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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> San Diego on Fire....again! :(
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Showing posts 26 - 50 of 160, (reverse)
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 10/22/2007 06:11:09 PM · #26
You can really see the smoke in satelite imaging. Lots flowing out of San Diego county. //www.goes.noaa.gov/browsw2.html Things not expected to let up until at least early Wednesday weatherwise.
10/22/2007 06:35:32 PM · #27
We are downwind of the Witch fire, which last I checked was about 5 miles away. Yesterday about 3PM we drove North back home from San Diego and were surprised to see major smoke in about a 8 mile stretch of Interstate 15 including our home. My sister and brother in law were threatened last night in Ramona and were going to drop their horses off in Lakeside and come here, but traffic was so gridlocked they decided to stay home.

Then this morning I woke up at 6AM and turned on the news. I found our community (Rancho Bernardo) was threatened and an evacuation was ordered. We frantically packed all of our pictures, videos, computer with hundreds of GB of pictures, animals and survival stuff. But our culdesac and the exit roads were nearly gridlocked, just moving very slowly. We decided to wait it out for a while. The huge cloud of smoke is still overhead, but there are patches of blue that are getting larger. I drove my motorcycle a couple hours ago to scope out the proximity, because we can't see more than 100 yards or so the direction of the fire. The fires causing our smoke are near Poway Lake. The roads totally cleared up by about 9AM, since all the sane people evacuated, so our escape route is good.

We were going to evacuate to our son's place in Solana Beach, but then he was told to evacuate, but just voluntary as opposed to our mandatory evacuation. News now says "the entire area of Rancho Bernardo evacuated". I heard this morning that there were suspicious looking people lurking around as potential looters.

My sister is still waiting it out along with us, so we're keeping the two cars packed, brought the animals back in and are ready to leave on 5 minutes notice if needed. Of course I was thinking the Photojournalism challenge, but I think Brad might have a better vantage point than me, and more talent for great shots. So I've been keeping my camera busy taking pictures of our posessions we're leaving behind if needed.

It was eerie driving around and only seeing cop cars other than a few people driving around in a heavily populated area. All businesses are closed in the area of course.

Anyway I thought I'd fill you in on my perspective. Take care all of you. A good friend of mine lost her home 4 years ago in the wildfires. Hopefully we'll all be spared this time.

Boyd
 10/22/2007 06:45:34 PM · #28
Oh dear hope everyone affected is ok and taking care of themselves and their family good luck, I'm doing a rain dance all the way over here in NZ hope it works ;)
 10/22/2007 07:24:25 PM · #29
My family just evacuated out of Escondido.
The flames are within a few miles.
 10/22/2007 07:53:52 PM · #30
Still no evacuation here, though the fire is now North & South of us.

In the meantime, screw the Photojournalism Challenge, lemme take you on little trip:








Message edited by author 2007-10-22 19:59:28.
 10/22/2007 07:55:08 PM · #31
It's actually looking much better here now and getting less windy. Here is a picture of the sky looking towards the coast, away from the source of the fire. That's the sun, not the moon. All day it's just been gray skies and not very photogenic. The road is the same one I shot this.
10/22/2007 08:07:19 PM · #32
Originally posted by Brad:
Still no evacuation here, though the fire is now North & South of us.

In the meantime, screw the Photojournalism Challenge, lemme take you on little trip:

Great shots Brad! Despite this comment I hope you've saved some for Thursday. Kelly Jones and everything else looks much better in your picture than on live HD TV. Larry Himmell, a long loved CBS newscaster, has been reporting all day including in front of his fully engulfed home where he's lived for 25 years. It's really sad.
 10/22/2007 08:11:49 PM · #33
Holy Crap! I just got home and I am watching this on TV! Brad and everyone else in California I am thinking good thoughts for you all! Good luck and be safe!

Holy Crap!
 10/22/2007 08:22:06 PM · #34
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Originally posted by Man_Called_Horse:
Only one??

There is the Castaic fire about 8 miles from me.

