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1. lynne
   October 22nd, 2007 at 4:42 pm

   You take care now,you hear?

2. steve
   October 22nd, 2007 at 5:12 pm

   Stay safe down there and your post has jogged me to spend few hours on emergency preparation instead of putting it off

   steve

3. Alex
   October 22nd, 2007 at 5:13 pm

   I’m losing electricity here - it’s flickering like crazy. See you guys later (hopefully!)

4. Ready Set Go
   October 22nd, 2007 at 5:20 pm

   # For the rest of us lucky ones, let me pose this question: are you ready for an emergency?

   Eagle Scout style.

   Do you know what to take if you have to leave your home unexpectedly in the next few minutes?

   We’re actually pretty ready for survival level evacuation. We’ve got an emergency medical kit, a backpack with supplies that should last 3 days (minus water) and a medium sized plastic tub with enough food for a week or so and enough water for several days.

   How about copies of important documents and precious photos?

   Sort of. I just barely bought a couple of 500 Gb disks to do rotating offsite backups with, and photos are now being backed up every day or so, and taken off site weekly.

   I do have about 40 VHS tapes of my family when I was a kid which need to be digitized and backed up. Assuming no disasters hit before Christmas, that will be the present we give everyone in my family (bonus, it doubles as remote backup too!).

5. Jennifer
   October 22nd, 2007 at 6:19 pm

   I’m in San Diego, and all the news stations are reporting that everything is still on the defensive. It’s not looking good.

   PLEASE - contact your local Red Cross or other organization to see what you can do to help. We are already getting reports of items needed. Things like pet food (a lot of animals are being displaced, shelters are bursting over capacity, and the animals need to eat!), clothes, children’s toys (ever seen a shelter with a bunch of bored toddlers and kids?), water, and much more. PLEASE! PLEASE! See what you can do to help. We will appreciate all assistance.

6. Chris A
   October 22nd, 2007 at 6:24 pm

   I just got an e-mail about it from NASA. I had no idea it was even going on. I guess I don’t watch enough news!

7. Emily
   October 22nd, 2007 at 6:27 pm

   Ack California is so disaster prone! I hope there aren’t any large (or any) landslides to follow

   Hang in there SoCal! Your friends up North will be praying for you. (at least I will be)

8. Jacki
   October 22nd, 2007 at 6:27 pm

   Wow. I’m up north in BC, Canada and I’ve heard nothing about this. I’m very sorry to hear about the fire and I hope the families in California will stay safe.

   As for preparedness for an emergency, I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it but the expected “big one” (Cascadian earthquake)…but that affects northern California and south BC o_O But in class, we are currently studying it…

   Nope. No one in my class is prepared.

9. bitter_suburbanite
   October 22nd, 2007 at 6:33 pm

   Am I the only one who thinks that smoke cloud in the photo looks like a giant shark?

10. Abestar
    October 22nd, 2007 at 7:14 pm

    This is what we get for smokie the bear stamping out every tiny fire.

11. Dave
    October 22nd, 2007 at 9:01 pm

    I’ve heard that a good sized wildfire will put out huge amounts of greenhouse gasses (and active volcanos even more.) Perhaps the shade from the pictured smoke plume will help to offset the warming effect?

    All tweaks aside, I hope all is well with you & yours, Alex. Here’s to a quick extinguishing of the fires. I wish there was a way to send the last two weeks of rain we’ve had here west to CA.

12. Taylor
    October 22nd, 2007 at 9:40 pm

    I’m in San Diego also…sammiched between the two big fires. Everyone’s being evacuated to the center of SD, which is fine as long as the two fires don’t connect and completely cut us off from getting out.

13. Gellner
    October 22nd, 2007 at 9:57 pm

    Luckily, we don’t have accidents or disasters in Canada.

14. drew
    October 22nd, 2007 at 10:12 pm

    i’m in santa barbara, safely out of the fire’s reach. we, of course, have our own local fire and are still dealing with the effects of the two month-rager that tore across the northern part of our county. nonetheless, good luck to all the san diego folks whose homes are imperiled.

    also, i’d like to point out that the smoke depicted wafting off the california coast bears an uncanny resemblance to a dragon’s mouth. strange, no?

