The fire

I hope we have no one we know directly affected by the fire...I believe Tleaves is in Scripps Ranch area and it's hard at this point to know how far the fire is going to reach and how quickly. I do not think I'll be going to sleep tonight.

This is scary stuff!

Here is the latest map that I could find:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=102617558666443238993.00043d07052ecf586cd1a&om=1&ll=34.011689,-117.295532&spn=2.13093,4.438477&source=embed

Not all of the locations show all the details...

We are surrounded by smoke, yellow skies and are very fortunate here in Long Beach. This is affecting so many of us! Weegie for one is a few miles from the Ontario fire and so many DGers are near the Castaic and Malibu and Temecula area fires.

The info online so far is pretty bad.....anyone found a good source yet? Not everyone can see our local TV channels.

The Witch Creek fire has moved 36 miles toward us and there's no stopping it unless they can get air support up. It's now 20 miles from us, evacuating areas of Escondido, the fire's on both sides of the I-15 and heading from the 15 toward the West...Del Dios and toward Rancho Santa Fe. The 15 is now closed at Rainbow Valley Blvd...4 miles from us. It's very interesting from this perspective....one should probably load up and leave now just in case, but I'm just too tired anymore to do it for nothing...will we be sorry that we didn't? It would be smart to go now since if all of these areas are evacuated, that's one heck of a lot of traffic heading out on the roads at once. Do I hope it doesn't hit us? You bet, but if it doesn't, it will surely get other people if heading in another direction. Can I hope for safety meaning that someone else loses instead? I've d-mailed Tleaves, but no response...don't know if they've evacuated. I have friends in Valley Center that I can't reach. So we hope for the best.
The thing that scares me is not from where the fire is coming, but the fact that it only takes one more crazy to set another one right next to you. There were 7 separate fires this a.m., merging into one large one. Obviously these are not popping up on their own at such a distance from the originating fires.

Everyone be safe.



This message was edited Oct 24, 2007 6:34 PM

We're OK here. The smoke was pretty bad yesterday afternoon, but so far no wind here today. The humidity hit 7% on our weather forecaster yesterday! We'll wet things down and hope for the best. As Sherry says, what is that, that it hits someone else instead? Sheesh!

The evacuation are is huge. Sherry, if it gets to that and you want to stop at our place, you're always welcome. You can hug Roger!

Kathleen

Quarter million people evacuated so far...

I just heard today newpaper as very bad... Hope everyone in SD countries is okay...

Windy is pretty bad 65 mp. 1 dead and some more than 12 injurys fireman and others...

Okay...I'm packing up my laptop...we've got everything in the garage to throw in the trailer. There's a fire on Reche Rd a couple of miles from us and sweeping up through Pala Mesa apparently, so maybe it's time to be ready to go. Bye...

Rusty, thanks for thinking of us. We are getting ready just in case, but so far we're safe. I'm concerned about Sherry (wcgypsy). Hope she is able to call or check in here soon. It is moving so fast and our fire chief has said he thinks it will go all the way to the coast. The winds are toppling power lines, and they start more fires because of the dryness. Very sad.

Sherry--please take care and check in when you can and let us know if you're OK. I am keeping all of you in my prayers--I hope they get these fires contained before they do much more damage. Please everyone take care and be careful!

Yes Sherry, thinking of you.

Thanks for your thoughts...parts of Fallbrook evacuating now...packing up my laptop. Bye

I have been keeping up on all the fires also, but just saw all the new fires in San Diego county and had to come here to check on all my DG friends.

Sherry, I hope your home fairs well for you and Kathleen and Tleaves, I hope you don't feel the need to evacuate, that the fires doesn't get that close to you all.

My DD lives in Lake Forest, which is close to the Santiago fire. She is in a very populated area called the "Forest", but she is worried about the embers flying and catching all the trees in her area.

The wind here has been non stop also, whith a grey smoky sky. I have most of the windows closed, with a humidifier going to add some moisture to the air in the house.

I'll be thinking of all you people in the fire areas....be safe please.

Donna

Thinking of you all down south and hoping for a change in the winds so this scary time can quickly come to an end.
Here's wishing you and your family safety Sherry.