There is the Hwy. 14 fire that is about 4 mile from me.

There is the Agua Dulce fire that is now the Saugus fire. I live in Saugus.

Smoke every where.

Wind kicking up.

Scared.


I know exactly where you're talking about. I grew up in Newhall and I also lived in Canyon Country and Saugus. Of course Saugus was mostly onion fields back then. It gets pretty crunchy and flammable out there. Hope you stay safe.


Dang! I grew up in Saugus right across from those onion fields. We may have gone to school together. Wasn't hardly a year that went by that we didn't have a fire. Have calls out to friends who still live there. Everyone stay safe.

Man_Called_Horse where do you live?
 10/22/2007 08:49:22 PM · #35
my prayers are with all of you in the paths of the fires. stay safe and keep us posted as much as possible, please. *hugs*
 10/22/2007 09:07:44 PM · #36
I hope you all stay safe. I just moved for the Los Angles area up to the state of Washington. I know all the area's you are talking about. I lived near Pasadena. I had a fear that this fire season would be a terrible one. My thoughts and prayers are to the brave firefighters and men and women who are doing everything in the power to stop it from spreading. I am so sorry to hear about all the structures burning down. I hope everyone stays safe.
 10/22/2007 09:25:26 PM · #37
Originally posted by debitipton:


Dang! I grew up in Saugus right across from those onion fields. We may have gone to school together. Wasn't hardly a year that went by that we didn't have a fire. Have calls out to friends who still live there. Everyone stay safe.

Man_Called_Horse where do you live?


I am a transplant from another state (of mind).

I live on Bouquet Canyon, and Haskel Canyon Roads near Saugus High School.
 10/22/2007 10:20:55 PM · #38
Originally posted by Man_Called_Horse:


I live on Bouquet Canyon, and Haskel Canyon Roads near Saugus High School.


We used to ride bikes up the canyon.:-) When I lived in Saugus there wasn't much past the Thrifty's on Bouquet Canyon. I miss the place a lot. Good luck with the fires -- where are they from your place?
 10/22/2007 11:05:53 PM · #39
Originally posted by debitipton:
Good luck with the fires -- where are they from your place?


1= A couple miles up Bouquet. The Aqua Dulce Fire

2= Valencia near the old Road. The Magic Fire (Near Magic Mountain)

3= Off the 126. The Castaic Fire.

4= Just started up, no name but took 1000 acres already, The Stevenson Ranch Fire.
 10/22/2007 11:20:33 PM · #40
Originally posted by Man_Called_Horse:
Originally posted by debitipton:


Dang! I grew up in Saugus right across from those onion fields. We may have gone to school together. Wasn't hardly a year that went by that we didn't have a fire. Have calls out to friends who still live there. Everyone stay safe.

Man_Called_Horse where do you live?


I am a transplant from another state (of mind).

I live on Bouquet Canyon, and Haskel Canyon Roads near Saugus High School.


I know where that is. Sad to see it burning. My girlfriend went to Saugus High, I went to Hart.

Stay safe.
 10/22/2007 11:29:30 PM · #41
Horse, I heard Lombardi Ranch got burned. That really sucks, I love that place, especially this time of year. It's become a fun family tradition the past few years.
 10/22/2007 11:48:48 PM · #42
all i can do is just shake my head. be safe, be smart, please don't anyone out there become a statistic.
 10/23/2007 12:01:50 AM · #43
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Originally posted by Man_Called_Horse:
Originally posted by debitipton:


Dang! I grew up in Saugus right across from those onion fields. We may have gone to school together. Wasn't hardly a year that went by that we didn't have a fire. Have calls out to friends who still live there. Everyone stay safe.

Man_Called_Horse where do you live?


I am a transplant from another state (of mind).

I live on Bouquet Canyon, and Haskel Canyon Roads near Saugus High School.


I know where that is. Sad to see it burning. My girlfriend went to Saugus High, I went to Hart.

I went to Hart High too - small world!

Stay safe.

