 9 and 10 AM. All hangars were destroyed except one steel one at the extreme east end of the field, although the plane inside that one was destroyed. Most trailers destroyed. In some cases the heat was so severe that puddles of melted aluminum can be seen trickling along the ground, from aircraft frames or trailer siding.

There were eight aircraft NOT completely destroyed by fire, though three of those had burned sections and another was apparently blown from its tiedowns and smashed a long way along the ground, it's completely smashed.

Somehow the fire jumped over the grove of oak trees at the east end of the runway, mostly, and some of the planes tied down there seem to have survived. Nearly everything else within a mile, is burned. The houses up on the hillside south of the field, are also burned. No word on casualties if any.

All aircraft other than those eight, were completely incinerated, just a charred skeleton left or less. Even most engines were unsalvageable on the burned aircraft, melted aluminum and some strange splits in gearbox housings as though something had exploded inside.

All hangars along the runway are burned completely to the ground except the corrugated-steel Quonset-type hangar, and that one caved in with everything inside destroyed. All hangars and shelters at the west end of the field (near where John K. parked his motorhome) are destroyed, including mine. Most hangars at the east end past the runway, were destroyed, though a few pipe skeletons remain.

If anyone would like to make a donation toward rebuilding, they can be made out to "San Diego Ultralight Association" and sent to Larry Faast, 1932 Duke St., Chula Vista, CA 91913.     

The "Cedar" fire began late Saturday afternoon a few miles NE of their park. The gusty NE Santa Ana winds had been blowing from the NE at 40 to 50 mph just before dark. The firestorm reached the airpark during the night only a couple hours after it began allowing no chance to evacuate or try to save planes or equipment. Pilots/hangar owners arrived this morning (Tues) to survey the complete destruction of every hangar and all but two damaged UL's. There was talk of meeting with the Barona Indian tribal counsel about debris removal and possible rebuilding when all the fires are out.     

--Jon Eiserling, Barona

Nichols Field, near San Diego: On Sunday, October 26, 2003, fires ravaged much of San Diego County. There are two ultralight airfields in the San Diego area. They are the John Nichols Field, which is a parachute jump school and ultralight field, and the Barona (Indian Reservation) field, about 35 miles northeast of San Diego City.

When the fire was approaching Nichols field, several members of SDUA (San Diego Ultralight Association), were there, moving planes and checking things over. As the fire got much closer they were directed to leave the area immediately, which they did. One of those there had trouble closing his hangar doors, and by the time he did the fire was moving around the airpark. He put out several small fires at hangars and accessory buildings, fires that would have undoubtedly spread and wiped out the hangars and planes inside. He did leave the field later that evening and is in great shape, as are the hangars and planes. He saved us a lot. We had no damage.

Barona airpark was not so fortunate. As the fire swept through there, hangars, planes, and trailers were destroyed. What their future is we don't know. They can count on the Nichols people to assist them in cleanup and reconstruction if that is their decision.

One safety message out of this is to keep your hangar areas free of brush and grass. Just two weeks ago, we at Nichols hired a crew for $350 to clear grass and brush from the side of our hangar area. If that brush would have been there, no one person could have saved us.     

[ANN Thanks Richard Snow and Ed Ervin for providing this info.]

FMI: www.usua.com