Slide Fire (Running Springs, near Lake Arrowhead) still not contained.

Slide Fire updates:

Burning more than 10,000 acres with 5% contained. Already distroyed more than 300 homes. Mandatory evacuation still in effect from Crestline to Snow Valley. More than 15,000 people forced to evacuate. In the west, In the west, the Grass Valley fire had burned 1,000 acres and destroyed 113 homes and businesses, but fire officials said it was 30% contained. About 10 miles east, the Slide fire had burned 4,000 acres and more than 200 homes. Firefighters worried that the wind could blow the fires together.

Ken Larson, a fire behavior analyst with the U.S. Forest Service, said, however, that he thought the worst was over. The winds are expected to shift Thursday and Friday, coming from the west rather than the northeast, increasing humidity levels and reducing the fire threat.

Grass Valley Fire Updates:

LAKE ARROWHEAD - The fire’s western flank has been significantly slowed due to the winds “dying down.” Officials while still concerned with the fire reaching Dart Canyon (Eastern Crestline, Lake Gregory) to the West, they are continuing to watch for spot fires and gas line fires in the burned areas. The Santa Ana Winds have died down and we should return to our usual on-shore flow to cool things down and bring the humidity back up from 12% to normal levels, about 30%. Mandatory evacuation remains in effect from Lake Arrowhead to Crestline. Valley of Enchantment and Cedar Pines Park are still under voluntary evacuation.

Mountains Community Hospital is also being evacuated.

Northeast of Running Springs, in Green Valley Lake, a small mountain town of about 750 people, at least 55 homes surrounding the picturesque alpine lake were destroyed.

Where and how fire victims can pick up their mail

California Wildfire evacuations and road closures have disrupted mail delivery and shut down post offices throughout Southern California. In areas where air quality is deemed a health threat, mail service may be delayed. If you live in the area affected by California Fires Disaster, following information will provide detail information. It applies to Malibu, Orange County, San Diego County, and San Bernardino County

Where you can pick up mail:

If you have had to evacuate your home or if your local post office has been closed, you can pick up your mail at designated post offices outside of the evacuation areas. You will need photo identification, such as a California driver’s license or a state-issued identification card.

Orange County:

The Silverado Post Office has been evacuated and remains closed, affecting 550 post office box customers and 550 rural customers. Mail can be picked up at the Orange Post Office, 1075 N. Tustin Street, Orange, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

The Trabuco Canyon Post Office has been evacuated and remains closed, affecting 700 post office box customers and 10 carrier routes in ZIP Code 92679. Mail can be picked up at the Rancho Santa Margarita Carrier Annex, 29862 Avenida De Las Bandera, Rancho Santa Margarita, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Mail for Camp Pendleton can be picked up at the San Clemente Post Office, 520 E. Avenida Pico, San Clemente, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

San Bernardino County:

Mail for Blue Jay 92317, Cedar Glen 92321, Crestline 92325, Lake Arrowhead 92352, Rimforest 92378, Running Springs 92382, Skyforest 92385, Twin Peaks 92391 and Green Valley Lake 92341 can be picked up at Norton Air Force Base, 195 Del Rosa Ave., the same building used during the 2003 wildfires. Mail will be available today from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Friday and — if regular service has not resumed by then –Saturday.

San Diego County:

The following post offices will be open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and — if necessary — Saturday.

Mail for Jamul 91935, Potrero 91963 and Tecate 91980 can be picked up at El Cajon Main Post Office, 401 W. Lexington, El Cajon.

Mail for Ramona can be picked up at the Carmel Mountain Post Office, 11251 Rancho Carmel Drive, San Diego, in Room 117, located at the south end of the Margaret Sellers Processing and Distribution Center.

Mail for Bonsall 92003 and Fallbrook 92028 can be picked up at the Murrieta Carrier Annex, 39571 Los Alamos, just off Interstate 215 in Murrieta. The annex is at the west end of a shopping center.

Malibu:

Mail for the section of the Pacific Coast Highway between Las Flores Canyon and Webb Way, which remains closed, can be picked up at the Colony Annex Post Office, 23648 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu.

If you can’t get to a post office:

The Postal Service will continue to hold your mail; it will not return any mail as undeliverable. Once the evacuation orders are lifted, home delivery will resume, and any mail that has been held will be delivered.

If you face fines for late payment of bills:

If you are fined because of late payments on bills that were delayed or destroyed, you can contact a Postal Service consumer affairs office for your district: Orange County residents, 714-662-6215; San Diego and San Bernardino county residents, 858-674-2670; Malibu residents, 323-586-1250.

The office will provide you with a letter explaining that the fires delayed delivery of your bills and asking your creditors to forgive penalties. In past fires, creditors have been understanding, said U.S. Postal Service spokesman Mike Cannone. You can also write your own letter.

If your mail was destroyed in a fire, contact your district consumer affairs office for a letter to explain the situation.

If you have been affected by California Fires Disaster, following websites will provide a way for you to register yourself as “Safe and Well.” You can also search someone and communicate to your family members.

Following websites will help people get in touch with family members and friends in times of crisis. You can list or search the database.

American Red Cross, Safe and Well List:

List yourself as Safe and Well

Search your friend or family members

LA Times Evacuees Search:

Firesearch LA Times.com

Contact Loved Ones:

Connecting Family and Friends in times of crisis. Visit ContactLovedOnes.org

Southern California School Closed Updates Wednesday, October, 24, 2007 including LA County, Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County, Ventura County and San Bernardino County

Malibu Area:

Most schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will reopen, including Topanga Canyon Elementary School.

Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus will also be open.

Santa Clarita Area:

All schools in the Castaic Union, Newhall, Saugus Union, Sulphur Springs Union and William S. Hart Union High school districts will be OPEN.

Orange County:

Silverado Elementary School Closed.

Canyon View Elementary School Closed

San Diego County:

All San Diego County public schools and UC San Diego CLOSED.

Ventura County:

Fillmore School District schools Closed.

Moorpark Unified School District Closed.

Moorpark Pinecrest School and Moorpark College Closed.

San Bernardino County

Rim of the World Unified School District schools Closed.

Fire breaks out west of Temecula

A fire broke out in the hills about two miles west of Temecula just after 11 p.m Monday west of Rancho California Road in the area of Via Barranca and Via Vaquero.

The fire was visible burning on a ridgeline and appeared to be heading northeast toward town, according to initial reports. Westbound Rancho California Road was closed, but residents of rural De Luz were streaming east into Temecula after being evacuated by Riverside County sheriff’s deputies.

Deputies reported to Sheriff’s Department dispatchers that all residents on Calle La Paz were evacuated, as were homes on Via Vaquero.

Yadira Perez, 18, of Fallbrook was at the Unocal station on Jefferson Avenue and Old Town Front Street waiting to hear back from two friends who were trapped in De Luz. They had left Fallbrook to get away from the fires there and then encountered the blaze in the hills west of Temecula.

Fire officials were reporting about 11:55 p.m. that the blaze was roughly 25 to 50 acres and spreading rapidly through heavy brush. At that point, fire officials reported that more than 190 firefighters had responded to battle the flames.

If the fire were to advance toward town, it could threaten Old Town Temecula or an industrial park that is home to International Rectifier, Temecula City Hall and The Californian’s offices.