Saturday, August 29, 2009

So Far, So Smoky

It's easier to update my blog frequently than to make a million phone calls to let people know how I'm doing. If you're on Twitter (I'm @tinycoconut there) or Facebook (where I'm my 'real' name), you've heard much or all of this already. Sorry for the repeats, but...It's all fire, all the time around here right now.

Saturday, August 29

10:01 a.m.: There's an awful lot of ash falling http://twitpic.com/fpv1h

11:42 a.m.: I'm good 3, 4 miles west of fire. Unhealthy air, everything covered in ash, but in no real danger re house. Just lungs!

12:31 p.m.: So forget that 3, 4 miles west of the fire thing...It's now right above our house. On the other side of the mountain, tho, so safe for now?

4:02 p.m.: Just found out that the area just TWO BLOCKS north of us and ONE BLOCK west is now under a mandatory evacuation. Holy shit.

4:02 p.m.: Never expected it to get this close...I'm actually scared now.

4:09 p.m.: Thanks, all. Gathering stuff for Baroy to put in car if evac becomes a reality. N and I going to friends'; Em to another; Baroy here for now.

7:16 p.m.: Am at friend's house in Burbank...Baroy's staying behind to keep an eye on things, but will leave if our area needs evacuating.

7:17 p.m.: There's actual AIR in Burbank...things have EDGES to them. ;-)

7:17 p.m.: I'm getting my info from LANow which is an LA Times blog. LCF site only giving info on LCF evacs.

7:18 p.m.: N is totally excited, though. His school is in the evac zone, and they're supposed to start Monday. May not be the case now!


And from Baroy's Facebook page, some of his impressions from the familial front lines:

Around 7 p.m.: They evacuated an area starting two blocks west and north of our house. The fire seems to be moving away from us in that direction, but getting a little too close for comfort right now. Water helicopters are continually flying over the house.

Around 10 p.m.: Helicopters have stopped for the night. Can see the fires on the hill ridges about 5 miles away. No evacuation on our street, but we got a neighborhood watch thing going on. So, I'm gonna go have a beer.

A few minutes later: Don't know why I just spent the last half hour cleaning up the kid's rooms. I suppose if it's going to burn down, might as well be neat.


So far, though, it looks like we'll get to stay put for the time being. I'm writing this from my friends' house in Burbank, so it's not like I know this for a fact. But I'm assuming I'd have heard if Baroy had had to grab Snug and the cats and head for the hills. Or, to be more accurate, way far away from them and their 40 years' worth of brush that, as the LA Times said in one of it's reports, is literally adding fuel to the fire.

More news when I have it. Thanks for caring, all.

2 comments:

Niksmom said...

Hoping that all is well and the fire under better control this morning.

Mary said...

Fingers crossed that all of you and your loved ones stay safe.

I came down there to go to college in 1979, from soggy Seattle. We were up in the hills above UCLA, near the present day Getty. And a fire burned up over the next ridge, while the Santa Anas blew. I'm telling you, I almost went home right then. I had no idea weather could be like that.