Alcala Yearbook 2007-2008

FIRESTORM Sou-tReJU;t eoi b-OlllttlO 2007 San Diego was de vastated by a series of destruc ti ve fires that spread throughout southern California in late October 2007. Gov- e rnment officials decl ared a St ate of Emergency on O ctober 22, and the fires continued to ravage t he cou nty until early November. Mayo r Jerr y Sanders advised San Diegans to remain indoors and off t he high- ways until the fires subsided . In San Diego County alone, half of a million residents were mandated to evacuate from their homes w hi le thousands of others evacuated vo luntaril y. After being displaced, thousands of evacuees gathered at Qualcomm Stadium and other evacuation sites around the county for shelte r and suppli es . The aftermath of the fires was devastating . O ver 500,000 ac res of land from Santa Moni ca to the Mex ican border were burned, and 1,500 homes we re destroyed . The fires caused the deat h of 9 peopl e and injur ed 85 others, most of w hom were firefighters and other eme rge ncy personnel. During the San Di ego community's t ime of need, people locally, regionally, and nationally aided in the recovery process for those who had been affected.

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