I have talked with Lyne & she is okay but surrounded by fire. She is not forced to evacuate yet. She lives in Vista near the coast.

Keep watching this thread. I will post updates as I receive them.

At this time the most threatening fire is 50% contained. Unless the wind changes directions or other conditions change Lyne should be okay.

I didn't know Lyne is close by!  

Don't know about any containment through - as far as I have heard there is no containment.  They just added parts of Del Mar to the evacuation area.   So far over 500 homes/structures/business have been lost.

Hi...

This will be a "general letter" that I can type once and let all my closest friends know what's up in the land of burning hell.... ALL, or 90% of San Diego county is on fire...as one fire guy put it: "this fire makes the Cedar fire look like a picnic".... !  I have been VERY scared all day/evening - due to many variables.... most of which are:  I know I cannot breath smoke of any kind into my fragile lungs, nor stress my Fibromyalgia body at all or all my muscles knot up...and my IBS goes bonkers... sooooo JUST when I thought life was settling into a quite routine, the cooler October days became warm, the next day the wind (even here at my home where the wind does not blow much) really started whipping up and before we knew it, one fire on the border of Mexico and San Diego got out of control...one fire became 3, then 5, and then 8.... and actually pretty much SURROUNDING ME! 

I called my Mom up in Los Angeles and she had the fires too, but is okay but for some falling (due to the high winds, not fire) oak tree branches falling off her trees (not on the house that I know of).... I am sure you heard that Malibu is burning AGAIN....but she is okay "inland" where she lives so far...the one close fire near her was controlled quickly.

Anyway, I had planned a week to stock back up on my few food types (special bread to fill my freezer) chicken meat and bottled water.... and having only one more week supply left of all- I had to get a flu shot, and stay isolated while it takes it's two weeks to take effect AND Daryl, who helps me out with errands got a NASTY cold, and the guy two weeks ago that delivered my grocery store items HAD A COLD.... and so while I put off stocking up, to be sure I stayed well, (eating a lot more of my boring foods and doubling my vitamins) and also spending the "quiet" time really learning (charting) which foods and meds in what amounts did what to my body and IBS.... WHAM!!! FIRES!! 

I am staying up all night tonight (October 22-23) with the car packed up for me and Nicki (and for those of you who have not read my personal web health page and figured it out, my husband and I are separated...but he still very much helps me out with errands etc.)..... he was busy TRYING to drive in to his "day job" at the Post Office while I was scared out of my mind watching the TV...then my electricity went off (fortunately for about 1- 1 1/2 hours only) and trying to figure out how to pack my Jeep for all my meds, heavy stuff....foods, back up hard drives, software discs and of course ahead of that, all the things to support my dear indoor cat Nicki... and with a lot of muscle relaxants and pain killers (taken ONLY after each TV news update, and looking out the window told me I had the time to use them before they would wear off and let me drive)... I GOT my Jeep packed in the middle of the day... before my garage filled with smoke fumes in the evening.... I got all my important things first and then as I had time, I got photo albums, and other extras.... and then boxes and my purse packed etc. ready to go out, if needed.....with things "in use" .. clothes of course packed in a suitcase with extra bathroom things, in case I had NO house.... thinking, thinking thinking, talking on the cell to friends, family as the day went on...learning I CAN DO FOR MYSELF, EVEN IF IT "HURTS" my body and I am scared....

By the evening the most threatening fire was 50% contained and then late tonight 100% contained, BUT now my "bread store" and area around it, is being mandatory evacuated... so been talking to Daryl who had to TRY to drive to work earlier today (the post office will not let you off no matter what, - I think they would have to burn down!!!) But he could not get in, so he came back and called me and said we could meet at a close by grocery store parking lot if we both needed to evacuate out to the coast... (he lives only 5 minutes from me to be near to help me... he really would never leave me hanging...long story - we love one another, we just can't live under the same roof)...

