Hey everyone!

Thanks for all the prayers and good thoughts this way. Personally, I'm good - I actually moved from Ramona last year, but still live in the San Diego area, and while I have not had to evacuate, there are areas of where I live that have. The evacuation center from Sunday night in my town was shut down because of the smoke and moved to Mira Mesa High, and I know that there are homes around the ex-evac center that were threatened and/or hit.

PM Mama - Menifee is north of San Diego and southwest of Riverside. They are likely seeing a lot of smoke from the various fires, but I have not heard anything about fires threatening that area. For me to drive to Menifee (as I used to do when I was driving up 15 for school), it would probably take me about 1 hr 15 minutes from where I live now, and that's just south of the Rancho Bernardo area that I believe has received a lot of coverage on the national news coverage.

SoCalGirl - hope you are okay where you are, and thanks for thinking of me - I know of some friends in Ramona who lost their homes. Kelly, thanks for all that you're doing! :)

Can lead a horse to water...
 

I am from San Diego.

My parent's house is okay, for now. They will not leave. They are by Cowles Mountain which is in the city. My brother lives in a "tinderbox" in Santee.

Most of the fire seems to be more north in RB and now is South in Mt. Miguel--my stomping grounds--burnt to a crisp.

We shall see. There is talk they will shutdown commercial flights to night. Flights can land, but they cannot take off.

My folks told me of 2-3 families who homes have been burnt down. I know these folks, personally.

Please pray.

Thanks for all the prayers and good thoughts! We really need them!

We are closest to the Harris fire - We are ready to evacuate if we get the call, or if I think it's time to go! Last night I got about an hour's sleep as we all watched the fire on Mt Miguel from by back window. It is a large mountain with transmitter towers- I would estimate that some of the flames were 50 to 100' feet high. looked liked bombs going off when the transmitters blew! Thankfully the fires have burned all around us, and we have not been in any real danger, although many neighbors and friends have been affected. I'm sad to report that the one fatality reported is the father of one of my son's classmates, and his classmate was burned over 50% of his body. It is a devastating loss to our community. Apparently they were trying to defend their property- it is just awful. Thankfully the winds have really died down and I a am hopeful that the worst is over. Keep us all in your thoughts and prayers!

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...42957&z=9&om=1

A friend of mine sent me the above link to Google Maps, indicating the locations of the fires, evacuation shelters closed, road closures, mandatory evacuations, etc. in San Diego County.

This is absolutely insane.

:( Thinking of all those people....

Ok my uncle said he's about an hour and half away from any fires, but according to that google map it looks like the evacuation borders are pretty damn close to him.

Does anyone have a link to those satellite pictures? Those are pretty crazy.

Just heard from my friend in San Clemente. She's waiting to evacuate. I texted back asking if her husband is with her but she never answered so I'm assuming they got the "go". They are both in the Navy and I'm not sure if her husband is on deployment or not. They also have a baby girl who is under a year old so I"m hoping she has some help.

ETA: She texted back. Her husband doesn't come home till Friday. They are by the Fallbrook fires and there are already 2 fires on the naval base.

I think my uncle downplayed their safety to my dad. Just talked to my (step)cousin and she said her stepdad (my uncle) talked to the other uncle and the fires are 2 cities over.

This isn't the big one, but I found one of them:
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/1...rge_titled.jpg

Several of my pledge Brothers live up and down the coast.
I have yet to hear from any of them.
Good thoughts and wishes to all.
Found this link:
http://search.live.com/images/results.aspx?q=cal+fires&go=Search+Images&mkt=en-us&scope=&FORM=LIVSOP#focal=5965eb238d1acedecac977 e7ff97df5f&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emergency-management.net%2Fpic_wildf_la_2003%2FWildfiresocal october20036.jpg

Everyone I know in SoCal is OK so far.

That link goes to pictures of the Cedar fire. From four years ago.

My sister, who lives near the Old Town section of La Mesa, phoned me at about 3am last night in a total panic (crying, hyperventilating) because she could see the orange glow and flames in the distance. At the time, I was at Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley and we could actually see flames twinkling in the distance to the east.

(FYI - my sister was not in danger and she is now calmed down and ok)

.....Kelly :)

:(:o

A friend of mine live in San Diego not too far from SDSU. He said he's fine for right now and that he's in a zone that luckily hasn't had too many effects from the fires. He did say that the situation could get worse today and that he'd have to evacuate in that case. I told him to drive out to Atlanta and stay with us if things got bad (although it might take him a few days to get here!) since we're closer to him in terms of proximity compared to his parents who are in Orlando. He told us that all the highways that lead out of the city have been burned. :(

What are they doing with all the animals at the San Diego Zoo? Has anyone heard anything?