The video, from ABC News tonight, is distressing, as are the written reports.
"The fire was just incredible. It was beyond anything you've ever seen before," he said.
Jay Ringgold, an information technology manager in Carlsbad, smelled the smoke easily. Santa Ana winds, also called devil winds, whipped up the fires.
"People were very surprised that it came that close to the business district. There are a lot of big companies there -- near that is a brush area and homes," Ringgold said. "Everyone was panicking and wanting to get out of there.
Five separate wildfires were burning in and around San Diego today, three within a fifty mile radius, prompting the issuance of 23000 evacuation notices in Carlsbad alone (mostly mandatory), the closure of many businesses (including the huge amusement park, Legoland, its electricity knocked out by the fires), and a precautionary evacuation of the San Onofre nuclear power plant. A fire in San Diego prompted 5000 home evacuations. One of the fires covered 700 acres at Camp Pendleton Marine base. State authorities have confirmed at least 30 structures have been destroyed. San Diego County proclaimed a local state of emergency today, as temperatures reached 100 degrees and humidity only 3-4%.
The coastal town of Carlsbad was particularly hard hit. Its Fire Chief, Michael Davis, commented today on the ferocity and timing of these fires:
In his 27 years in the fire service, he's never seen California's wildfire season start so early, Davis said. That season typically begins in October or so, he said.
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"This is extreme. This has gone from dry conditions to volatile conditions," said a Carlsbad firefighter after using a torch to ignite backfire. "This isn't something we don't normally see until November or September."
The region is experiencing
record heat and almost non-existent humidity:
So far this year, CAL FIRE, the state's department of forestry and fire protection, has responded to more than 1,350 wildfires, according to spokesman Daniel Berlant. The average for this time of year is 700, he said.
Heat is also a factor in the fires this week: Record.high temperatures in the 90s and near 100 degrees will be challenged and broken in many major California cities including San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, Long Beach, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
The forecast of 97 degrees in San Diego today is in striking range of the city's all-time hottest May day, which was 98 degrees in May 1896, the weather service said.
Downtown Los Angeles is forecast to reach 101 degrees, a record high for the day.
More video from CNN:
Additional video:
By mid-afternoon today the "forward progress" of the Carlsbad wildfire had "stopped," according to Davis. Some evacuation orders had been lifted. A fire in Rancho Santa Fe is still threatening, with Santa Ana winds expected to add to the danger. Temperatures are expected to cool a bit by Friday, but there is no rain in sight.