ANYWAY... now it is almost midnight and I chanced turning on my computer's battery back up and turning on my machine to post around and let folks know...(THANK YOU SHAWN FOR LETTING FOLKS KNOW MY SITUATION, DEAR FRIEND!) as the news is so scary, showing the worst areas just to get ratings, one can not really get the real information... yes one fire is burning toward Camp Pendelton (the fire north of me and not a threat as it moves away from me) and the fire in San Marcos is contained to the south of me, BUT my area of my health food store is now, tonight - is in mandatory evacuation...and I spoke to Daryl about where he could get my bread at another health food store, some bottled water and some white meat chicken to carry me to next week when things I PRAY get back to normal... Right now I am more scared of not having the meager types of food I need to LIVE than I am about leaving my home... but I will say one thing, my non-essential things will STAY in my jeep in my garage until the fire season is over from now on... of course I will bring my hard drive back inside, important papers etc... but Nicki's emergency stuff - his cat carrier, cat litter pan and litter, dishes and food and the water will stay out there...and the clothes I packed.... just in case the fire bugs have not gotten enough .....

HOW COULD PEOPLE BE SO DERANGED!?!? All of our beautiful country is gone, all our wild animals.... and now I see the only GOOD thing of building many many multi-million dollar homes on open areas, makes for better fire breaks!!!  :(

I am proud that no matter what I DID (with help from talking to my Mom and brother and son on the phone etc.) figure out what and how to prepare and then I DID IT... I have a half tank of gas in my jeep from before so am set... actually I am about 10 minutes from the coast/ocean AS THE CROW FLIES but about 15 minutes or so as the roads go... (thought with over 250,000 people evacuated there is not much place left to go!!)

All the HOT DESERT AIR IS BLOWING SOOO HARD FROM INLAND OUT toward me, that all the smoke is coming out my way and at the very least I must stay in my sealed up home to be safe!! I am not kidding, last fire I taped closed any window track (in California we do NOT have double pained windows and lots of holes to the outdoors in them!) and door openings and so re-tapped them... and I have air purifiers in my rooms...  I had to step out to get my mail out of the box and tried to hold my breath under TWO face masks, but nearly choked coming back in... I will have to use my breathing machine- called a Nebulizer tomorrow morning to just keep safe.... it affects my FM and I hate to use it, but I won't be stupid about this.... sigh.

This too shall pass.... but... but... but... I was so hoping that after all the stuff I have had to learn, adjust and grieve the loss of all this year long..... that it was time to RELAX a little and just write my "spiritual journey" story on my web site pages (just started, like I did my health story) and to do PLAY ART and stuff... so all that is put off some more days as I get things back under control. Daryl is going to a different store that sells my bread to try and get me a few loaves or even order my big order, and he will get me some other stuff to hold me over till I can get my deliveries going again, etc...

Oooo sigh... back at the time of the Cedar fire there was a canyon filled with brush and that was the DANGER then that the fire would come soo close to us here, but this time that canyon is filled with multi-million dollar homes - so a very effective "fire break".... now I can say that "over building" over lovely landscapes has a good thing about it.... and obviously the insane people who love to start fires and kill people's lives will not have so much "fuel".... a very sad commentary on humanity... ! 

They say that it will be Wednesday before the "on shore flow of cool ocean air" will bring back the humidity and help the fire fighters, so Tuesday will still be a rough day... and there are still some open dry areas around that I will be watching very closely and praying very hard about... but maybe....just maybe life might get back to normal....

I am put in mind of how most of Greece was just on fire too.... it's overwhelming and so scary and the damage from these fires lasts WAY beyond the actual fire... :(

Well...thanks for letting me vent and I truly hope I will not have to leave my "safe haven" home where I can take care of my health so much better... I would not leave unless a fireman or police man told me I HAD to.... but if I am not on line for a few more days you will know I am just taking care of me, of Nicki and watching a lot of TV.... bit of fire news to stay informed and then some DVD's or taped shows to relax.... my area of Vista is closer to the coast but the "other end" if this long skinny town goes straight inland toward the mountains and has some open spaces along the way... :(

Hugs to all my precious friends!!  I will try to let folks know I am here one way or another!!

