The Old Fire 2003... Neighborhoods Ablaze

[dragonsword461]

this is one of the most depressing videos of fires I've seen because of this ARSONIST who just had to start a fire and watch San Diego go up in flames

[theDJBrothersChannel]

You can't blame the firefighters for not being able to save houses if , first off they don't have enough resources because other huge fucking fires are wasting them up, 60 MPH winds and pushing flames faster than cars go and the fire was started by some dumb-ass psycho who got a kick out of seeing 1,000 homes go up like tinderboxes on rows

[theDJBrothersChannel]

I was seven when hell broke lose across the state! I remember fuck blocks of houses going up like matchsticks! That night a glow of 50 foot flames ran across the whole damn mountain range, everything was gone!

[LastLevelGaming]

When this happened, I was eight years old and I'll never forget how much ash blanketed the sky. I remember the ash falling to the streets and highways of Downtown San Diego as if they were snow... I remember the very ambient yet chaotic nature of this fire... still sends a chill down my spine.

[BanditHamlin11]

I was 9 years old when this happened and as a result, my family's cabin got burned in the fire. Damn shame.

[saintdlee]

I remember this as if it were only yesterday.....man- what an ordeal for everyone.

[dolcevitausa]

very sobering video...

[ts69cowgirlkristi]

I Lived Thru The Old Fire....Especially When We All Evaced From Big Bear...It Was A Nightmare

[TheVTHILLBILLY]

@ 1:10 i think he is going to need more water

[jjpme92un]

"Highway To The DANGERZONE"!! ha ha; nice video though, thanks

[solarfleck]

Great shots of firefighters doing what they do. When that fire got going most of the area's firefighters were already on other fires in San Bernardino and Camp Pendleton. Our neighbor is a firefighter that was fighting one of the fires in another county. He called and said the fire was following the same path as '72 and there was no one to stop it. We packed what we could and got out. Our house burned to the ground that afternoon, but my family got out safe, and that's all that mattered.

[stalag58]

This sucks I am geting ready to move to Julian Ca mabe i should think twice ...

[chevyhavok]

great video...its unreal to think that this is due to repeat itself soon. every 10 or so years a fire like this ravages that area, and the socal is devestated...hopefully its not as bad next time around

[upsfire26]

tom is right i was there as well and no matter how many hours u worked or how hard you busted ur ass there was no stopping it. the plan was save as much as you can stay safe and let it go. i feel bad for everyone that lost houses there.

[dmh7882]

awesome vid yall. i was down there to and i dont have the words to describe it but this gives a lil bit of a idea what it was like

[KurtBuschRules2]

My Cabin in Lake Arrowhead burnt dowb in the fire

[tomztheman]

I was their fighting that fire and it was nothing like i had ever seen before...No matter how hard we worked the fire was to hot and to fast..we did save a area by delrosa that had 2 or 300 homes..

[Polskmofo]

1:06 i think i would have given up at that point

[ben07zie]

who picked out the music?

[Polskmofo]

proly the guy who made the video

[tacticalmedicine]

Great video, i worked with steve, much love fireruck.

[andrewschiffer]

Man, how destruction.

[gishkelly]

WOW! Great video. I lived in San Diego during the whole firestorm of 2007 and had ashes all over the air, had towear a mask, and couldn't go to work because of the air quality. I grew up in San Bernardino and my parents still lived there and were evaucated. What an absolute horrible time for SoCal,.. way worse than the Panorama Fire in the early 80's. Luckily I didn't know anyone who lost their home.

[insanekillamonster1]

My house burned down because of that fire...

[killermexican13]

that shit was right by my house

[BigHall22]

They tried evacuating my dad and I out of San Bernardino near 40th st. we stayed and hosed down our roof, our house didn't burn down but we were unable to save three of our neighbors houses that burned down. It was us two, one other neighbor and a few police officers with garden hoses. Damn that sucked. Great video man.

[1wickedfireman3]

I was there on that fire as a rookie explorer in redlands when I didnt know know what I was doing unttil I was told what to do.

