UPDATE:10/23/07 The situation here is NOT better. The fires continue to rage out of control. 500,000 people have been put on mandatory evacs....several of my friends have lost homes. Ours, is possibly in danger. My parents are under voluntary evac notice. Wi-Fi reception and power is spotty. We're having power flickers and many of the antenna for the news and cell are being burned. We are thinking of packing up our car and we can be at the beach in less than 5 minutes.
"Like Hurricane Katrina evacuees two years earlier in New Orleans, thousands of people rousted by natural disaster fled to the NFL stadium here, waiting out the calamity and worrying about their homes.
The similarities ended there, as an almost festive atmosphere reigned at Qualcomm Stadium.
Bands belted out rock 'n' roll, lavish buffets served gourmet entrees, and massage therapists helped relieve the stress for those forced to flee their homes because of wildfires."
It made me smile seeing the people at the Q being so well cared for. Restaraunts everywhere shut down to supply food for evacuees. People from all over donated blankets, tents whatever they could.
Here in my neighborhood, the streets are packed to overload with cars clearly loaded with peoples personal possessions. RV's line the streets as well, clearly occupied. No one will complain about it today. No one.
The air is still choking thick with smoke and the big fires are still ALL at 0% contained. Not looking good folks, not looking good at all. I'll keep you all updated as much as possible...if we keep power.
I've been saying for months, the October Santa Ana's are going to burn us to the ground. Damn, how I wish I'd been wrong. Southern California is burning.
Malibu is in flames and there is little hope for control anytime soon, not with the Santa Ana's howling as they are and now San Diego is fighting two fires. After the devastating fires of 2003, we are all on edge. I lost my home because of those fires.
2003.
UPDATE: There are now 8 fires burning here in the San Diego area. Soot and ash cover everything and the sun is a deep reddish orange ball in the sky. There are mandatory evacuations going on everywhere. I think this is going to make the 2003 Cedar fire look like a party.
More here.
