Thousands Evacuated, More Than 100 Homes Burned in Montecito Wildfire

A firefighter works to contain a wild fire in Santa Barbara, California November 14, 2008. A huge wildfire fanned by strong winds destroyed at least 70 multimillion-dollar homes in the celebrity enclave of Montecito, northwest of Los Angeles, officials said. (Photo from Reuters Pictures)

Updated 9:51 AM PST, Fri, Nov 14, 2008

Firefighters and a squadron of aircraft launched a daylight attack Friday to push back a wind-whipped wildfire that destroyed ‘well over 100 homes’ in Montecito. The fire forced thousands to evacuate their homes in the longtime celebrity hideaway, fire officials said.

Daily Grunge Report

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Specter of Gustav on Katrina Anniversary

Photo graphic courtesy of AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center

Preparations to protect lives and property ahead of the arrival of Gustav continue today along the U.S. Gulf Coast on the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. With the destruction and loss of lives during Katrina, one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, still fresh on the minds of everyone along the Gulf Coast, federal, state and local officials are vowing that Gustav will not be a repeat of Katrina.

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