So-Cal members...

[Joe Gardner]

What's the fire situation?

[Kev]

Definately smokie out here I live in OC and basicaly stayed inside. My eyes burned from about mid day saturday on till almost end of the day today. I went and drove down to the get coffee and could still tell I was breathing the smoke and I'm atleast 30 miles from any of the fires. Ash is slowly floating all around, all cars are speckled with it atleast. It's really strange in the morning everything on sat and sun was basicaly yellow out, gives you this really eary feeling and smells like a constant BBQ is going on.

Last I heard still not under control, at one point they had it 20% contained friday I believe it was but then the santa ana winds picked up and it got out of control again. A friend of mine who is a volunteer fireman I know they called up on his group, but they decided to have major cutbacks in the fire dept in LA area. So they took 80% of the trucks away from them the volunteers so they could not even go help. They could not even get their trucks if they decided to give them back since they are in a junkyard in San bernadino.

[DnvrFox]

My sister was evacuated last night from her condo in the Country Estates, where a number of houses have burned. I have had no direct contact with her since. She has called my mom on her cell phone from the Ramona High School Evacuation Center. We don't kow for sure about her condo, but up to 2 hours ago, I could call and get the answering machine, so it wa still standing with electricity. Right now, the lines are totally jammed and I can't get through.

My 90 yr old mom and my 93 yr old step-dad are possibly facing evacuation from their retirement home in Rancho Bernardo. Have not been able to contact them the last hour.

My 88 year old aunt is preparing to evacuate from Escondido. She is very involved with rheumatoid arthritis but fortunately has her grandson to help her and a place to go with his friends.

And here I sit in Colorado absolutely unable to help in any way. However, even if I lived in San Diego, all the roads are closed, so I probably could not help amyway.

[DnvrFox]

Just talked with my mom - she is ok, but it is smoky and my step-dad is on oxygen, so they are using handkerchiefs to filter the air as much as they can.

My mom's theory is that all of these fires starting at the same is not coincidental, and might be the work of terrorists??

[Kev]

They figure the one in camp pendelton was caused by the base itself during practice fire or something along those lines.. one of the others they think might have been set by someone.

[Bobsled]

Definitely a good day to stay in. Cars are covered in ash if left stationary for any time. Weirdest thing, I woke up and looked out the front door and the sun had a orangeish tint to it. It was kinda like wearing light-orange sun glasses.

[ngateguy]

I just got a call from my folks my nephew in the SD area (Poway I think) had to evacuate his apartment I have been trying to get through to my brother down there for about an hour but the lines are jammed. This must be a pretty recent development since we were exchanging emails about up coming bike trips until about 4 today.

[cyclezealot]

My wife needed my car tomorrow. Her car is in the shop..She dropped me and my bike off half way to work; before I knew there was a fire near my plant.
Am at the plant. Fire on two sides of us. WOndering about the commute home tomorrow. Close the pass to the south towards San Diego Couty, and it will be difficult riding home. Would have used the car, if I had known this.
IF gets bad, guess could get a hotel in Temecula. Hope my ride home in the morning is not smokin. There is a fire between Temecula and the south-east, which I can see in the distance. My way home is south-west.
All these fires at different locations at one time is very strange.

[cyclezealot]

My wife needed my car tomorrow. Her car is in the shop..She dropped me and my bike off half way to work; before I knew there was a fire near my plant.
Am at the plant. Fire on two sides of us. WOndering about the commute home tomorrow. Close the pass to the south towards San Diego Couty, and it will be difficult riding home. Would have used the car, if I had known this.
IF gets bad, guess could get a hotel in Temecula. Hope my ride home in the morning is not smokin. There is a fire between Temecula and the south-east, which I can see in the distance. My way home is south-west.
All these fires at different locations at one time is very strange.

My car is 24 miles away. No commuter bus.. The air is starting to stink.How does that effect the bike commute home.? Think I am commited to the bike commute home.. Make the best of it.

[jedi_rider]

Fire is basically a community or two away from me---I live in Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) and am crossing my fingers and toes that the wind plays nice and dies down.

It's going to be hard to sleep tonight. My fall back plan is to pack everything in my bike travel case (it's pretty big) and hop over to my parent's house where nothing is going on.

Basically, everybody I know (except for my parents) is a community or two away from the fire.

Cancelled my bike ride early this morning so that I don't breathe in the fumes. It's an eerie feeling seeing the sky orange/red at dusk.

The weird thing is that I spent yesterday off the road bike and did some mountain biking at Daley Ranch and Mission Trails. Both of those areas are scorched today.

Rumor has it that the fire started in Ramona by a "lost" hunter setting up a signal fire so that he could be found. Just how friggin' lost was he? Just keep walkin' west and you'll hit civilization. Damn---no brains---setting up a fire in dry brush.

Hope all of you in So-Cal are fairing well.

