<p>My daughter is on day one of her journey from NJ out to LA to finish her last semester at Emerson College’s LA school. I just received an emergency email from the school with regard to the state of emergency and the danger to the area where she is headed to ( Burbank ) I have never been out there, but I am concerned because the next city over had begun evacuations and the situation has been described as extremely dangerous air quality and fires growing at a frightening rate…
My daughter does have asthma and we have been advised to contact her doctor about this situation…she is low on meds, but I know I can get that taken care of with a phone call or two…Thankfully, her father is making the road trip with her, but I am anxious and worried about it all.
Of course I am very concerned about all of the people in the path of these raging wildfires, but this just added to my anxiety about the big move !!!</p>
<p>lje62 I’m sorry, I’m sure you are anxious. I haven’t been following this fire but I understand from the news this morning that it is moving quickly. I am not following it minute by minute as thankfully it is not in my area. We have had several (so many I have lost count) and generally, of course, the evacuations are precautionary. They are soo careful to get everyone that might even have a hint of trouble out of the area.<br>
As I hear more I will post as I’m sure fellow ccers who are closer to that area will too.</p>
<p>lje there is a thread on the parent cafe. I just posted an update there on what I have heard.</p>
<p>We live in one of the areas where people have been evacuated because of the “Station Fire” (near Pasadena, etc.). Everything you hear is true, but it helps to put it into perspective. </p>
<p>– The air quality is bad (it smells smokey at our house), but if you stay inside, or minimize outdoor activity, it is much better. Your daughter won’t want to be outside much anyway, until it clears up. Ironically, it’s worst in the morning when it’s cool; when it gets hot, the air clears up and the smoke goes upward.</p>
<p>– The fires are moving/spreading quickly, but mostly not towards the heavily inhabited areas, such as Burbank. The fires remain primarily up in the hills and canyons (the exception here is Acton, and I’m not sure how close the fires are). The firefighters are letting the fires in the backcountry burn, because they are so difficult to fight; they are trying to defend structures and houses.</p>
<p>– The houses that burned are in one somewhat “remote” canyon, that would be difficult to reach by vehicle in these situations or by copter/plane. The terrain around here is very steep.</p>
<p>– Some local school districts have cancelled their opening days of school, mostly as precautionary measures because of air quality, not because the schools are in imminent danger.</p>
<p>There is no question that there has been enormous devastation of natural resources; it is really quite sad. It is also frightening to wake up in the morning and read the headlines or hear the fires pronounced “out of control.” But I would think that the real risk to your daughter is minimal.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>
<p>Thank you ,ebeeeee…I know now how you must feel having your child in Boston and being so far away ! I am wondering if the media is blowing it out of proportion…okay, I am hoping 
This kind of makes me flashback to hurricane Katrina and all of the college students in New Orleans and other cities who were affected. I do not mean to minimize other people’s risks who are in the path of danger, but Mama Bear is a bit anxious here…</p>
<p>thanks Zetesis…I am actually more concerned about air quality than actual risk of fire to her. I remember a few yrs back, there was a large forest fire in Canada, and you could see and smell the smoke all the way down to NJ…people here kept calling 911…same thing with a fire in NC.</p>
<p>Is her place air conditioned?</p>
<p>I would imagine so, it is used both for students and also transient families of child stars.</p>
<p>lje62:</p>
<p>I’ve been right in the thick of some of these fires with the smoke so thick here that you couldn’t see 50 yards. It was dangerous to spend much of any time outside but staying inside with the windows closed with the a/c on recirculate, it was okay inside the house even for my asthmatic W who reacts pretty quickly to smoke. The main thing for your D is to be prudent by staying inside as much as she can if she’s in the thick of the smoke and of course, evacuate if they say to. Some people down here didn’t do that and lost their lives in the last big brush fires as a result. But I agree that if she’s in the middle of a ‘citified’ area, she should be fine. </p>
<p>The smoke itself can be surprisingly spotty depending on the winds, the shape of the terrain, etc. One area can be very bad for smoke yet a quarter mile away it can be pretty clear.</p>
<p>Oh good. I was hoping someone like Zeteis would post. The media makes it difficult, particularly when you are on the other side of the country. Whenever we get a large fire in the backcountry around here my family on the East coast calls. Generally speaking the fires have been 20 miles away in the backcountry with no threat to the more populated areas where I live but it is difficult to glean that from the media coverage.
lje, I’m sure all will be fine.</p>
<p>Burbank is safe from the fire. The fire has threatened thousands of homes, but thankfully the Firefighters have been able to save most. It’s just going to be really bad in terms of air quality for a while.</p>
<p>Also, given the size of the burn, firefighters are estimating this will take weeks to get under control.</p>
<p>I’ve found that KNX1070.com often has good, up to date interactive maps that show the region involved, distances from other cities, locations of evacuation shelters, road closures, etc.</p>
<p>I know exactly where you daughter is living. She’ll be fine. (She is sort of near the Hollywood sign…yes?). She is on Cahuenga…this is a major street with fire hydrants and the like. There is nothing of the sort in the wilderness fires. Homes on hillsides (in the fire area) are certainly more vulnerable. But again, tell her to stay inside. If she is going to the pharmacy tell her to purchase the highly unfashionable face mask. They are disposable. </p>
<p>I just looked outside. We are on the westside. The skies are smoky but not reddish. That is good. So, lots of smoke and ash.</p>
<p>As a mother if my child were cross country in an unfamiliar place I would be panicking. I think that this board is wonderful.</p>
<p>ellebud , I really am not sure the exact address, but it is Oakwoods. I am more concerned about the smoke than any actual fire coming close enough for her to be at risk.
I am a little panicky, but that is just because it is such a big move. It feels like it did when she was a freshman and leaving home for the first time, although maybe even worse because she will be so far away from any family this time.
The disasters of CA are just so odd to contemplate, at least compared to our east coast issues with hurricanes, nor’easters and a blizzard or two ;)</p>
<p>That is where I thought she was. The valley, where she is, tends to be smoggier than the westside because it is…a valley. But the apartments are on a bit of a hill, so that is better. I can truly say that it is hot here but here no smell of smoke. No blue skies however. Staying indoors, especially if she is vulnerable is good and the facemask is really a good option.</p>
<p>Burbank should not be a problem re fire but the air quality is probably bad. It’s awful where I am and I’m about 20 minutes northwest of Burbank. The best tactic is to stay indoors and not to do anything strenuous if she has to venture outdoors. It’s supposed to cool down a lot on Friday which should help.</p>