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October 30, 2007
http://slave.lilfox.com/share/fire/
I got a call at work - my contractor's daughter. She has a boyfriend at Camp Pendelton and I am leaving for San Diego on Saturday. Could she have a ride?
After a bunch of calls - she is riding down with me - and we are leaving at 4AM.
It's dark. I need light. But I want to hit LA before it's totally awake. Easier that way. Even on a Saturday. (Never drive on Friday and hit during rush hour! I learned!)
The tunnel is open, the truck fire (23 18-wheelers and one errant passenger car had burned in the 14 tunnel UNDER (5 down near Magic Mountain) - Eric (Fabio's Manager) said to be careful - it's a mess.
We hauled out on time, Andy tossing stuff into my truck. Surprise - I am hauling some of the Burning Man gear out of here. My son came back and just dumped. I am trying to dig out.
We stuffed ourselves into the truck and left. In the dark. I had Starbuck's nearby (bottled, Lite) and soda and green tea. OK.
It was uneventful. Until we got to Harris Ranch, my first stop. It was still dark. They were not fully open. The rest rooms were. They have good rest rooms.
It was also blistering COLD, high winds. We huddled and scurried and walked the dog fast, and pumped gas fast. The dog doesn't jump DOWN from the truck now - she stopped jumping UP over a year ago. Time to treat HER joints. Time to order the RAMP.
We hauled down to Lake Hughes, my next stop. Still chilly. Winds off the ocean. Settled, we headed for the burning tunnel area - and went thru with no problem. We actually made GREAT time and got to San Diego by 1PM. By this time, the Marine was off duty, had napped for 5 minutes, and was hunting us. What did we ever do without text messaging and cell phones?
I unloaded - he unloaded the heavy stuff. He's 6'9". Burning man stuff in the shed, truck empty. Cool.
OK.
Since she is staying in my "guest room" - John's room, she had become a housewife and dusted, straightened and swept the room, made it neat. The bottom bed pulls out - but wasn't.
They went out, shopped, had dinner, I was working, setting up the computers, sorting out my work, starting the watering cycles.
I went to bed leaving them in the living room - she's 19 and he's 21. I do not need to babysit.
In the morning, I stumbled downstairs with the dog, who will go out early no matter how much I don't want to move, and found a man on my sofa. I thought he left.
Good thing I was dressed! I have a tendency to drop my PJs upstairs and run downstairs naked or nearly-so and grab my clothes from the bag I never unpack. Well, I was in PJs.
Lucky thing. I made my coffee (men do not wake up if you are quiet). Sat outside.
The winds were not cold, it was Santa Ana time and warm. I watered. Sometime along the way, we all woke up to the fact that there was a fire. Near where the Cedar fire had started. Chills. I had spent the day typing on a manual and running hoses. The kids had spent the day sorting my library, a room I had become afraid to enter.
They unpacked books, stacked boxes when shelves ran out, and hauled stuff around, assembled the sofa that was on its side, and made usable space. Think this way - there's a TV and cable (even if it's a 13" set) - what more can a couple want?
By nightfall, went to dinner (least I could do - spectacular job), and when we came out of the Mexican restaurant (which I will never eat at again), we were in raining ash.
No good.
Amusing, not good. Probably why I got loose in Barnes & Noble. $$$$$
OK.
I was now back home and watching TV - and every channel was discussing the fire.
I was watching TV on and off all night. Actually, by 10PM, the winds were so bad that the empty boxes removed from the library needed cutting up and went ahead and pre-loaded the truck. I was supposed to drive back Tuesday - supposed to see an electrician Monday - guess not!
Animal cages were located and loaded. I put anything I didn't need back into the truck. Kept the computers.
I alerted the kids.
The Marine went back Sunday night for duty - needs to be up at 5AM. Normal schedule.
BY Monday, my contractor and his wife were in a panic - because they didn't know exactly the house and fire coordinates. I knew they were evacuating Poway and other cities and the roads were slammed. I5 was slammed. I15 shut down. I decided to sit tight. They said it wasn't tracking the Cedar fire path. It shouldn't. It should burn new areas. The Cedar fire burned to my back door - ALMOST got me. But I had low-fuel plants, green bands, and ice plants. And a Neighbor who finished off the logs when the firemen left. (Railroad ties around a flower bed were burning merrily.)
I alerted her when it started getting hinky.
I had Ranger where I could find him (in a 3000 sq ft house that's important), Summer comes when called, and the dog won't be parted with me.
I packed up one computer and was glued to the TV.
I ran some more sprinklers.
By afternoon, we knew it was moving.
I went out to run the back bank, the neighbor (who was hosing down my tree) said we were going to have to leave.
I had plugged my phone into the wall (not normally connected - just use it for the occasional local call) and was waiting. Sure enough. Reverse 911. GET OUT!
