Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

Seems unfair to have left you hanging. But then again, seems unfair to try to squeeze one more thing into an impossibly squozen (no, not a word, don't even bother trying to look it up) schedule.

So, there's this instead: The kids and I stayed with my friends on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights; Baroy picked the kids up on Wednesday afternoon while I was at work and brought them home, to a place where all evacuations had been lifted, but where the air is still considered so unbreathable that the health department doesn't want anyone opening their windows, much less playing outside.

Still, things have continued. School started today: 7th grade (first year of middle school) for Em, 3rd grade for N. Life goes on...and on, and on...which, don't get me wrong, is nothing but wonderful, though tiring.

Photos, anecdotes, maybe even a video to come. But not now. Right now, I have a bed in a cool bedroom (the only cool room in the house) waiting for me...along with my husband and my two sleeping-on-the-floor-so-they'll-be-cool-too kids. And that's where I'm headed, as soon as I finish this press release. (Yes, it's 1:13 a.m. Don't ask.)

Good night all. Good. Very good.

I'll Let Twitter Tell It

@tinycoconut, Monday, August 31:

4:19 a.m.: Never a dull moment in this fire...Baroy called about half an hour ago. We got an evac order. Cops said not a huge rush, but...

4:20 a.m.: Then minutes later, call comes in that evac order lifted but ONLY for houses north of us. Which is odd, since THEY ARE CLOSER TO THE FIRE! [Edited to add: The initial call came in at around 2 a.m., I talked to Baroy at 3:45 when he called my cell, the cancellation call came in at 4:15 a.m.]

4:21 a.m.: Baroy is outside having packed the car to find out what's going on. I'm waiting for call back and looking for info online. LATimes says...

4:26 a.m.: AND I QUOTE: "Eastern flank of Station fire still active, calmer elsewhere." This at 11 p.m. Uh, thanks LAT. [Edited to add: We're part of the western flank.]

4:40 a.m.: Call back. Evac canceled for ppl south of a XX street. We're two block south, so we're OK now. Baroy's going to try to get some sleep.

4:41 a.m.: I can't imagine sleeping now, but...I probably should try. After I blog. ;-)

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.

LA Fires, An Update

I think Baroy's shots, taken two houses down from our house because the trees in our background got in the way, say it all.

Or we can add N's comment: Holy Moly.

(The 411: It's still on the other side of those hills, which means it's still a fair way away from us. Evacuations are in force, but they're for streets fairly far north of us, and still about a mile+ east. That said, there's no smoke-free air here, and because of that, Em, N and I are finding alternative sleeping locations for the evening, while Baroy will hold down the homestead. We have lots of really good friends, and they've all made it clear that they're here for us if we need them. We are--as much as this isn't a word I really use normally--blessed.)

Edited to add: Just found out that the area just TWO BLOCKS north of us and ONE BLOCK west is now under a mandatory evacuation. Holy shit. I would never have expected it to get this close...not any of it.