Tunes For Fire Relief

In the fall of 2007, fires raged in Southern California. Particularly hard hit was San Diego County - where more than 500,000 people were forced to evacuate and approximately 1,500 homes were lost.

NBC 7/39 San Diego and Sounden Recordings have come together to release a San Diego Fire Relief CD, comprised of 18 different San Diego artists and bands.

Proceeds go to The San Diego Foundation’s After-The-Fires Fund 2007 and to the Fireman’s Fund.

Click here to learn more and order your copy.

Pay It Forward

Did you ever see the movie Pay It Forward? Trevor is in the 7th grade. His homework assignment -- 'Find a way to change the world and put it into action'.

Trevor's calls his approach to changing the world, "Pay It Forward". There are three simple rules:

1. It has to be something that really helps people
   
2. It has to be something they can't do by themselves
   
3. I do it for them, they must then go and do something to help three other people

The teacher likes the idea but doubts it will work. A "little Utopian".

I haven't thought about the movie in years. However, it re-surfaced in my mind recently as I have been witnessing around me wonderful acts of kindness and generosity by those who are overwhelmed with gratitude for the grace that was shown to them in a time a need.

A few weeks ago, I was working with a group that was helping clear debris and search for valuables with families that had lost their homes during the recent wild fires. We had worked at several homes during the day and as the sun was starting to set we were all tired and hungry and running out of steam. A car pulled up on the side of the road and a woman popped the trunk to reveal a cooler full of cold drinks, baskets of fruit and bags of snacks. She called out to us and asked if we would like a snack break. We were all amazingly thankful, but also wondered who was this lady that had appeared from no where. As we chatted with her we learned that she lives in the Tierra Santa area of San Diego. In 2003, her home burnt to the ground during the Cedar Fires. She knows what it means to loose everything. During her time of crisis and need she was overwhelmed by the support she received, not only from family, friends and strangers - but from people she had never met who came and volunteered and helped her get back on her feet. So, she woke this day, she felt compelled to stock up her car and head up the freeway to Rancho Bernardo and drive through the streets looking for volunteers - to feed them, encourage them and express her gratitude! As we talked with her our team lead went and brought over the families who's homes we were clearing. How amazing it was to watch and listen as our new friend share, even as we stood amongst the rubble, her journey of recovery. What started out as tragedy had brought joy and healing to her life. You could see the hope starting to re-appear in the eyes of the families who had lost so much.

A week later, a group of New York City Firefighters and 9/11 survivors came to San Diego to help with the Fire Relief effort. Click here to read about it. There is a foundation called New York Says Thank You that sends volunteers from New York City each year on the 9/11 Anniversary to help rebuild communities around the country affected by disasters. It is their way of commemorating the extraordinary love and generosity extended to New Yorkers by Americans from all across the United States in the days, weeks, and months following September 11th.

This fall I spent some time in the Gulf Coast helping with some rebuilding projects for those in the Biloxi area that were devastated by Katrina. One of the things that struck me most about the experience was the outpouring of gratitude I experience. Clearly, in the midst of tragedy the people of the Gulf Coast has been touched and inspired by those who had come and volunteered and they had been transformed by the acts kindness they had experienced. It was no surprise that a family from Biloxi was the first call to check up on me and see if I was o.k. and if I had been impacted by the fires.

Our friends in Biloxi, who lost everything just two years ago in the hurricane - next week are hopping on a plane to come to San Diego and offer their help to those here who lost their homes in the fire. How amazing it will be for those who survived Katrina to walk along side those who are picking up the pieces after the wild fires.

Paying it forward may seem like a schmaltzy Hollywood plot. But, in real life, grace filled gratitude, can and does change the world!

Found Treasure

Click here for additional pictures.
To enlarge pictures below - click on them.

Path Of Fire Through A Canyon


Our Team Sifting Away


Found Treasure (Box of Coins In The Foreground)


Flag Flies Amongst The Remains



The Team


Saturday morning I headed off to Rancho Bernardo to join one of the fire recovery teams. On my way I picked up an older gentleman from church. He was eager to volunteer - but doesn't drive on the freeway anymore. We chatted on our way on up the 15 and in a matter of moments we made a profound connection. It turns out my new found friend is a fellow Canadian. Although he has lived in the States for over 40 years, he was born and raised in Saskatchewan! I lit up right away and started talking 'Canadian'. S- could celebrate with me the recent triumph of the Canadian dollar and reminisce about the days when a trip home to Canada meant a shopping spree with everything 30% off! He also informed me of the dismal track record of the Hamilton Tiger Cats this season.

In the Taco Bell parking lot, we met up with about 50 other volunteers and received our team assignments. Last time I was sifting with several teenage girls. They were so unbelievably patient. Searching for and painstakingly piecing together pieces of shattered china figurines. This time I had a car load of teenage boys. Teenage boys, being teenage boys, - were full of enthusiasm and all sorts of helpful driving suggestions. One boy is a member of the AVID program at school --helping with the fire recovery will help fulfill his community service requirements. Besides, they said, helping with the recovery is something they wanted to do.

We were only a block from Taco Bell when we turned down a street and saw the shocking site of a grove or black scorched trees. All of a sudden the car went silent. Seeing and experiencing the impacts of a natural disaster or different then watching them on TV. One of the boys started to share his story. He lives in Escondido. When the fires broke out, he was evacuated and went to stay at his step parent's place in South County. They stayed up around the clock watching the fire coverage on TV. They kept watching the lists of streets and home numbers scroll by showing the homes that had been lost -worried that they would see their home on the list. The fire was in their neighbourhood a few blocks away. One of the fires in South County started to spread and he had to evacuate a second time. This time he went and stayed with a school friend. The boy that had come along with him today to help sift through the ashes.