Well, I dropped the last computer (after flagging people). Tossed them into the car. Grabbed the cats and dog. My pills were loaded. Grabbed the ice chest with some food. Have water bottles. Coffee. She grabbed bedding, I locked up, and we mounted up. The caravan crawled off the Ranch within 10 minutes.
I left the phone plugged in. I can call myself and see if I answer, Worked during the Cedar fire. If the machine answers, the house is still standing.
OK.
We CRAWLED to the I15 South (North is BLOCKED and still closed), people giving traffic direction, safety vests, sending us SOUTH.
We ran South, my calling Chuck for any other way OUT. Nope. Fires South. Fires North. Fires West. And the fire just jumped I5 in Solana Beach. During the night it had reached Rancho Bernardo. I knew it would. The winds are 40-100MPH.
So I drove to the Qualcomm stadium (some free-thinkers went to the Quacomm COMPANY parking lot), and after a delay getting in, parked, near a Kybo. The Mexican dinner had hit and I was up to 5 Imodium tablets by now. Two Kybos.
OK. I left my rider babysitting cats and dog and computers and truck, and I hiked around the stadium. All the way to the other side. Well, I needed exercise.
I was in a pony tail, the bare minimum of make up, tank top and slacks, and stomping around like the frump I am and ---- ran into 20 studly firemen - oh of course!!!!!
I tried not to be a mess and went on to the gate ( "A" - - I was parked at "G"), I was greeted at once, AT ONCE, signed in, went for the restroom (yes - and washed my hands), saw food everywhere, found the security office - no luck - they didn't know if I5 was open, went inside to the monitors (had to ask directions - hadn't been here in 14 years), couldn't hear a damn thing so I asked. I5 is open. Slammed still but open. They are evacuating Rancho Santa Fe and Bernardo, and Scripps, and Poway and ------
Only road out.
I grabbed two bottles of ice water and signed back out.
They had said all day - if you have someplace else to go - go! Leave the shelters for the desperate.
I have another house.
We left. I had to ask directions to get out! (Said I hadn't been here in awhile.)
I gunned it, and made the freeway on 1/2 tank of gas. 805 blew fast - and then we joined I5. Oh yeah. Slammed.
Smoke.
Yuck.
We crawled. My raider wasn't happy. I wasn't happy and the Marine is now on Fire duty. The fire is headed for the base. The fire is headed for the ocean folks and it will get there. It has several heads. This is the BIG WITCH fire.
Scripps Ranch was a "precautionary" evac but we were glued to the radio.
After 3 1/2 hours, we made 74 - San Juan Capistrano. 60 miles from my house.
We were shaking.
We raced to the rest room. We bought chicken nuggets, coffee, and I got sugar cookies. When you have the Mexican food disease, sugar cookies help. They clog up everything.
I was sipping a double shot Starbuck's by now.
We stopped for gas (I was nearly out). She ran for more food. A snickers bar - for me (unfortunately it melted before I ate it) and nachos chips. The clerk evidently tried to flirt - "How's your day?" She evidently glowered and replied "What does it look like? DO you see what I am buying here?" I think he's still looking for his balls.
Now - I have a Mother-hen complex, I do feel responsible to get her safely back to her parents, so when she runs into a quick-stop, I am watchful. I guess I don't need to worry!
Laughing myself silly, we got back on the freeway, which had opened up. We could now do 40. Then 60. And finally --------- well, I won't admit to how fast that truck can move.
We were being blown sideways. That is tiring.
By Magic mountain, there went the lights (the start of the grapevine climb). I commented I hated the dark. But then, if there were light it would be red.
Sure enough - TWO fires. The "Magic" fire was fully engulfing a hill (turns out - my brother's back yard) and the flames were visible. My passenger got excited and flashed a photo - right in my eyeball.
BLIND DRIVER.
We made Lake Hughes (reverse process). And got coffee, walked the dog, etc.
Hauling back out, I did a dead-head run at fairly good speed all the way to Harris Ranch. I pulled up and freaked out security - they were closed. It was 11:30PM. Drat! I like that restroom!
OK OK I went to the Shell station restrooms, not as good but OK.
The dog was not walked, it was windy. I was tired. I got gas and left. I was on to bottled Starbuck's.
We hauled further and made it home by 2AM.
The next day - I never made work - the admin said work at home because my emails were "wired". Yeah I bet they were! I am off Starbuck's until the next trip!
My truck is back and dirty. I had hosed it off twice before we left. Ashes everywhere.
My house is OK. The Evac was off Tuesday. My neighbor said he'd watch the house.
I have sort of calmed down.
The fires are almost surrounded (except the winds are back).
Summer - my younger cat - has been squeezed a lot.
We are hoping for RAIN!
The electrician --- was in POWAY - which was also under evac. Maybe next trip.
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