Lyne

Lyne, Glad to hear you are OK and still hanging in there. I watched the fires on television and last I heard your Governor (Schwarzenegger) said he declared 7 counties in a state of emergency. Awful situation. I hope it get's better soon. You and others in California are in my prayers.

Not good, I used to live in Escondido and know how dry that area used to get during these months. Santa ana brings good surf but bad fires

Just remember to drink a lot of water. Water has been proven to keep the lungs clean so it helps a lot.  Were getting some ash fall were i am at right now and the air smells of smoke. I am just north of San Diego but i feel real bad for everyone near those fires and i hope we get a lot of rain soon.

My husband just got pulled back from reviews back east so it still must be a problem. Please keep him in your prayers as well. He has to deal with all of the fires individually so will have to go to each one.

Quote - My husband just got pulled back from reviews back east so it still must be a problem. Please keep him in your prayers as well. He has to deal with all of the fires individually so will have to go to each one.

I sure will! : )

Attached Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/epleitez/

To give you a better idea that snippets in the news or TV, check out one of the many photostreams available online.

Here's one...

Things are looking better for us, worse for others.  Fire is now moving north east into the mountains.  If the forest goes, it will be really bad for the city of Julien.  They got hit hard the last fire...  Plus, the trees are very dry due to the drought and beetle bark infestation.  Keeping my fingers, eyes, and toes crossed.  

Good news - I've had the last three days off work;  Two days because the area I work in was under evac, 1 because the air quality is so poor.  
Bad news - I spent it all in front of the TV watching the fire news instead of writing and rendering... 

If I am not around...my lower back WENT.... PAIN... meds, ice (ice is best for my type of back problems) fire: only SMOKE, house safe and I am sealed up inside it - can't go outside, but getting help with food water etc... so need to take back meds, ICE, and REST...so if I don't comment on art or be "around a while" then please understand... this too shall pass... SIGH... but darn it.... I am due for some QUITE, NON TRAUMA TIMES NOW I think!!

Lyne

Well I know the fires here up north from sandiego are calming down now ...Most are close to containment and the smoke seems to have died or moved to a new location up here. Tis sad to see loss of life and homes and memories that can never be replaced. Lynn hope Sandiego gets better in the coming days. Your in my prayers.

Just so everyone knows, the reason the planes don't drop in the wind is because it dissapates before it hits the ground. I am so ticked at the media. The USFS isn't supposed to fight these fires yet they do. When someone says on the news that they are woefully inadequate they need to back up and read the mission statement of the Forest Service. Someone actually said on the news that they weren't doing their job because no one in the USFS had died on the fire yet. Bringing ALL the troops back from Iraq would not help with these fires. They have and have had plenty of resources from the start. You can't fight fire under certain conditions. What I don't understand are folks who continue to build in these areas knowing that sooner or later there is going to be a massive fire. I live in the mountains. I have a 100 ft clearance and firebreaks everywhere. I ladder my trees and don't allow any brush close to my house. They showed a house that had not burned even though houses around it had, and the guy is saying something stupid like fire takes some and leaves some. That was a stucco house with no brush against it. These reporters need to stop jumping on the bandwagon of pain and suffering and investigate before they open their mouths. Sorry, but I just had to vent! My prayers are with everyone going through this but ESPECIALLY folks here at Renderosity. Feel I know you through the forums and your art. I'm hoping everything can get back to normal quickly for all.
Marque

Unfortunately, that's what most of the media has become here. Uneducated opinions to serve hidden agendas has replaced research at the service of information.

The media that are still doing research and accurate reporting is completely overshadowed by the loud ignorant mouths trying to please their editors, sponsor and lobbyists.

If you want to see good coverage of the fires, I would look at some foreign media and independant media on the net - NOT on the major US networks.