California wildfire info for free on XM

California wildfires are forcing over 500,000 residents to evacuate their homes, and XM Satellite Radio is doing its part by broadcasting news updates and public safety information on Emergency Alert (ch 247) for free.

So far, over 400 square miles in 7 California counties had been consumed by fire. The wildfires' flames were fueled by high desert winds and hot temperatures that remained largely impervious to air attacks, garden hoses, fire retardant or prayers.

XM's Emergency Alert channel is broadcasting the latest information about the wildfires from Southern California, including live reports from news radio stations KOGO-AM San Diego and KFI-AM Los Angeles, information from the Red Cross and AP Radio, and eyewitness accounts from people across the region.

At the time of posting this, the fires have destroyed well over 1,000 homes and commercial structures, and authorities are reporting that 68,500 homes remain threatened. At least 500,000 people were estimated to have evacuated and thousands more had been ordered to move, making the evacuation effort about half the size of that from the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina.

XM is also providing its 24-hour traffic and weather channels for Los Angeles (ch 222) and San Diego (ch 223) for free to all XM radios, and will continue to do so until the wildfires are contained. These two channels offer round-the-clock information about traffic, evacuation routes, and weather conditions for each metropolitan area.