(09/11) GAS Hour 2 - SoCal Fires

This is Gary and Shannon and you're listening to KFI AM six forty, the Gary and Shannon Show on demand on the iHeartRadio app. Anyway, Okay, so how many people tuned in to watch that debate? I was just looking this up because I am interested. Complete network viewership numbers are expected to be released later in the day, but we do have some early overnight figures. According to the analyst Michael Muldehill, the debate saw a big increase in

So that means that out of all televisions, thirty two point eight percent were tuned into the debate, right right, and that I have everybody that had televisions on seventy percent.

Yes, that's huge, a seventy Oh my god.

All right.

Obviously, we are on top of the fires.

KFI News has been doing a wonderful job of having all of our bases covered. We have three fires burning right now. They're kind of in a triangle shape. One of them we will get to coming up in a little bit. This is the one in San Gabriel Canyon that blew through rightwood, terrifying the people who live there

Yeah, that's yeah.

It's burned more than twenty two thousand acres at this point. It started Monday afternoon near Tribuco Canyon Road. It's in the area of a remote controlled airplane airport. Eight firefighters have already been injured since this thing started, and several homes have been reported destroyed. I pulled oce FA Division Chief Craig kobea side. He's the guy that ran operations

He gave me kind of a rundown of the path of this thing.

Started in the bottom of Tribucal Canyon.

It was a very poor placement for us to go because it was immediately on both sides of the canyon road, which makes it even more challenging for us. And there was no place for us to get ahead of it and stop it because it's a large, continuous canyon that we immediately start had rock slides and things like that that cut us off. We knew right away that this was going to be a major incident. There's history of

I'm pretty much everybody probably saw that. There was a few of them. As you said, Shannon, there's three fire that kind of you could see these plumes of smoke beginning the afternoon fire fight yesterday, and that pushed the fire to jump or take a highway, and those multiple homes were burned and destroyed a damage assessment cruise i'm told will be up in that area today to get an account. But I'm told all the homes that burned are on the Ortega side or the east side of

From twenty eighteen.

Today, air crews will continue to hammer that thing with air, you know, and we're expecting the temperatures and wind to be lower again.

But a concerning fuel advisory because there's just.

So much dry brittle brush up there that can burn, especially over the especially over all the years of recent reigns as we've been hearing, and even in that burn.

Scar, there is has been some growth in that area.

So though it has slowed down, I'm told that there could be a concern that it can burn through there. And then again the look will be to keep this thing out of Lake Elsinore where it's headed and hopefully Cruz can get a handle on it.

Today, they called this thing the airport fire because it's in the area of a remote controlled airplane airport. I did not know that this was a thing until years ago when I saw Bruce Jenner. He was Bruce Jenner at the time on keeping up with the Kardashians, and he has this like hobby thing where he takes remote controlled airplanes out.

How do you know anything about that, Corbett.

I'm just just wondering how big this airport, like, how many people are into this kind of thing.

I've been wondering and asking about those same situations. So as soon as I get that information, I'll let you know. I mean, it's it's just amazing that that is the sort of thing that's up there. But as you mentioned earlier, right in that same area, they're also trying to reduce the fire, the chances of fire in that area, and that is where we had this.

That's where it all started.

And quite accidentally, I'm told, and just real quick to hear from OCFI Fire Captain Steve Concialdi, he'll explain just in that airport area, how this whole thing started.

Orange County Public Works were using heavy equipment to move large boulders. They were trying to limit vehicles going off Tribucal Creek by putting these large boulders in place. Unfortunately, heavy equipment at times can cause.

Sparks, and there was some sparks.

It caught nearby vegetation.

They tried to quickly put that fire out.

They called nine one right away, Orange County Fire Center robust response as well as the Cleveland National Force from the US Forest Service firefighters, and that fire quickly grew.

Yeah, and so basically this crew is trying to prevent fires and you know, stopping these awful road vehicles from going off the road. And there are those vehicles starting sparks and accidentally started one.

But again the main problem.

Just the focus for today is as temperatures should be a little bit lower and the wind should be a little bit lower, but as it pushes into Riverside County, the main problem is this wind tunnel.

I remember this from the Holy Fire.