[packysoccer]

I know what it was like because I was there when it started on that hill near the estates.I was living in a RV trailer because our house was under construction.I was asleep and woke up to a red glare,I stepped out and saw not even a mile away, a wall of fire standing twenty feet tall and coming at me and my family,we only got out with one horse all five dogs and a stray and the clothes on our backs.If u want to know more please vist our website at lone oak conemmars ranch we have a story.

[humvee600]

good job firefighters, but at 05:07, was that an burnt news van?

[starnine83]

Yup pretty sure it WAS a news van.

[chainsaw5vent]

yep. that was chuck henry's news van. one of our guys yanked him out of it. he must have gotten waaay too involved in his news reporting and allowed his van to catch on fire. how do you explain that to the boss??? 'i know the equipment worth a few mil is gone, but i got a great story and saved the starter key.....''

[blinko656]

Posibly the best fire video out there. Job well done

[Engineer6418]

This is a very well put together video. I unfortunatly didn't get to make the strike team headed to this fire, but stayed busy in NorCal fighting our own. My hat is off to you sir. Very well done. Tell me though, whats the name of the first song you used in this video. I wanna use it on some training slideshows!

[starnine83]

Hmm I don't know the name of it, but I can tell you that I know for 100% certain that the song is on one of the first 2 Pure Moods albums, pretty sure the first one.

[starnine83]

It's track 8 on the first Pure Moods album. Crockett's Theme by Jan Hammer.

[Parker213710]

my neigborhood was almost killed! it was on top of a hill that was racing down toward us. i was 5 years old ill never for get that day. san diego is still well from 2007's fire but im happy ive survived 2 fires from living her for 7 years!

[TheChristianFairy]

I survived the Cedar Fire. I used to live in san diego and my neighborhood was almost evacuated, but I prayed diligently and I put my trust in the Lord and my neighborhood didn't even have to evacuate.

[ownlegacy]

Here's the biggets one ever and still going.

[kalpaltak]

here we go again..

[lliillaahayes]

Come on now. A Wildfire is a Wildfire. There is not enough water (or firefighters) in all of california to put it out once it gets going. It was started by man (who was never found), but the wind kicks in... we can no longer control it.

[RealMan0fGenius]

I believe they did get the guy. The guy who started the Esparanza Fire sure looked like the skeetch that was made and they where also looking into that guy for the old fire as weel.

See Yahh

[lliillaahayes]

I hope it was the same guy... but I don't know if they have officially called it the same guy or not.

[markypjr]

@lliillaahayes The guy was found his name is Sergio Martinez. And he confessed to Lighting a chaparral shrub when he got lost in clevland national forest when he got lost.

[lliillaahayes]

@markypjr Sergio Martinez started the Cedar Fire in San Diego County with a flare. The Old Fire was the same weekend but in San Bernardino County. They actually did recently finally find the guy who "allegedly" started the Old Fire. He was in jail on an unrelated charge all of this time. I think they are still in the midst of legal wrangling and he is still awaiting trial.

[stroudgirl]

oh man..i remember this....i didnt think i was coming back to a home after all of this...i missed 2 weeks of school for this....did they ever catch the guy who started the fire?

[flyboi001]

looks like the city guys should learn a little more about structure protection. great vid and awsome footage

[chainsaw5vent]

hhmmmm. it is quite obvious by your statement that you have not experienced a wind driven fire in so.cal. by your statement. structure protection is NOT accomplished by 'bump and run'. nor is it done by 20-25 local engines who were on their own for 3-5 hours when the 1st 200-300 houses were destroyed in the del rosa area.

[stuntedcards]

i remember it burning right up to the 210 freeway

[AceFighter10]

it was the lack of air support that made this fire huge. aircrafts were moved from san diego to another location in northern california. when the fire started it was all up to the men on ground with little air support. if there was more air support then the damaged wouldve decreased

[SAYITWITHMEIMCOOL]

they were gone, but the Santa Ana winds kept stuff from flying early on...anything over 25 mph...doesnt get flown.

[batman1874]

I remember this... I was told to leave but I didn't want to... Thank you to all of the firefighters who risked their lives to save my neighborhood... I can't thank you enough...

[toastt21]

Great stuff brother...it was awesome being out there with you in '03... While I'd never wish for events like these to happen to anyone or anyplace, I know we'll be out there again in the future... Peace!