<p>even though other LA area schools like ucla and usc arent directly affected, many of us students are suffering indirectly thru horrible allergies and air quality :(</p>
<p>The fire support in the Lake Arrowhead area fighting the Grass and Slide Fires are being split, with focus going to the fires in San Diego County in the A.M. One of the communities threatened by the Slide Fire has been given up for lost, and it’s heading into another of the bigger communities. The Grass Fire seems to be relatively tame, though it’s edging toward Crestline.</p>
<p>People will be working double shifts tomorrow.</p>
<p>I heard the gusts are due for another 24 hours at least.</p>
<p>I’m praying for everyone.</p>
<p>Dear undecided == Lake Arrowhead was singled out for mention on CNN tonight because not enough people to fight it. I am glad your family isn’t there but am concerned for your house. Do you know if it’s within the area “given up for lost”?
I did hear that elsewhere in CA, impacted people commenting on how random it was, that one house might be taken and another across the street untouched because of where the embers fall. If that thought gives you hope right now. Keep us posted.</p>
<p>Namaste, re: your allergies, if any of this advice helps:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Fires may be approaching UCSD and USD…let’s hope they don’t get too close…</p>
<p>My area is pretty safe at the moment. The Slide Fire could catch up to it by morning – the area in between it and my house is nothing but wilderness and canyons – but it’s still quite a ways off for the moment. The Grass Fire is just on the other side of the Lake Arrowhead (the lake itself) from me, but that’s probably the best place it could be as far as my house is concerned; plus it’s pushing west, which is away from my house.</p>
<p>The area given up for lost is Green Valley Lake, which is just above Running Springs (which is the area the Slide Fire is currently working through, about 15ish crow-flying miles west of Big Bear). I have many friends in Running Springs who are giving up on their houses because of the lack of personnel because even the number of people they have now is insufficient. We can only imagine how it’ll look in the morning. The winds are making it terrible to have the air support, too, which is why the fires are so troublesome: ground access is nearly impossible in quite a few areas. </p>
<p>I am crossing my fingers. Once again, I am fairly well insulated by surrounding houses and the lay of the land, particularly because one large portion burned horribly in the '04 Old Fire and should provide something of a break. In the first day the two fires have already claimed ~139 homes and they’re still in the middle of relatively densely populated areas, so it’s not looking great, but… we knew and accepted this danger when we moved up there.</p>
<p>At the moment, we’re far more concerned with looters than the fires. :(</p>
<p>We had friends from Poway, CA visiting this weekend who insisted on trying to drive back toward SD last night. I’ve been worried ever since. Many homes in their area are gone. We lived in Ramona, CA for many years and have friends there. The information right now is sparse as far as being able to look at specific addresses.<br>
Cel phones and home phones are mostly out.<br>
I have never seen a situation like this in CA.</p>
<p><a href=“http://ucsd.edu/[/url]”>http://ucsd.edu/</a></p>
<p>Closed today because of air quality. Red emergency. No evacuation.</p>
<p>All the colleges in San Diego are closed today.</p>
<p>I’ve said this before - people who live outside SoCal are often way more frightened by the prospect of earthquakes than they need to be. The thing they <em>should</em> be afraid of around here is a wind-driven wildfire.</p>
<p>Hang in there, SoCal residents – be safe – we’re thinking about you.</p>
<p>Half of Running Springs was hit by the Slide Fire, claiming another ~250 homes overnight. Once they get back into the Green Valley Lake area, the number is expected to jump.</p>
<p>There’s 5% containment, and it’s headed toward the area where my boyfriend’s family lives. Currently they don’t expect to get any bigger grasp on it, and it looks like it’s going to try climbing up toward Lake Arrowhead alongside the road; hopefully the damage the previous fire did can check it some. Not looking go though. From the scanner: “hot spots unless they are imminent threats to structures we’ll have to leave the hot spots alone; we just don’t have the resources right now”</p>
<p>They’re discussing evacuating the hospital now, which would be nightmarish. There aren’t many patients there, but trying to get the ambulances up and back down could prove problematic. </p>
<p>I think we’re still holding out a lot better than SD County.</p>
<p>My fingers are crossed and thoughts are out for everyone in the area and the parents with students in the area.</p>
<p>The fire by my house is burning strong and mighty, and has now burned just under 16,000 acres. It still is under 10 miles from me (and 12 miles from UCIrvine). The winds were quite intense last night. The sun is shining this morning but the smoke is intense. It never dipped below 80* last night, and it is now 82* (at just 9 am). My yard looks worse in daylight. </p>
<p>We lost power for about 1/2 hour yesterday, along with John Wayne Airport (what fun that must have been!).</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.ocregister.com/news/fire-canyon-blaze-1902172-santiago-road[/url]”>http://www.ocregister.com/news/fire-canyon-blaze-1902172-santiago-road</a></p>
<p>And this is our biggest problem:</p>
<p>“per USFS incident commander - will try to get aircraft up over Lk Arrowhead this morning. Too windy to use aircraft over RS/Green Valey Lake fire (Slide Fire). Have 1,000 people on the two fires - not enough but will do their best. The IC said this fire is a lot tougher to fight than the old fire due to wind pushing up slope and poor road access. 4 helicopters , 4 air tankers & DC10 on standby for air (Lk Arrowhead). concentrating on west side of Lk Arrowhead/Crestline fire today also.”</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, Green Valley Lake is still standing, though many of the homes burnt overnight.</p>
<p>It’s just now creeping into my boyfriend’s neighborhood.</p>
<p>I think the hardest part about watching all of this is just that: I have to sit here and watch. It was agonizing in 2004 to have to sit in a hotel room waiting for the news crews to feed us any information they could give, which was often erroneous because of lack of knowledge of the area. Unfortunately I think that’s pressed quite a few more people than normal to ignore evacuation orders and stay home to provide information/protect their property where the resources are too scant to do so. :/</p>
<p>(Sorry to spam the thread when I know there are lots of other fire events, much worse, going on!)</p>
<p>It looks like they’re triaging the fires in the San Bernardino Mountains. Because we only have a combined population of ~100,000, the roads are difficult to access, and the winds are making it nearly impossible (not to mention incredibly dangerous) to fight with plane drops, it looks like they’re just going to do their best to protect structures until they need to evacuate all personnel due to the danger.</p>
<p>My boyfriend’s dad’s house burnt down, and it’s not far from taking out his mom’s house as well. My house is still quite safe, but the fires are only getting worse and more out of control. If it turns out they are simply cutting their losses, well…</p>
<p>I know I’m praying for rain without thunderstorms.</p>
<p>Carolyn has not posted anywhere that one might expect to find her since Saturday. I hope she and her family are safe.</p>
<p>my house is in a voluntary evacuation zone near the border in Chula Vista and we are getting out… odds are we’re safe because the wind is changing but you never know… good luck to those also affected</p>
<p>Any news on Rancho Santa Fe or Laguna? I’ve written to friends in both towns and haven’t heard a word.</p>
<p>^^Rancho Santa Fe has been hit hard. Some homes have burned and the area is evacuated. I don’t know about Laguna.</p>
<p>for specific information on the san diego fire try <a href=“http://forum.signonsandiego.com/forumdisplay.php?f=156[/url]”>http://forum.signonsandiego.com/forumdisplay.php?f=156</a></p>
<p>then you can log on to the forum for a specific area. People are being great about posting very specific information as they have it.</p>
<p>dke: I work near Laguna. So far things are quiet. Smoky (as can be expected), windy & over 90* (amazing for the beach area…especially in October!)</p>