15. Ash
    October 22nd, 2007 at 10:23 pm

    I’m stuck here in Temecula between all 4-5/however many fires there are. The highways are closed– no one can go anywhere!

16. Chris A
    October 22nd, 2007 at 10:29 pm

    You guys be safe out there! I just saw it on the news finally and it’s crazy! My apartment building caught fire in February and that was scary enough.. I can’t imagine a whole city at risk.. Be safe!

17. Daniel
    October 22nd, 2007 at 11:06 pm

    Scarry thought. . . .could all these fires, over twenty now, have been set on purpose? No one is really talking about the cause. One caused by downed power line, one is said to be arson, and many are just ambers starting new fires. . .but what about the rest? More bad luck? Or could the rest also be arson, or even scarrier some sort of cordinated attack? Sorry everyone for this crazy thought, but I am in SoCal and this is starting to really really worry me. I have friends who have evacuated in nearly every fire zone from Camarillo to San Diego.

18. Alex
    October 22nd, 2007 at 11:27 pm

    Thanks, everyone! It’s kind of a weird feeling knowing that at any time we can be next to be evacuated. I spent the day basically getting our clothes and documents together, just in case.

    @Daniel: the high winds can really spread fire fast! I watched a hill being devoured by fire in about a minute or two. With winds reaching 70 mph (basically hurricane winds), embers can jump a long distance.

    It’s possible that there are a lot of arsons - seems like whenever it’s the perfect climate/condition for setting fires, all the crazies out there get really busy. It’s sickening.

    @ Ash: Good luck! Inland Empire is very prone to fire b/c of the dry condition (and lots and lots of chaparrals).

    Disaster preparedness is always good - but it’s very difficult to get one’s butt motivated unless the danger is very real. Getting off-site backup for your digital data is a good idea, but don’t forget the “hard” documents like insurance paperworks, IDs, passports, etc. that would be a pain in the butt to replace.

19. Vexorg
    October 22nd, 2007 at 11:50 pm

    The town where I grew up (Los Alamos, NM) had a big fire a few years after I left which destroyed over 400 homes (look up “Cerro Grande Fire” on Wikipedia for details.) A windstorm last week (that thankfully dod no damage here) gave me some chance to look at my emergency preparedness, and I think I’d probably actually be in decent shape if it was something where I could stay here, but I’m not so sure about what would happen if I had to evacuate.

20. Christy
    October 23rd, 2007 at 12:01 am

    My husband lived in Simi VAlley for 2 1/2 years and anytime I see anything about california I look and read I am praying that the fire gets under control and put out and that GOD will watch over the all of you all. May GOD bless you and guide you and keep you safe is our prayer.
    sincerely
    christy

21. Allison
    October 23rd, 2007 at 12:42 am

    I’m in North county San Diego near the witch creek fire. So far mine is one of the few places not to have been asked to evacuate. If I were to walk a mere 10 minutes down the street I could walk into an evacuation zone.

    Strangely enough, there is little smoke above us. We can barely smell the fires. Perhaps that is why our hotels filled up by 5 this morning.

    If they further the evacuation site to my area, the only place we can really go is to the ocean. It wouldn’t make any sense for us to try and head any further. We have packed my 3 room tent and sleeping bags, dog food, etc.

    Wish us luck

22. Alex
    October 23rd, 2007 at 1:24 am

    @Abestar: “This is what we get for smokie the bear stamping out every tiny fire.”

    This doesn’t apply here because it’s not a forest fire where little fires are actually beneficial by depleting fuels.

    The Southern California fires are fueled by chaparrals and grass, which dried like kindling after a long period of drought. Homeowners who live on hills are required by the Fire Department to clear cut their hills, though a lot of people don’t bother.