I was out there in twenty eighteen watching this fire shoot through the canyon in Lake Elsinore as it moved into the city, and it's just an unexpected amount of fire progression. That it's a wind tunnel known as the Elsinor effect. It's like the opposite of Santa Ana wins. It happens every day at two and essentially it pull pushes the wind through the valley and then like a flu on a chimney sort of, it can turn around the other direction and fire crews are preparing for that

All right, Corbin Carson, k FI News thank you so much for your time.

Appreciate it much, appreciate it. Thank you guys again.

KAFI News will be all over all of these fires all day long for you as long as they are burning. We will get an update on the right Wood situation coming up at the bottom of the hour. At ten thirty or thereabouts, we'll hold a news conference to provide an update on that fire burning in the angels National The bridge fight, the Bridge fire, right, San Bernardino County. Chris Little would be very upset with you if you heard you say that we don't use the name.

Well, just because there's three different fires going on at the same time, so there's want people to differentiate between them.

Any shot, I.

Can take it, Chris Little. I'm going to do it every time, twice on Sunday. And what's the thinking. There's what things about the name. What's the problem with the names? Well, the name is nobody knows what that means. The bridge fire, airport fire. If you say the fire burning in the sand, Abriel, can you can do both?

You can know? Yeah, sure, right, but that's not the rule here.

All right, Well, I want to follow the rules.

I'm the new guy, So we will take that live when it starts here on KFI to get an update for you, because that thing has is a beast.

It's grown to more than.

Yeah, lost homes unfortunately on that one.

Right forty six thousand acres there and uh, it just exploded overnight, So we'll get an update. The siglurt we were talking about this off the air. Not a lot of people probably know the origin of sig alert or what that means. In fact, I think this is another Chris Little rule. But you know what a SIG alert is. Right, If you hear on KFI the traffic report there's a SigAlert on the five through Alesion Park, you know what that means. It means that the the freeway is closed,

That was his namesake.

Baby.

Essentially he is dead and.

Now was killed in a traffic accident.

Was he really Oh that was a dark humor.

So it was named after him, essentially.

I think he was ninety five. I think he died of natural cause. It was named after him him. That was his last name, Siegmund.

So they call it a SigAlert and basically means a significant traffic delay.

Right. It goes back to the fifties.

Sure, and now that we are using all the apps, there's no mention of SIG alert.

A little bit of nostalgia in la leaving us.

Well, we still do traffic here.

We don't use that term, right, right, Yeah, I mean It's interesting because if you're at home watching or listening, traffic is interesting because I'm at home, but unless I'm getting ready to leave. But if you're in the car on the radio, obviously that's huge. But again, do you do you use the app or do you do you listen to the radio? I guess if you're here, you're going to listen to the radio.

I do both.

Actually, and ways of course has the traffic, you know, the red lines, the dreaded red lines that you never want to see.

Lloyd Sigmund born in nineteen oh nine, the year that Marconi split a Nobel Prize for his contributions to radio. At a military school in Missouri, the other boys nicknamed Lloyd Sigmund radio Bug. He took Sigg as his amateur radio handle. One Christmas, he made his father a crystal radio receiver, said that the folks at home said was at least as good as anything that was on the

How funny. I love stuff like that.

Well, today's traffic reporters are carrying on like a long legacy. I mean remember Kelly Lang, our friend from KNBC. Yeah, her first job was as a helicopter traffic reporter and her nickname, did you know this was was Dawn O'Day no in a several Lama jumpsuit. Oh yeah, Bruce Wayne KFI in the sky forever.

Mike Nolan, Yeah, I remember one time I was anchoring and for John and Ken and Mike Nolan was a traffic reporter at the time in his in his plane and the i FB wasn't working, so I.

Was hearing the off air. Yes, I was hearing Mike Nolan.

He's in one ear as I'm trying to read the news, and I during the traffic break or no, it was during a commercial or something, and I hit the IFB and I'm.

Like, Mike, I got you gotta stop talking to me. I'm trying to read the news. My my, headsets broke.

That was on the air. No, no, it wasn't on.

The air, but it was. He he heard.