10/23/2007 12:04:49 AM · #44
Still burnin'
10/23/2007 12:13:21 AM · #45
Originally posted by Brad:
Still burnin'


Brad!!

so good of you to keep us posted! perhaps a career in photojournalism is in your future after all??

think about it: Brad Petersen, photographer on the move! hmm..could be a really fun "next way to make a living"

just don't forget those asbestos undies next time you go out!

All kidding aside, I am very glad you & your loved ones are ok!

~Anni

ETA: excellent pics btw!! glad you have something to do while waiting to hear about the need to evacuate! Hey! now that I think on it, did you actually get out of your car to take these? WHOA!!! :)

Message edited by author 2007-10-23 07:03:26.
 10/23/2007 12:20:41 AM · #46
Hey, be careful down there. I'm from Idaho, and they've been having some particularly nasty fire seasons the last several years. 30+ fires burning around my hometown at one point, mostly small though. Be careful, you'd be amazed at how fast they move under the right conditions. I know people that have had to float out of canyons with fire on both sides of the river when they were supposed to have been clear of the fires. Give yourself plenty of time to bail if it looks like you'll need it. I hope it turns out ok, I'm sending positive thoughts your way.
 10/23/2007 06:47:38 AM · #47
An interesting wildfire related story I'm telling in the 3rd person to avoid incriminating anyone.

Lloyd was IM'ing his off-shore co-worker tonight (who had worked about 17 hours yesterday trying to do backups and eject tapes for potential disaster recovery and went home just long enough to shower change and go back to work). They were trying to figure out how to get backup tapes off-site in case of fire at their business. Lloyd decided to drive to work and see if he could get in, then FedEx the tapes to a remote site so the worldwide business could resume. There are thousands of employees, but nobody was there and Lloyd's badge would not unlock the door. While driving around to a good vantage point to see the status of the fire he met a security guard from his company driving a pickup-truck. The guard was very curious why Lloyd was roming around the closed business. After Lloyd showed his ID and explained why he was there the guard said even he couldn't even get in, but he took Lloyd's information and would check to see if Lloyd could get in to work Tuesday, and would call him on his nearly dead cell phone (charger packed away with everything else awaiting possible evacuation).

Then Lloyd started driving back towards home. He got half-way and hit a police road block. They said the area was under mandatory evacuation and were letting people out, but not in just to prevent looting. Lloyd explained he lived just one exit down and can show a local driver's license. Also that the 211 disaster emergency number said that area was not mandatory evacuation. The police politely explained their instructions were different. Lloyd went the only other reasonable route and came across more police with the same result.

Lloyd was about to resign himself to sleeping in the car and maybe not being able to warn his wife, who he was taking shifts sleeping continuously watching the News watching for fire status, about any impending fire. He then got a bright idea. Several years ago Lloyd was looking for a shortcut in the route from work to home, which is a half-circle either direction. He found a way to take a mountain bike down dirt slopes, across company parking lots, and bypassing the aforementioned intersections.

Lloyd parked his car by the dirt slope and started the journey (about 2 miles) to home. He had to duck behind bushes multiple times to avoid police cruisers who would have probably arrested him. He finally did make it home about an hour ago.

Hopefully the roadblock is only at night and Lloyd can pick up his car in the morning. Maybe even get in to work and FedEx off the tapes.

Boyd
 10/23/2007 09:11:19 AM · #48
They are showing pictures of Poway on the Today show and it looks like Armageddon. Brad and everyone, our thoughts and prayers are with all of you. Please stay safe.
 10/23/2007 10:28:50 AM · #49
oh geez, the sad irony of the poiuring rains we had here last night & so far all this morning!!!

The news says the winds will not die down today

prayers, angels, pulling out all the stops I know here guys

Stay smart, stay safe

If knowing you are being thought of/prayed for helps at all, then I feel less useless sitting here in the sticks of VT.

XOXOOX
~Anni

10/23/2007 10:43:05 AM · #50
*cough*
Survived the night

Now to see if I can find a battery for my XT - it died.
:(
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