23. jenny
    October 23rd, 2007 at 1:25 am

    yeah its so windy out here,but all were getting is the smoke effects for now, though it is heading this way
    ive heard its 500 homes now, just in san diego that is..
    we got the fires two years ago down were i live, same deal, i hope everyone well:/

24. Alex
    October 23rd, 2007 at 1:53 am

    Good luck to Allison and everyone else!

25. Abestar
    October 23rd, 2007 at 5:42 am

    @Alex: “This doesn’t apply here because it’s not a forest fire where little fires are actually beneficial by depleting fuels.

    The Southern California fires are fueled by chaparrals and grass, which dried like kindling after a long period of drought. Homeowners who live on hills are required by the Fire Department to clear cut their hills, though a lot of people don’t bother.”

    Ohh burn on me. Sorry I don’t know all the rules and regulations about fires is California, I’ll try harder to be more informed from now on. Thank you soooooo much my new intelligent friend Alex.

    Okay maybe then this is what we get for overpopulating areas that don’t have enough water. But I’m probably wrong about that too huh Alex?

26. ruby
    October 23rd, 2007 at 8:26 am

    My condolances and prayers are with all those affected. I have friends in San Diego and Ramona, one of whom had to be evacuated. I hope this clears soon. I only wish I could send you the rain that came in here this morning in PA. Stay alert and be safe. Keep us posted all!

    Abestar…shame! This is a time for coming together. Put your EGO away. Step aside if you can’t. i live in the country too. Not everyone does. SoCal is gorgeous and the mountains are a sight to be seen.

    Love and prayers to all.

27. Jacki
    October 23rd, 2007 at 10:50 am

    Gellner: “Luckily, we don’t have accidents or disasters in Canada.”

    I think we don’t have as much natural disasters as down south since they’re alot closer to equator…more heat. But here in the BC, there have been some decent sized forest fires in the past.

28. spacebunny
    October 23rd, 2007 at 1:16 pm

    @abestar, it’s smokey bear… not smokey THE bear.

    @alex: my town was on fire back when I was in highschool in em, 2001 if I remember correctly. The ONLY thing that was able to get the smokey smell out of the house was lemons. Lots and lots of lemon scented everything along with sliced lemons all over the place. Try that. It made us never want a fireplace EVER though.

29. Alex
    October 23rd, 2007 at 1:26 pm

    @ Abestar: It’s not common knowledge how Southern California’s unique terrain factors into this wildfire (unless you live or have lived there).

    My response to you was not intended as a slight or insult in any way, shape or form.

    I don’t know whether you meant your subsequent reply as a witty retort, but it only succeeds in making you look like an ass.

    @spacebunny: Thanks! It’s much better today, though from recent experience, the situation can turn on a dime. I’ll try that lemon trick - I was also thinking of using Febreze.

30. Allison
    October 23rd, 2007 at 5:36 pm

    “Ohh burn on me. Sorry I don’t know all the rules and regulations about fires is California, I’ll try harder to be more informed from now on. Thank you soooooo much my new intelligent friend Alex.

    Okay maybe then this is what we get for overpopulating areas that don’t have enough water. But I’m probably wrong about that too huh Alex?”

    Why does this need to be a human error at all? What about it is something that would have happened naturally. It is just made all the more tragic since there are people living here because of the many other assets of living in southern california.

    I wouldn’t say myself that that this area is over populated. Although, that has nothing to do with the fires. The areas that are most affected are houses that are generally on larger lands. There are a lot of ranches that have been in danger. Sure there is not much water in those areas naturally, but there is not much water in ANY part of San Diego county.

    Your comment come off as fairly ignorant and pompous. Perhaps part of that is because of your blaming (especially uninformed blaming.)

    If you don’t have something to say that actually has some content or genuine concern, why bother? Let those whose homes are burning alone. Instead of trying to make some absurd commentary on the state of our living out here. Personally I am proud of San Diego. This is an evacuation the size of Katrina. There is only 1 reported death. There were more volunteers than victims in some evacuation centers and, as a whole everything has proceeded fairly fluidly. The firefighters are doing an amazing job and they work night and day.