Me say that, and then we lost contact with Mike Nolan and I'm like, and Clay, who's running the board, He's like, I can't get a hold of Mike Nolan. The signal's not coming in, and I'm like, oh no, And then we find out that he had to make an emergency landing and I felt awful and he got injured in the whole thing. But for a month there I was like, oh no, I I what did I do? But you know, it's just it's kind of hectic.

It could be hectic.

Sometimes to communicate with the traffic reporter and the way they communicate with each other and everything. It's not as easy and silky as it sounds.

So we're on the air, we usually can hear the program audio it's called What's on the air. We can hear that in our ears, and then the IFB, which is a rating and a TV term interrupted feedback.

So in the control room, the.

Producer or the director has the ability to push a button and interrupt that audio stream and add their you know, go to commercial or he's not there or there's a fire, or you made a mistake, or whatever the instructions might be. And it's always a bit of a challenge not to lose your train of thought while they're like talking in your ear right, Yes, you see the earpieces that everybody wears their headphones. So oh man futtle insight info there.

All right, We're going to shut in here and take you live to this press conference Catherine Barger right now, LA County Board of Supervisors and update on the fire burning in the San Gabriel Canyon in Rightwood.

Asked to go squandering even a few minutes may be the difference between life and death. I also want to acknowledge those who've tragically lost their homes and properties during this fire. My heart is heavy for you, and please know our county is here to offer you our support. The county's emergency managers are currently standing up assistance centers to get you connected to the help that you will

Good morning. I'm Supervisor hilde Sale and I want to also join my colleague, Supervisor Barger and also send my condolences to those individuals that have lost their property as well as in many ways sometimes their livelihood. But I want to thank also our chief LA County Fire Department, Chief Maroney, and also Robert Luna, and all of our partners here, especially the Los Angeles National Forests and everyone OEM everyone that's been working on this to.

Help mitigate the Bridge friar.

I want to say also that I want to thank Governor Gavin Newsom for working to help us secure a fire management grant assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the Britain.

It's always one of the most frustrating things about these press conferences is all the politicians like to take the first bank and then the thanking, like, just give us the facts.

To remain as we stated to be vigilant and to take all necessary plan.

If you're in the fire right you're not watching TV. No, you're not listening to elected officials.

But if you are, you want the information.

Yeah, it's a tough one. I mean, I appreciate them being out there. I do appreciate them being out there. Again, more facts and less thanking would be better, easy for us to say we're saving a nice, you know, comfortable studio.

Board of supervisors.

If you and I have both sat through those meetings, they are bloated boobs for the most part that just love to hear themselves talk. I mean it's been years, it's probably been fifteen years since I've been to one.

But oh that that's that has changed.

Worse, except they have better electronics now.

Oh do they that's graphics.

That's nice. Yeah. But there are services available.

I mean, there's money, there's resources, there's help not just from the county but from the Red Cross, Salvation Army all that.

So that that's important for me. Where the shelters are sure, but lead.

With the firefighters giving us an update on the progress and the forward motion of this thing.

Right, Well, that's not the way it works.

Fair Plex, located at six to Oho one West McKinley Avenue and Pomona. Seeking refuge there are advised to enter through Gate three on the corner of McKinley and White. This evacuation center will be a refuge for both people and animals. In fact, last night, I understand Pomona Fairplex got a call to take four people as well as forty two horses and donkeys.

Are they eating the horses and the donkeys.

Are working to kuwait water, food, diapers, and other resources, including bringing in our Los Angeles County departments to provide health and wellness checks. Stay connected through our official channels. As we said earlier, we actively are updating the Ola County dot gov, slash emergency website, social media platforms, and local news outlets with the latest information on the fire status.

In addition to a b GOSH.

Respond efforts, we're planning for a long term recovery and that includes support for rebuilding efforts and addressing any environmental and health impacts from this fire. We understand it is a challenging time for everyone, and please know that La County stands with all of you and Espanola.

Okay, we'll pull awave here for a moment Mountain High by the way, there were some conflicting reports that Mountain High the was just leveled. Mountain High is tweeted within moments that the fire raced through the area yesterday.

But great news.

All the main lifts and the buildings there survived with little to no damage. Of course, they're thanking the firefighters and everyone there, but just harrowing times last night.

For people in Rightwood who have, you know, experience with this.

They're not this isn't their first rodeo, but some of them said it was the scaredest they've ever been, just grabbing their stuff and going is so quick.

