California Fires

[screwysquirrel]

Just by statistics, with 1500 homes destroyed, at least 6 would have had model railroads inside them.


Here's hoping no one here is threatened by the series of fires in California

 

[jkristia]

I live in the middle of Simi Valley, so the fire never got any close than about 3 miles from my house, but still, Sunday evening and Monday morning were a bit tense.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I live near the beach, so the fires are nowhere near me, but it is an awesome situation. I just heard on the news today that 10% of San Diego county has burned! One of the techs at our Escondido shop had to evacuate his dad from Ramona. When they were allowed back in, his dad's house was untouched, but the houses on either side of his dad's were leveled!

 

[jon-monon]

Such a sad situation. California just didn't need that with all it's other problems. Saw a gal on the news who didn't own, and didn't have renters insurance. Now they get to start all over, and they are in their 40's.

Pray for them all they need it! They'll need food too.

 

[Matthyro]

I for one remember what it's like to live through a forest fire when I was a kid living on the slopes of Devils Peak in Capetown South Africa during the second world war and it was said the fire was started by German spies so U-boats could easily find the harbour at Capetown where conveys stopped for supplies before heading into the Pacific.
Fire fighters had to try to beat out the fires with heavy sacks as fire engines couldn't get close. We had to be ready to evacuate if the fire couldn't be controlled.
My thoughts are with all those poor folks in California that have lost their homes or been endangered by the fires.
In this country we have had a share of fires around Kelowna , Kamloops and the Crows Nest Pass in the Rockies.
Now there are floods there.

 

[Bill Stone]

The fire didn't reach us here in San Dimas. It was heading our way (from San Bernardino) until about Monday when a combination of wind change, and its coming up to the area that burned a year ago (which didn't have much to burn) saved our skins. But it got within 2 or 3 miles, and that is plenty close enough.

With the wind change we are now getting much less smoke and ash. We can breath easier even though we are all still coughing and complaining of sore throats and irritated eyes. On Sunday and monday the falling ash looked almost like a light snowfall.

A fellow who works with my wife lost everything. He had thought himself safe, but was awakened about 2 AM by the police telling him to GET OUT RIGHT NOW! Didn't have time to save anything.

Bill S

 

[Bill Stone]

I forgot to say.....
Yesterday I overheard some people discussing the fire and they were wondering which will be worse for California --- This fire, or Arnold!
Bill S

 

[pcentral]

I will be getting a first hand look at the devastation on Friday. My parents and my wife are in Simi Valley right now for my mother to have surgery. We are hoping the fire keeps going away from the hospital!
We have family in San Bernadino that lost their home. They had enough warning to get some irreplaceable items out and all their animals. Their father also lives in the area. No one knows if his house is still there ?
It really gets me mad when I think of all the homes lost and the fact that there are 3 BIG firefighting planes sitting here in town that can't help fight the fires because the government red tagged them from fire service.
They were red tagged because of their age, even though all 3 had recently been rebuilt at a cost of a million each. I wonder how many homes could of been saved if those 3 were flying?
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those who lost so much to this terrible tragedy.
Steve

 

[Casey Feedwater]

The older of my two daughters got married two weeks ago. One of the bridesmaids in her wedding works as a Hazardous Materials Specialist for the San Bernardino Fire Dept. I just got an email from her this morning. (I've known Kristen since she and my daughter were in first grade.) For the past several days, she's been assigned to an emergency phone desk and has had to field calls from people who don't even know if they still have homes to go back to. Some were forced to leave pets behind when they fled from the fires. Worse, are the individuals and families who have gotten separated and are looking for information about each other. She said it's very depressing, and that she's had only 12 hours of sleep since Sunday. Her boyfriend is also a firefighter and has logged in more than 60 overtime hours since Saturday. Let's hope those firefighters can get the blazes under control.

 

[rcwatkins]

I hope they can put this out soon. My prayers are with you.

 

[CSX6638]

My daughter and her family live in Santa Clarita,she been calling me a few times a day the fire is now about 8 miles from her house, she tells me the ash is so bad you cannot breath if you go outside, the house and land is covered with ash and the pool is full of it. My son inlaw has not gotten to work for a few days many roads are closed and the smoke is so thick you cannot see where you are driving and if you make a wrong turn because you cannot tell where you are you can be in big trouble. My daughter has cancer and she had to go for her treatment a normal 2 hour trip took almost all day to get to the hospital and back home. She has had a trip planned to visit us here in Florida for our 50th aniv. and is due here Sat night and I pray they can stop these fires. We had some fires here a few years back but nothing like those poor people are going thru. I hope they are able to get the fires under control soon, don't know where they would be if they lost everything.

 

[Bill Stone]

Good news at last. It's fairly cool, and we're having a little bit of drizzly rain this morning. Very little, but at least there is some moisture around to help slow the spread of the fires.
Bill S