    So stop with the snarky comments.

31. Jeffrey Learned
    October 24th, 2007 at 1:21 am

    We are both the “invasive species”…

    …and the “fire insurance.”
    As long as humans put themselves above the environment, as if the wildland urban interface is our playground where we can live in our picture postcard dream home (with fire insurance), then “we” are the invasive species. When we declared war on fire a hundred years ago and labeled (for the records) fire “evil,” we lost touch with our “purpose” as human beings. As a wildland firefighter ceritified in many areas in wildland fire operations as a “single resource,” it is clear to me that we humans are out of touch with why we are here on this planet. We invade other countries out of selfishness and greed. We invade the forests out of selfishness and greed. We invade other human and animal “spaces” out of selfishness and greed. Like the fuels that have built up in our forests because of prolonged fire suppression, the same insatiable human appetite for more and more, with disregard for the effects, has reached the point of an inevitable catastrophic (economical, social & environmental) collapse.

    We are out of touch with who we are as a cuture. We are out of touch with what we are and why we are. We are more concerned with buying more useless material items while staying in debt, rather than taking responsibility for the well being of everything around us. Those who choose to live in a wildland urban interface to satisfy personal motives need to snap out of DENIAL (a contageous dis-ease that is running rampant throughout this culture) and learn to become “Stewards of the Land.”

    What is your relationship with the Land? What did the land look like before fire suppression became the policy of a corrupt government owned by greedy corporations? What did the land look like before European settlers “invaded” this country?

    Fire was once a natural part of our landscape. Low intensity fire helped maintain balance and order in the forests and kept forests “healthy and biodiverse.” (Many Native Americans understood this principle and, prior to the arrival of European settlers, practiced “prescribed burning” methods that supported the health of themselves AND the health of the forests and animals.) However, that knowledge was lost when the European settlers came to understand “timber” as a valuable commodity and perceived fire as “evil” and actually declared war on it. (Good old Smokey the Bear became the perfect propoganda prop to further their cause.) Unfortunately, without low intensity fire to keep forests healthy and diverse, we now have a catastrohpic problem on our hands. The amount of acummulated “bio mass” needed to be removed from our forests, to help nature recover somewhat, is MASSIVE! Like the Karma that will come to all Americans for, directly or indirectly, invading and destroying other peoples cultures, a similar Karma is now at our doorstep.

    You want fire insurance? Look inside yourself. Learn to connect to your true nature and how that supports and nourishes your environment…the land your home is on. Each and everyone of us has a purpose on this planet, unrelated to the fashionable addictions most Americans have to any and everything that keeps them constantly preoccupied with being busy doing absolutely nothing worthwhile.

    We each need to realign ourselves with our purpose and mission in life; not to serve ourself (always first), but to serve the greater good of all living creatures. Time is growing short on all fronts. Our forests need to be intelligently and carefully “thinned” (leaving all old growth) with mimimum impact on the sensitive ecosystem. Low intensity fire must follow. Therapy for the forests will be therapy for ourselves. They go hand and hand, limb and limb. (Channel the billions of dollars allocated to an illegal war, by a corrupted administration, towards hiring a few million “poor” people to recover our forests. It’s a “win-win” situation.)

    Time to make a stand for something good, anything. Either this makes sense or it doesn’t. The lines are being drawn. Whether you are rich or poor, it does not matter. What does matter is what side you choose to align yourself with?

    A fully functional and dedicated “Steward of the Land,” steeped in principles gleaned from Nature (and not the corrupted corporations), is the only true “fire insurance” there is. Our ability to positively Steward the Land is the “fire insurance” policy that the old growth forest has always expected from us, as a coherent human race. The policy expired over the last hundred years. Time to renew it for the sake of the forest and ourselves?

    Jeffrey Learned

32. Abestar
    October 24th, 2007 at 4:57 am

    @Alex

    Good job one upping yourself on sounding like a smug asshole. That was really impressive.

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