You know.

You can't say enough about the firefighters though, really, I mean, we're here talking about the politicians and how but the firefighters are the ones who are just so incredible out there on the scene. I have to say, it just bears repeating. I mean, it sounds obvious, right, but it bears repeating.

People who were there said they saw the sky turn from a cherry red to black in about ninety minutes as that thing raced towards right Wood, and that it was just hellish.

Yeah.

Look, this is one of the unfortunate realities of southern California. We spent a lot of time talking about the pros and cons of living here, right, and this is definitely one of the challenges. I mean, I can't imagine what these people who lose.

Their homes go through.

You know, when the news we move on like next week, there'll be a whole other story and the people have lost their homes are left to deal with insurance and rebuilding.

And it burned through seventy five square miles quickly.

About that.

Yeah, obviously the largest of the three major wildfires, endangering tens of thousands of homes and other structures.

So we're talking about like largely like north and east of say, like the two ten the San Gabriel Valley up into the mountains, That's what we're talking about, right.

Big Bear Lake as well was another issue with these fires.

So are they back fire with actual firefighters yet or no?

No?

Still are we still in espanol ah? Okay see Siecomono see I could do this. We are getting an update on the fire that started in the San Gabriel Canyon and had moved through right Wood. It is currently at about forty eight thousand acres zero percent containment. It is the largest active fire in the state right now. The destruction is vast, thirty nine homes lost so far in

This is why we donate to the Red Cross generously every year, right right, because they're out there helping people in situations like this.

Yeah, that's a rough go. I mean, we've all covered those fires where neighborhoods are just wiped out, and you see the people go back to see what's left.

Nothing. Terrible, unbelieve terrible.

Well, there was a report.

Out this morning about attorney generals from forty two states agreeing on something that says something. Sure, when forty two states can agree on one thing, right, they're calling on the US Surgeon General to continue his fight against social media. He called for a warning label on social media apps back in June, and now attorney generals from forty two states are supporting that and saying let's do more.

Yeah, I mean it's tough to be against this.

Basically, they're trying to put what they say is is protect future generations of Americans. I mean the thinking is, and there's not like definitive studies on this, but that younger people, adolescents, teenagers who spent significant time on social media are more anxious, more depressed, they have issues about body image. Of course, we've talked about this before, subject

So yeah, so it's a warning label.

Not quite clear how the mechanics of that would work, but there seems to be almost universal consensus that it's a good idea.

Yeah, it's easy when you talk about putting labels on cigarettes, right, you just smack it right on there on the package. But how would that work? What would that look like? And would it deter people? Maybe it would do enough? Mind sure enough people and maybe not everybody, but enough people may stop and think, oh, this could be harmful to my health.

Yeah.

I mean it's one of these few things in this day and age that has bi partisan support. That would have been a good question to ask the candidates in the debate last line if they'd supported that. I mean, I can't imagine why they wouldn't, But yeah.

It's all about the algorithm, right, Yes, speaking of mental health issues coming up in the next hour. Wow, I was listening to the John Cobalt Show yesterday and I think it was a first, all the years listening to John and Ken, I think it was definitely a first that I started crying listening to that show and it

It is it is very it's important. Radio is what it is.

So Deborah, thank you so much for allowing us to play that back as thank.

You, Shannon. I appreciate, I appreciate that you're playing it.

Yeah, it's very important.

Phil and I both were talking about it, and you know, it's just it's it's very brave to be so honest and to put stories out there that can help other people no matter, you.

Know, And it's great to be able to use the power of mass media radio television.

It's really our purpose honestly help.

People rather than just talk mindlessly about things.

Right, right, right.

We're not just genital's jokes, you know, We're not just fire coverage. But helping each other I think is key and we're happy to do that, all right. Coming up next, we will talk to a reporter from Axios. Of course, the debates still fresh on everyone's minds, and what are we going to see come of this? How are the campaigns going to use what happened last night to further their causes? Already the attack ads are going to be incredible for the Harris campaign. How much juice will they

Oh, it's my pleasure. I love it.

You've been listening to the Gary and Shannon Show.

You can always hear us live on KFI AM six forty nine am to one pm every Monday through Friday, and anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio ap