Southern California - SO CAL FOLKS AFFECTED BY FIRES - Please Check In

I know people have more important things on their minds right now than this forum, but for those of you who have logged on and are someone severely implacted by the fires (had to evacuate or helped others to evacuate), please let us know if you are okay once you have a moment. A lot of people on here are hoping that all of you are okay and that your homes are safe.

Ronjon??? Mark??? :(

::: worry :::

I talked to Mark and he's fine. Scripps Ranch is being evacuated as a precaution but it's not close to the fire at this point.

Well, I know Ronjon evacuated for sure and went to a friend's house as I talked to him last night when the fire was still quite a ways from Topanga Cyn. I suspect he's very worried about his home, though, and I've noticed that he hasn't been on all day. But Mark???? :(

I talked to Mark and he's fine. Scripps Ranch is being evacuated as a precaution but it's not close to the fire at this point.

Thanks, Dan. You're out of the way too, I hope.

If I was driven from my home, I suspect I would be preoccupied.

We're packed and ready to roll if we get the call. My mother in law is a nurse at a nursing home near 4S Ranch in Rancho Bernardo. From what I understand, they evac'd the nursing home, she was able to return home down the street to help pack up the car, but had to go back and follow the buses to help unload the elderly people from the buses. The rest of the fam that was at the 4S house went to Mira Mesa. We have family over by Otay lakes as well. Been a long day.......

I know Mark (effecancy) is down in scripps, not sure if he got the call or not, hope all is well with him. Mo Phat is by Wild Animal Park and may have been evac'd during the night or early morning.

ME, my son lives in Canyon Country and the fire came close last night. He just called me and sent me a picture of a fire that is starting just outside his work in Stevenson Ranch, he works at the Wells Fargo at The Old Rd. and McBean Parkway. The fire is just west of that intersection.

I had to evac this morning at around 5. I live just a bit north of Coronado Hills and south of the campus.

I'm in Santa Monica, spent the morning getting my dog into a kennel for a few days and I'm crashing w/ a friend. It took me a little while to break into her secured net connection so I could get online :p

The fire expanded east to Las Flores Canyon. That's a little close for comfort, but I've been watching TV most all afternoon and these firefighters appear to be pretty good at saving homes. My place is all the way down on Topanga canyon blvd, so the fire still has a ways to go. It's stubborn though, it's made all this movement east against the dominant winds coming from the North East.

Nevertheless, my dog, my bike, and I will be fine. Everything else can be managed worse comes to worse.

Thanks for checking in guys. So far, breath held, everyone seems to be coming through okay and that's a good thing to hear.

Thanks for checking in guys. So far, breath held, everyone seems to be coming through okay and that's a good thing to hear.

+1 ... CNN's been covering this all day. Video looks horrific.

Paul (MoPhat)... please let us know you're okay....

Haven't heard a peep out of him all day. :(

Haven't heard a peep out of him all day. :(

I know, that's why I'm worried... he's in a bad spot :(

Happyfeet and I are thinking of you all out on the West Coast, and hoping some of the weather we're having here finds its way your direction soon. Stay safe and out of harm's way ya'll.

All OK here and safe at home. I was lucky on my drive home, as I made it through the southbound I-15 through the Cajon Pass in between the closures there.

my whole family and i were evacuated from fallbrook in north county earlier today. i am at a friends house now. dont worry first two things i put in my truck were my bicycles.

I'm here. (http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=5502958&postcount=52)

As of right now, my house is still there. Not sure about my parents or in-laws, though. Hectic and damn scary this morning.

Hope everybody is well.


Mandatory Del Mar evac just came through the news.


Over the next two days, everybody ( and I mean everybody, whether you think you'll be affected or not) should pack their car with both gas and what they need to take with them. When the call comes (or when you think you should...) get the hell out.

Fires are burning in the hills about a mile or two from my house in southern orange county. There's a few thousand homes between me and the fire, and the fire fighters seem to be holding the fire back from entering the neighborhoods. It's raining ashes and dust right now, the air is not breathable outside. Hopefully the winds will shift and the onshore cool wind will kick in and this thing will die down. The sick thing is an arsonist was the likely cause. Neighborhoods just a couple of blocks from me are blocked off, need to keep track of what's going on tonight.

My parents can see the fire from their house and may be evacuated.

Thanks for the concern guys. Thanks Dan for offering your place. You and Tracie are always great hosts. I'm at my cousin's place in Mira Mesa for now.

It's good to hear from Paul. I was wondering what was happening.

Stay Safe Everyone!

the fires are burning in Rancho Santa Fe. If they break through into the valley, they'll almost certainly evacuate Encinitas. We're just hoping the wind stays calm.

Thanks again for checking in, guys. Watching the news is so depressing and unbelievable. :(

Thanks again for checking in, guys. Watching the news is so depressing and unbelievable. :(

That's why I switched the TV to football.

That's why I switched the TV to football.

OMG, no! That would depress me worse...you want me to end it all?

OMG, no! That would depress me worse...you want me to end it all?

Oh yeah, that's right ... I have Cyclism Sunday recorded on tivo. I guess I'll watch that instead.

