Evacuees share their harrowing tales, which emergency alert systems are most effective, how to protect yourself from smoke.
How to get notified about fire evacuations in your area
Creek Fire: High rains and dry summer 'reloaded fuel' for flames
Just over nine years after the devastating Sayre Fire ripped through Sylmar, the Creek Fire is once again threatening structures and forcing residents near burn zones to evacuate.
Residents like Jennifer Knopp, who began preparing to leave before official orders were given.
"I grabbed some clothes and I grabbed my computer," Knopp told Take Two.
By Tuesday evening, Knopp was told she had to go. In her rush to leave, she was unable to take her two cats.
Knopp is now with staying with a friend in Simi Valley. She hopes she'll be allowed back home soon to gather her cats.
As of Wednesday morning, the Creek Fire had scorched more than 11,000 acres.
Geography and environmental studies professor Amalie Orme said a combination of factors, including last year's wet winter, the chaparral landscape, and Santa Ana winds, may have caused the fire to spread faster.
"The terrain above Sylmar and where the fire began in Kagel Canyon and near Lopez Canyon is fairly rugged," Orme explained. "The combined high typography, with winds accelerating over the San Gabriel Mountains, this picture was very ripe for a very rapid spread of the flames."
This Creek Fire is currently bigger than the Sayre Fire in 2008. What's caused it to grow as fast as it has?
Yes. This fire has moved much more rapidly, and that has much to do with the sustained winds that we were experiencing over the last day and a half, as well as the very high-velocity gusts. You have gusts into the range of 45-55 miles per hour.
The wind was moving from the northeast and then from the east to the west. With that, there was very little that could be done in terms of containing the fire immediately because the wind velocities were so great this time.
Wind velocity and shifting winds?
Yes, one of the unique things about this fire, as well as the fire in Ventura, is the fact that with typical Santa Ana winds you have northeast to southwest flowing air, compressing as it passes over the mountains.
In this case, the ridge of high pressure to the east of us is strong, and there's a secondary flow moving from east to west. If you move east to west, you're automatically moving flames into areas that are populated with Southern California sage, Chapparal and so on.
One thing that stands out is the timing of the fire. It's December. It sounds unusual. Is it unusual?
It is unusual.
It is not unusual to have Santa Ana winds in December. We can have Santa Ana winds almost year-round here.
What is different is the duration of these winds, the speed of these winds and the fact that they are occurring at a time when we have exceptionally low humidity.
Humidity in the Sylmar area was three to seven percent. And there has been virtually no rain, which we may expect this time of year. So December is unique in terms of the size of the Santa Ana conditions as well as the very low humidity.
We just came off a time that seemed like we had a lot of rain. I think a lot of people thought we might be OK for a while.
We were an intense drought and then it was populated with this very large rainfall event last year. What that did is promoted a lot of vegetation growth. Then that was followed by a very warm and very dry summer. In fact, we basically just renewed the fuel load in the areas that are burning now.
Press the blue play button above to hear the full interview.
The air quality is bad out there...here's how to protect yourself
As fires continue to burn in Ventura, Sylmar, Santa Clarita and L.A., the Santa Ana winds show no signs of letting up.
Even if you're not in the immediate vicinity of the fires, smoke particles in the air will be affecting all of us in Southern California in the coming days.
Sam Atwood is a spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District. He joined Take Two to talk about how the wildfires are affecting local air quality.
It's bad out there
Atwood explained that when there's smoke in the air, there are particulates that are especially harmful to the elderly and those with respiratory conditions.
Wearing masks is helpful, but not all masks are created equal. A Martinez tried out a few and found the most effective one.
Three tips for staying safe
- Don't exercise vigorously in areas that are impacted by smoke
- Stay indoors
- Turn on your air conditioners and keep all your windows and doors closed
And if you don't have air conditioning, rest assured, there are other options.
"You can at least stay indoors and close the windows and doors," he says.
He cautions, though, "Something like a swamp cooler would not be advisable because it would be drawing outdoor air into your dwelling. And if you don't really have a way to protect yourself, then it's probably good to think about moving temporarily to somewhere else – a shelter or neighbor's or friend's"
You can keep yourself informed on the air quality in your area by clicking here, for AQMD's interactive air advisory map.
To hear the full segment on how to protect yourself when air quality is poor, click the blue play button above.
The most effective (and ineffective) masks to combat air pollution
The air quality in Northern California is the worst on record as fires continue to burn in the region. It's also a concern for those living in and around Anaheim Hills, where the Canyon Fire 2 is still burning.
Californians deal with fire risk almost year-round now, so it's not a bad idea to include in your first aid kit a mask that can help block out toxic particles in the air during a blaze.
We tested five different air pollution masks with Ed Avol, air pollution expert at USC's Keck School of Medicine. He gave us some insight on which ones worked, and which ones didn't.
1. Handkerchief
It's true, something is better than nothing. But in the case of this method, less is not more.
"It may get us to think about what we're breathing in terms of effectiveness. It doesn't really do much in terms of protection."
Don't waste your time with this one.
2. Surgical mask
This mask seems to be the one people reach for most often.
But Avol explains, it's a poor choice:
"Because it doesn't conform to the shape of your face and make a good seal...air is just going to go around the corners. In terms of smoke, that's the way particles are going to get in."
Throw that surgical mask away! It's not helping at all.
3. The N95
It's all in the name. Turns out the 95 in N95 is a rating on effectiveness. This half-domed mask filters 95 percent of certain sized particles.
It's a far better choice than the surgical mask or handkerchief because the metal piece at the top actually allows for the mask to mold to the shape of your face. That's how you stop harmful particles from getting in.
4. The N95 with ventilation
This is a variation of the N95, but with a plastic vent in the front. Avol described it as "the next grade up."
"This has a non-rebreathing one-way valve," said Avol. He explained that when it comes to disposable masks like the ones being tested, "it gets very humid and very damp inside."
"Masks like [the N95 with ventilation] have an exhalation valve on it — sort of help you to get the air out without bringing air in through that, without having to go through the protective filter."
Due to this nifty vent, this mask gets the "most effective disposable air pollution mask" award.
5. The P100, multipurpose respirator
This one is hardcore, as you can tell from the GIF. It's a lot more involved than the other masks.
"It has chemical cartridges screwed into either side of the face mask that protects against inhaling certain gases... This is no longer a sort of throwaway onetime use sort of thing — this is a rubberized cover. It has adjustable straps, a sure better fit."
But as far as fire protection goes, this may not be the best choice. Avol opts for the N95. "I think the N95 might do almost as good a job for getting the dust irritation."