Wish we would hear from TLeaves, but she is probably evacuated by now. Prayers for your DD, Donna. A coworker of DH just left his home - he's in Fallbrook, but a different area from Sherry - the fire was at the end of his street. The wind seems to be missing us altogether. It's breezy out, but nothing like yesterday. No smoke to speak of. I can't believe we're so close yet out of the fray. Just heard they have been able to get a couple of aircraft up - if the winds just calm down just enough for more, it will help so much.

Thanks for all the good wishes - we all appreciate it.

Yeah, Kathleen the smoke is all up this way! At one point, there was a fire on the 15 here but it looks like they knocked that one down. The sky sure is eerie today.
Praying for all in the fire areas.

I never forget about happen in Fontana, CA very very bad eeriesssss....

I had to come check on everyone....this is affecting a large number of people....and is getting worse.

We need a buddy system like the southerners do for the hurricanes. Have a person outside the state, that you call when possible to relay information to the DG Family. That way, we might could help with something.

Sorry you're getting so much smoke, Weege! Sounds like your wind was pretty bad yesterday, too. We're kind of half-packed. I cleaned up a bit and baked some bread and now I feel calmer. :-)

Melody, thanks for thinking of us. They're even asking us not to use the phones unless necessary, so I'm keeping in touch with my family by email.

They are using a reverse 911 system here to let people know about evacuations and apparently it is working pretty good. Lots of people out of power, though and the system does not work with cell phones.

I can handle the smoke, I'm just grateful I'm not in the fire area and sure feel bad for those who are. The winds were terrible here, one huge plumeria and 1 fig tree blown over but so far that's all the damage I see. Alot of cleanup to be done in the next few days. The winds have died down somewhat but I hear we're supposed to get high winds through Wednesday.

Our friends in San Marcos (just south of us here - they are evacuated) said the wind was the worst ever in memory. She and I grew up in Southern California and are used to the Santa Ana winds, but she said it was howling over there so bad she couldn't believe it. We heard nothing. So weird.

Packing up. Will check in later if things change. Bye.

Be safe Kathleen.

Over 250,000 already evacuated, thats a quarter of a million people! Where will they all go??? I can't even imagine all the roads just jam packed as folks are trying to get out of harms way. How frightening it must be, especially for families with young children.
Firefighters are saying this is the worst fire they have ever fought, at one point it jumped a 10 lane freeway.

Hi all. We're still here. The report we heard on suggested evacuation was not clear - the boundary is several miles east of us. We've got the cars pointed in the right direction and just need to load them up - birds and all. We'll wait until they tell us to go or we see evidence. We're still not getting the high winds everyone else talks about - they seem to be heading away from us. Knock wood.

The evacuations have been very orderly from everything we have seen and heard. We live in sight of the 76, which connects the 15 and 5 in North County. The traffic has been slow but steady all day - heavier in the middle of the day, but really not much more than a holiday weekend. The difference is the number of motor homes, horse trailers, boats, etc. Camp Pendleton had evacuees go straight from Fallbrook through the base to the coast, which helped tremendously. Otherwise, they would have all had to come past us.

Please pray for Sherry and family. Their home was right in the path from all I can learn. The way these fires go, they will skip two houses, hit three, skip six, hit one, hit every one on a street, etc. One of our neighbors called - his wife and daughter are out of town and they have two parrots that won't allow anyone else to touch them, so we might need to do a rescue run up the hill. lol

Honestly, you should hear the help people are giving each other - it would warm your hearts.

Kathleen

Kathleen, so glad to hear you're OK! I am definitely praying for Sherry, hopefully she's OK too and hope that the fires missed her place.

I hope that Sherry is okay...glad to hear from you Kathleen. I stayed up all hours last night trying to watch the reports and what I saw in Castaic sorta made me a little frustrated- flames were licking a trailer home park and when they pulled back for the wide shot, fire engines were driving by like nothing was there. Meanwhile there were 1400 firefighters in Malibu trying to protect a teeny area with less than 13000 residents.

I know it must be hard to decide where to send the firefighters......early yesterday the Costa Mesa Fire Department was in Malibu and then the Irvine fires broke out which is a huge and fast drive back home south! I think that Long Beach sent 1 engine from every fire house because my boys 3 doors down are 1 engine short right now.

My mom decided this AM to drive through Sand Canyon to get to my aunt's in Mission Viejo and that didn't work LOL. Why did she think that the GPS would tell her what was on fire?