[SD Fixed]

Pretty nutz is the best way to say it. The sky is oarnge, and my house is covered in ash. A good friend of mine has been evacuated. Seems like the whole area is in flames around here.

[ngateguy]

I know you already know this but the news said the fire is 40 miles long. Thats a huge arse fireline. I tried unsucsefully to contact my brother last night (he is safe lives at Mission Beach) phone lines were jammed. I heard my nephew had to evacuate, he has moved since the last time I was there, but I think he lives up in the Poway/Carmel Mountain area. Stay safe everybody the nations prayers are with you.

[SD Fixed]

I know you already know this but the news said the fire is 40 miles long. Thats a huge arse fireline. I tried unsucsefully to contact my brother last night (he is safe lives at Mission Beach) phone lines were jammed. I heard my nephew had to evacuate, he has moved since the last time I was there, but I think he lives up in the Poway/Carmel Mountain area. Stay safe everybody the nations prayers are with you.

I get off work (I'm on duty) around 5pm. If you want me to swing by his place, PM me and I'll pass a message.

I've gotten in contact with just about everyone that I know, and they're ok so far.

[SD Fixed]

Here's a picture of San Diego County.

[ngateguy]

Tahnks WIlliam I got through and talked to him a few minutes agao and we can email each other. All he said thta it was bad, real bad. My nephew is okay he manged to gab all his important personal stuff and left behind mainly furniture and what not. He doesn't know if his building is still standing.

[SD Fixed]

I don't know how to accurate describe it in a way that would be clear.

The sky is oarnge now. It's raining ash. There are fires in 5 places in San Diego right now. The freeways were empty, with swirling ash clouds.

It's really, like the end of the world.

[SD Fixed]

Taken from my house.

[SD Fixed]

More pictures

[SD Fixed]

more from the hood.

[lotek]

William,

The sidewalk in the last picture looks wet, did you guys
get rain? Or is that just someone watering down the place?

I really don't know what to say to you all except that
you all have been in my thoughts alot lately.
If you need anything please let me know, don't know what I could do (wanna stay in Texas?) but. . .

Marty

[SD Fixed]

William,

The sidewalk in the last picture looks wet, did you guys
get rain? Or is that just someone watering down the place?

I really don't know what to say to you all except that
you all have been in my thoughts alot lately.
If you need anything please let me know, don't know what I could do (wanna stay in Texas?) but. . .

Marty

I had actually been spraying the roof to clean pine needles out of the guttters, and then watered my Jackoranda (SP) tree and lawn.

It's been interesting...

[cyclezealot]

William where is your general wherabouts in So Cal.? My closest fire was at work last night, where we watched it all night long via remote camera. Have an essential job to the public safety, not sure what procedures we are to follow if it were to come to close. Talked to co-workers today. Say the Temecula fire is out, but stinks like hell. Hope can commute to work by Monday. Smelled my panniers after getting home..How do they get deoridized.
Today...Day off. Hoped to ride. Couple hold outs of group ride said lets do a short ride and see how we feel. Called and said lets not. Atmosphere looks like some alien infused the Earth's atmosphere with trace elements from Mars and Venus.
And now by mid-day it is hot too.
I was getting ready to go,when group member called and changed mind.. Sort of feel like I am all dressed up and no where to go.. Guess, there is a road bike on a trainer next to me.

[SD Fixed]

William where is your general wherabouts in So Cal.? My closest fire was at work last night, where we watched it all night long via remote camera. Have an essential job to the public safety, not sure what procedures we are to follow if it were to come to close. Talked to co-workers today. Say the Temecula fire is out, but stinks like hell. Hope can commute to work by Monday. Smelled my panniers after getting home..How do they get deoridized.
Today...Day off. Hoped to ride. Couple hold outs of group ride said lets do a short ride and see how we feel. Called and said lets not. Atmosphere looks like some alien infused the Earth's atmosphere with trace elements from Mars and Venus.
And now by mid-day it is hot too.
I was getting ready to go,when group member called and changed mind.. Sort of feel like I am all dressed up and no where to go.. Guess, there is a road bike on a trainer next to me.

I'm Rancho SD live, work on the water front (Naval Station).

The smoke isn't bad, but the ash is supposed to be pretty horrific on the lungs. Plays hell with my contacts, dumped them and wore glasses.. But air quality is supposed to be bad. Nearest to me is about 6 miles as the crow flys, but not a strong chance that it'll be near me. Many folks I know have been cleared out.

Just really surreal around here lately.

[ngateguy]

William those are rally eerie pictures, especially of the sunrise. We are praying for you all down there. Whats scarier 4 of them are arson fires and of course the mensa candidate who set off the signal flare.

[SD Fixed]

of course the mensa candidate who set off the signal flare.

I have a great deal of sympathy for that man. He will live with the burden of this for years, and a simple bad decission, and freakishly "good" (or bad) timing.. and..

I just can not imagine carrying such a burden on my shoulders as he must have.