(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-10-25 14:34

"You let us in just to send us back out," one angry man yelled from his car.

Dooley knew his home was OK because his home answering machine still worked.

Six of San Diego County's 42 evacuation centers were full Wednesday but there was plenty of space at Qualcomm Stadium, home to the NFL Chargers, where 10,000 people sought refuge. People rested on cots that lined covered walkways circling the bleachers and quietly watched television as National Guard troops watched. There were no bathroom lines.

Some displaced homeowners complained that the evacuations went too far.

Ron Morris, 68, saw smoke but no flames when he was ordered to leave a motor home park in Ramona, northeast of San Diego, Sunday night. He drove his recreational vehicle to Qualcomm Stadium's parking lot.

"It's good that everyone got out, but they did it too early in my opinion." he said.

Authorities made no apologies.

"One happy consequence" of the 2003 fires is that people remember that fire can be very unpredictable, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said.

"All but the most unlucky people can see the fire coming," he said. "There's no reason you should have loss of life, certainly for civilians."

The causes of many fires remained under investigation. A 30-square-mile Orange County fire that destroyed nine homes was believed to be arson because authorities found three different ignition points within a short distance.

In San Bernardino County, a motorcyclist who authorities say set a small fire in a rural foothill area of the San Bernardino Mountains has been booked for investigation of arson, but investigators said they didn't know whether he was connected to any of the larger fires.

In the city of San Bernardino, police said they shot and killed a man who fled Tuesday night when officers approached to see if he might be trying to set a fire. After a chase, the man, whose name was not released, backed his car into a police cruiser and an officer opened fire, police said.

The only confirmed death from the flames was Thomas Varshock, 52, of Tecate, a town on the US side of the border southeast of San Diego. He was ordered to evacuate, but he didn't leave and authorities left him to take care of other evacuations.

Al Guerin, a San Diego County assistant sheriff, estimated only 100 to 200 people ignored evacuation orders. That included 20 people in the rural community of Jamul, near the Mexican border. Firefighters returned to save them.

Homeowners who stayed behind knew firefighters were overwhelmed and figured their lives were safe, Guerin said.

"They say, 'Yeah, OK,' and then they call you later and say 'Help! Help! Help!'" he said.

Despite road blocks in the San Bernardino mountains, east of Los Angeles, some stayed behind.

"They don't want to lose their stuff," said Running Springs resident Don Rice. "And they get overconfident. We've all made it through a lot of fires."

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