San Diego
Everywhere, fire crews are doing what they can, but the fire is so large and moving so fast that decisions must be made quickly as to which homes to save and which homes were already too far gone. Fire Capt Edward Ketchem of San Diego Fire Station #34 looks exhausted, but his work will continue long into the night and through the coming days. All in all, more than 207,000 acres and more than 300 Scripps ranch homes were burned. President Bush quickly added San Diego to the list of Southern California counties declared as disaster areas, clearing the way for federal aid. Governor Gray Davis, later toured the smoking ruins and described the devastation as "beyond belief".