The firefighters here are frustrated because they've been told to stay and protect their own cities, when their buddies in other towns need help. I kinda understand it, because these fires are moving so fast if they're not in your backyard now, chance are they will be soon.

Donna, any word from your DD?

My stepson, who lives just outside London (UK), didn't even know there were fires in SD - all he was hearing about was Mel Gibson's house. lol Even my sister in Oregon didn't know until I contacted her.

We've evacuated. Cats in kennel. We're in a motel and don't know if the house is still there.

I was in the Malibu fire in '93. The fires were burning a few ridges away. Not much threat for me. I was on the phone with my DD looking out the living room window...didn't see a thing to worry about. Not even a cloud. Walked to the kitchen window on the other side of the house and couldn't see past the glass, the smoke was so bad! Told dad had to go! A firefighter knocked on the door and said I had 10min to go. 10 min. is not much time and they don't fool around. In 10mins. he was back and I had to be driving away.

If anyone has to evacuate, move quickly. Do as much as you can quickly. I pray for the wind to stop now. I hope everyone is okay and my thoughts are with you. Sherry be okay. My stepchildren are in Santa Clarita....I'm keeping an eye on them.

Thinking lots of good thoughts for your home, garden and things that you love there!

I think that a lot of people not here (and even some in CA) are very dismissive because no one can quite understand the enormity of these fires yet......I keep hearing "they happen every year" and "no one in CA takes care of their surrounding areas" so much now that I want to scream!

Maybe Mel Gibson doesnt know how to take care of the shrubs around his house but you can bet your bottom dollar that the Malibu powers do not let his gardeners not take care of it!

Sherry, I have your address and I'm watching for reports. If I learn anything, I'll post it here or dmail. So glad you checked in. I'll bet you're close to/on the beach!

For anyone interested, this site is having trouble - aren't they all? - but might be a good place to check http://www.fire.ca.gov/

Also, http://www.sdcountyemergency.com/

We're watching these and the local TV stations for any news we can find. Going to try to get some sleep now. It's been a long day.

Oh Sherry, I'm so sorry. Maybe it skipped your house. I know even if it did, fire is so heartbreaking for a neighborhood. I wish you and yours a good outcome. If there's anything I can do, I'm just up the road a piece. I will check my dmail at 8:00 a.m., leave me a message. Make sure you get fresh air so any allergies don't act up. You're a good soul and I hope for the best for you and your family. - Karen

Sherry, sure glad to hear you and your family are safe. (Kittys, too)
I pray everything will be o.k. at your house. Keep in contact when you can.
~Lucy

The SD Union Tribune is maintaining a special Google Map in real time showing what's burned, and what's in danger, who's supposed to evacuate, and where they're supposed to go.

http://media.signonsandiego.com/fires/

I saw on the news tonight that we have a bunch of crews headed down your way to help. They are acknowledging that these fires are the hardest to fight. Nobody up here is saying that the fires are caused by anything but Mother Nature. We are all pulling for you and praying that your houses and loved ones stay safe.

We're in limbo here. It's hard to get local info - thank goodness for local TV, but we have to listen for a long time before we get information about our area. Guess that's good in a way, but it's nerve wracking. Not about to leave if we don't have to.

We've kept the house closed up, but still the smoke is faint inside. No traffic on the highway, just the occasional car or truck. That's good, because if we have to leave, it will be clear. Worried about the neighbor near the top of our road - she has an exotic wildlife rescue and has sooo many animals, birds, reptiles, etc.

I'm blathering... thanks for being here to listen. lol It helps.

Keep blathering, then those of us in the rest of the country know you are OK.

Such a scary situation for the So Cal folks. You all have my prayers for staying safe and for mother nature to start coooperating.

A lady just called Channel 10 and said they had driven into Fallbrook - we're getting very little info. She drove up Mission and Alvarado and said Reche Road and Live Oak Park were OK - the high school is OK.

Also, the commentators just said another fire has started on Palomar. This will all make sense to Sherry, should she check in.

Kaperc I am glad you are ok...

Hi Donna!!!!! are you in any danger??? and how about Mike (JasperDale) ???? I am praying for you guys!!!!!

My heart is so broken... let me know if there is anything I can do.. if anyone needs a someone to relay messages or to post here please d-mail me and I will be happy to help!!!!

Big hug to all of you!