California is Burning...

UPDATE: Over a million evacuated; many staying at the San Diego Chargers stadium (20,000); the winds are dying down but there are now 20 fires burning, the latest at Camp Pendleton!!!
Something like 1800 homes burned and five people dead...one-quarter of the CA coast is burning. A friend and his family evacuated from Escondido - they were able to return home.


Wow. It's hard to watch the news today. Last time I checked, there were 655 homes destroyed and 14 different fires with no containment in sight. The Santa Ana winds are notorious during the fall, or "Indian Summer," as it's sometime referred to. Hot, dry winds, with gusts up to 95 mph in certain areas, with humidity falling into the single digits, and not much rain to speak of, create prime fire conditions.

And it's supposed to be 94 degrees in the inland areas tomorrow, which will make it more miserable. We're expecting 90 tomorrow. Our backyard is a mess due to the high winds. They're stripping all the dying leaves off of the trees and blowing in dust from surrounding fields. But dirt and leaves I can deal with...

I can't imagine what it must feel like to be a fire fighter and carry the weight they do, wearing those heavy coats and boots and face the inferno without passing out from the heat. Governor S. has called out the National Guard as reinforcements so at least they'll get more help. I sincerely pray for all of the folks out there fighting bravely. And the latest news is some of the Orange County fires were arson.

This is from a local NBC news affiliate that has the best coverage for those of you who may be interested: http://www.knbc.com/slideshow/news/14396554/detail.html

I have been in all of these areas that are now burning except for the San Diego area of Poway. The Arrowhead fire is approximately 30 miles from my cousin's home - I don't know about how the crow flies. Since this is all mountains, the ash can be carried through the pines and oaks and set the whole mountain on fire. My brother's home is approximately 15-20 miles from the Fountain Valley fire and about 30 miles from the Irvine fire but he is not in any danger. Their cars are covered with soot and ash. Another cousin lives in Santa Clarita but I'm not certain if he's in the path of the fire. I've left an e-mail. I just pray they're safe.

It's tragic watching these people flee with what they can carry. Some people won't leave and jeopardize property because the fire fighters have to worry about them instead of staying on the fire lines. There are repercussions for all of us: our homeowners insurance rates will rise. But houses are just brick, mortar, wood. Homes are what we carry in our hearts and cannot be destroyed.