I've had the TV on since 6am......was tempting to put the xbox on for a few rounds just for a change of pace.

I found "The Horse Whisperer" on one of the movie channels. That got me away from it for a while.

I was supposed to fly to Seattle this evening for meetings the next couple days, but I told work that even though we were not in any threatened (yet) area, I did not want to leave my family here by themselves.

Not that it's in any way as important as people losing their homes, but I've been mentally ticking off all the prime cycling areas in SD county that have been or are likely to be burned. Rice Canyon, Del Dios Hwy, Fairbanks Ranch, Rancho Santa Fe, Highland Valley Rd, Bandy Canyon, Ramona, etc....... Double badness.

I'm with you, Dan. That's just human. None of us would put that over a loss of a home or a life certainly, but we can still be very sad about the loss of some beautiful areas. They will regenerate, but it does mean a very stark canvas for a long time. :(

I'm making physical preparations (as opposed to just mental planning) for evacuation in case it comes to that. Currently, the voluntary evacuation has reached Sorrento Valley Rd. It's not all that many more streets before it would expand to where DaveSANYYZ and I are.

For you San Diego mountain bikers = Sweetwater Resevior mountain is engulfed and it is quickly making its way down to the dam.

Here is a picture from my parent's place which is 45 miles southwest of San Marcos, where I originally evacuated from. Its like there is no escape.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/chromese5/_MG_0544.jpg

I pray that everyone is okay.

Somehow we made it through the night wihout being evacuated. The same part of the the Witch Fire that is in Rancho Santa Fe is still threatening Encinitas, where I live. The wind was pretty calm last night, which is why, I guess, the fire didn't go farther west. However, it seems now it's picking up.

We've got my 97 year old mother with us -- we had to evacuate her from her home closer to the fire. Our house certainly isn't made for someone who has to use a walker, but we're getting by. The big problem is if we have to evacuate -- my wife's brother and mom are in south San Diego, but the fires are approaching Bonita now, which is only 5 miles from them.

It's pretty darn scary, that's for sure.

I saw a cyclist riding on the road yesterday -- I mean someone in lycra with a camel pack. No mask. Given the quality of the air, along with incredible amounts of junk on the road, coupled with drivers who are about as distracted as they possibly could be, that's a bit foolhardy if you ask me.

We've got everything packed and ready to go at a moments notice -- we're just hoping it doesn't come to that.

Same here in UTC. I have a friend that initially intended to stay at my place but drove up to LA last night instead.

I guess I'm being a bit too paranoid. :p

I'm making physical preparations (as opposed to just mental planning) for evacuation in case it comes to that. Currently, the voluntary evacuation has reached Sorrento Valley Rd. It's not all that many more streets before it would expand to where DaveSANYYZ and I are.


I know its a bit far, but Dave and Jschen, you're always welcome to camp out my place. It'll be cramped, but at least there's a Curry House down the street! :o

Here is a picture from my parent's place which is 45 miles southwest of San Marcos, where I originally evacuated from. Its like there is no escape.

Wow, seeing that photo puts it all into perspective.

Hope you guys pull through this okay... you're all in my thoughts. :(

I know its a bit far, but Dave and Jschen, you're always welcome to camp out my place. It'll be cramped, but at least there's a Curry House down the street! :o
Me too. If anyone needs a couch to sleep on, mine is open. I meant to offer this yesterday, but I was thinking of the distance. But honestly, anyone who needs a place to stay, you would at least have a couch!

those of us up North are keeping you all in our thoughts.

Thanks. For me I think I'm ok for now.

Still staying put for now around here. I highly doubt they'd evacuate us here, but if they do, I'll have to look at traffic considerations. If they're evacuating us, by then, I-5 may be completely jammed or outright closed.

I have a couple spare bedrooms if you're ok with cats. You'd also have to deal with coming up the 5. I didn't post yesterday for the same reason as ME-- it's a ~2.5 hour drive when there aren't 500,000 people trying to get out of SD.

There are also bike tools in the living room for entertainment.

I guess for Jason if he's coming up this far he'll be at his parents' house.

Still sitting tight on the Mira Mesa. I hate this sitting around business.

I guess for Jason if he's coming up this far he'll be at his parents' house.

And risk a second evacuation if the fire at Lake Arrowhead grows? I don't think so.

And risk a second evacuation if the fire at Lake Arrowhead grows? I don't think so.

Is it that close?

I worry about here in Altadena, too. So far we're good, and haven't even had any high winds.

And risk a second evacuation if the fire at Lake Arrowhead grows? I don't think so.

Very few areas seem safe right now. :(
My parents are packed and ready to go in case something in the Puente Hills starts up.

Not close last I checked, but fires there have a nasty tendency to reach Claremont. Claremont's last line of defense is Baldy Rd and Pomello Rd. My parents are the second house south of Pomello Rd, and many a fire has reached Pomello Rd. Four years ago, the fire station on the corner of Pomello Rd and Mills Rd burned.

Good luck everyone. I know when we went through all of the Hurricanes in 2004/2005 the news just goes 24hrs and it gets really numbing to watch. I can hunker down and close up and feel safe from a hurricane, fires are much worse to deal with.