Southern California Wildfires

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Andy Velebil
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Southern California Wildfires

Post by Andy Velebil »

WOW, has it been surreal here the past few days. It feels like all of So. Cal. is on fire, and it almost all is. Over 1/2 millon people have been evacuated the past few days, the largest evacuation in California's history :shock: The air quality is terrible, and after spending all day at work yesterday, I am staying inside today. Everthing is covered in ash and at times, it looks like its snowing, there is so much ash coming down.

I got an email from Marc J. , a poster here, as he lives in Malibu where the first big fire hit. He made it home safetly and is doing well thank goodness, as I was a bit worried when the fires started there.

Another poster on the Parker forum I know lost his home due to the fires. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of them and if they need anything just let me know.
Andy Velebil Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used. William Shakespeare http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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Rich Greenberg
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Location: Redwood City, California, United States of America - USA

Post by Rich Greenberg »

Andy-

Terrible situation in SoCal, and all the more terrible that several of the fires seem to have been intentionally set. I have been watching closely as my brother and his family live in Temecula (unaffected at this time), and his m-i-l was evacuated from Fallbrook. I have several other friends who are either holed up like you, or who have been evacuated from various places.

Happy to see that you and MarcJ are doing ok. I hope that containment comes soon.

Hang in there!

Rich
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Bryan Robinson
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Location: San Diego, California, United States of America - USA

Post by Bryan Robinson »

Surreal is a good word for it. Speaking for the San Diego end of Southern California, the way people pulled together was something to see. The reverse-911 system we have, where 911 calls us with a recorded message to get out now, saved countless families. The firefighters have been nothing short of heroic. All TV and radio stations stopped all programming and became full time conduits of information on where to go, what roads were closed, and what was happening. Most of the information they were broadcasting was from ordinary people calling in relaying it first hand. With the fire scorching such huge swaths of inhabited area, we’ve only had 1 death, and that was at the very beginning.

Restaurants catered the evacuation sites without being asked. They just showed up with pizzas, or pasta, or whatever. Bands brought all their gear and started playing for the crowds. Looting has been non-existent, with the exception of 2 eighteen year old kids. Hotels did everything they could to accommodate evacuees and friends opened their doors. When my area came under evacuation orders, I had three separate people offer me, my wife, dog, and cat a place to hunker down in safe areas of the city.

The way everyone has come together is something that needed to be experienced to be believed. It is just sad that it took events like these to do it.

-Bryan
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Mark DaSilva
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Location: Mission Viejo, California, United States of America - USA

Post by Mark DaSilva »

I'm close to the Foothill Ranch, Lake Forrest fires. We can see them in the distance and the air quality is really bad. It looks like it snowed with all the ash.

They just closed local schools.

I wonder about the Temecula wine region just south of us...
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Al B.
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Post by Al B. »

Just a thought to all those folks who live in California, both on and off this forum, I hope all is well with you and that you are as affected as little as possible by these fires.

Luckily the UK is generally so wet that we never get quite the same situation, but the fires are headline news in the UK.

Stay well.
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Roy Hersh
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Post by Roy Hersh »

A lousy situation turned worse to worst with this new angle about an arsonist.

Be safe down there in LA and SD ... my wife and I will keep ready to host any FTLOPer that may need shelter.

My wife went to USD down there and then worked at Loma Linda Hospital and lived up near Big Bear for a decade before moving up here for grad school. We both have good friends down there and pray that everyone has remained safe, first and foremost.

Kiss your family often, as you never know when others far away will be reading about something that happens in your area. We had a radical and long seismic episode with a magnitude of 6.8 here in 2001 and I've got to say that there were moments that I did not think I was getting out of my office building. The lake road in front of our neighborhood had an entire 18 foot long and 12 foot deep section of road collapse. You look at things quite differently.
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
Todd Pettinger
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Post by Todd Pettinger »

Andy, Bryan, Mark, Marc and everyone else who may be down in the affected areas: our thoughts and prayers are with you. As you mentioned Andy, it is sad that it takes an event like this to bring out the very best in people, but when it does happen, as in the case of this fire, 9-11 in New York, Katrina and the other big hurricanes in and around New Orleans, it is heart-warming and amazing to see just how good we can be as human beings.

Amazingly enough, a business contact "buddy" of mine recently sold his place in San Diego and moved to Virgina and I just heard from him... the house that he left behind less than one full month ago has burned to the ground. Amazing good luck for him, although the family that moved in behind him may not be in such good shape.

You're right about one thing Roy: kiss those you love every single day and tell them you love them. There is never any telling when something could happen that changes life forever. It is a lesson I learned in an extremely difficult and unfortunate fashion a number of years ago and I live that as a life motto every single waking moment of my life.

Todd
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Mark DaSilva
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Location: Mission Viejo, California, United States of America - USA

Post by Mark DaSilva »

Thanks, Todd.

We're lucky so far in that the fire has managed to circle the houses (for the most part) near us. It creeps up on a housing development, then moves around it. The firecrews are working tirelessly as they move along. Scary thing for us is the canyon behind our house. All the fire has to do is hang a quick right...

Today was the coolest day so far, at maybe 75 degrees. These Santa Ana winds have been a nuisance. Not only did we feel 90 degree weather up until today, but the ash covering our homes and cars stifles our breathing. They closed all the area schools because of low air quality. My sons cannot even play soccer. Imagine being downwind from a campfire, and you can't escape it.

We see the smoke in the distance and orange glow at night - its as if a bomb went off.

Don't know if many of you have seen this part of South Orange County (not Disneyland), but this area is incredibly beautiful with hills and valleys. I hate to see what our view is going to look after the smoke clears.

Literally.
Todd Pettinger
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Post by Todd Pettinger »

Mark, I know what you mean (kind of.)

A triathlon that I have been at for the last four year had wild fires ravage the surrounding area just a year prior to the first time I was there... in '03. Race organizers were about ready to cancel the race when a stroke of luck hit them... the wind turned away from Penticton. The fire crews were fighting fires at night and then volunteering in the race during the day.

Made you feel kind of stupid, racing in an Ironman race where the biggest obstacle you faced was the possiblity of fire interrupting your race, but the volunteer handing you Gatorade and Power Bars on the side of the road very well may have just lost his/her house.

Ash everywhere. Air quality sucked. Made me feel really glad to be alive and able to breathe... ash or no ash.
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