Our team was assigned to help a family that had been on vacation in Las Vegas when the fires struck. They never had a chance to save any of their valuables. The man had been an art collector. Unfortunately, none of the art work survived. Very early on we started to find coins. They were in the area of the children's bedrooms. They were so blackened we aren't sure if it was the contents of a kid's penny jar or an actual coin collection. We were just glad to find something that had survived. We sifted for hours and hours and retrieved a mound of coins!

Got Ash?

During my walk today I came across this sign on the side of the road.

Reverse 911

A few people have forwarded this to me, so I thought I would share the link for signing up for the Reverse 911 alert system.

Residents who live in San Diego County, which includes all 18 cities and the unincorporated areas of the County, are encouraged to register their cell phones, VOIP phones and e-mail addresses for emergency notifications by visiting www.alertssandiego.org commonly known as the Reverse 911 system .

AlertSanDiego will provide emergency alerts to your cell phone and e-mail address including evacuation notices. This is in addition to the land line calls received by those who have land line phones.

NOTE: the website did not work with my Safari Browser on the Mac. It did, however, work o.k. with Firefox on the Mac.

Firestorm Relief

Want to get hands on with the Fire Relief Effort?

Click here for more info or
drop me an e-mail me and I can share with you opportunities to help!


Hi Team
Another team was out tonight helping a family in RB clear their household remains. It is incredible to see the number of volunteers helping at all hours of the day and night. Thank you volunteers for making a difference in this families life and doing such a great job of getting all the debris cleared.

Today will be another work day. I'll let you know if I get anything set up for Thursday or Friday but for sure we will be back out on Saturday from 8:30 to 4pm and on Sunday from 2pm to 6pm for debris removal and sifting. Let me know if you will be joining us.

I would love someone to coordinate the "filling of sand bags". This will be the next huge effort as the raining season begins to set in.

We are also looking for donations to make meals for these families as we put together welcome baskets.

If you know of a family needing help please let me know.

Thanks
Phil

Donations tax deductible -
mark Firestorm 07 Relief
mail to
FFCC
12463 Rancho Bernardo Rd. PMB #158
San Diego, CA 92128

Donations will be used to buy materials for sifters, rakes, shovels, goggles, particle masks, etc, to have on hand for the work days. Donations also needed for Gift Baskets and meals.

She found her RING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is late and I was going to skip reading e-mail before bed. Scared I may find that my unread messages may now exceed 200.

One e-mail has a subject line of almost all exclamation marks - "She found her RING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" caught my attention. Glad I stopped to read it. A good reminder at how a small gesture here or there, like hauling metal to the curb, can create ripples and trickle down and in such positive ways.

It can be discouraging sifting through the rubble. You can see it on the families faces. Having people join along side and sift with them helps raise their spirits. We were encouraged to intentionally celebrate each item we found. Hearing shouts of joy help include everyone around you in the celebration and provides motivation to keep looking.

Tonight I share with you this families' joy and ask you to celebrate with me!


October 29, 2007 09:50:21 PM PST from Phil

Hi Team
I received a call from Maureen, Jerry and Curly's daughter. Today the family went back to the site and continued sifting through more ash. They were able to sift areas that they hadn't before because of all the heavy debris removed from the property. Now that it was all gone, thanks to all of you, they found the Jerry's wedding ring!!!!!!!

Maureen said we were the first one she called. She said "if it weren't for the team they never would have found it." Her tears said more than the words. She wanted me to tell you all how grateful the family is for all the hard work and helping them
find this precious treasure.

Thank you Team.

Sifting Through The Rubble

Click here for more pictures of our workday in Ranch Bernardo.

This morning I got up early and headed to the Taco Bell in Rancho Bernardo. There I met up with about 40 volunteers. We were all responding to a request asking for volunteers to help families sift through ash and rubble looking for valuables. As I looked at the rag tag group assembling in the parking lot- I noticed that a number of people were wearing souvenier T-shirts from the Gulf Coast. So many of the group had made trips with Friends and Family Community Connection to help rebuild after Katrina - now that experience was coming in handy here at home.

Our Team. Front Row Are The Families Who Lost Their Homes In The Fire


We headed as a caravan to a cul de sac where we would spend the morning doing recovery work at three homes. We broke into teams with shovels and rakes and began to search, sift and clear. At each home we worked along side the homeowners and helped them in the search. The homeowner I met was a collector of china. She showed me where in the house the china cabinet had been. I went to work collecting as many remnants of china that I could.

Salvaging Pieces Of The China Collection


The next home I helped at belonged to a frail 80 year old couple. The rubble was too much for them to navigate. I held the lady's arm and helped her out of the rubble to the side of the road so she could sit in a lawn chair and observe. One of the greatest joys of the day was when we found a china cup and saucer and a crystal elephant intact. I took them over to her in the lawn chair and handed them to her with a big smile.

China Cup and Saucer and Crystal Elephant Found Here


At one home we found backyard lawn furniture, plants, fountains, sculptures and a BBQ -- all completely untouched by the fire. The house, however, burnt to the ground. You could see the family had done everything right when it came to fire prevention. Tile roof, big fire break zone - a ravine covered with ice plant. Yet, the fire jumped the ravine and the green space, completely jumped the backyard and hit the house. They lost everything. The house next door had no damage.

Backyard and BBQ UnTouched


After lunch went a couple of streets over and started work on another set of three homes. One house had a truck in the garage - well under the collapsed garage. We cleared the debris so that the truck could be towed away. Parts of the garage door was under the truck, which no longer had any tires. We had to lift the truck to clear the garage door.

Garage Debris Cleared Away


Below is a picture of the view from the backyard of the final house of the day. This couple left at 4:30 am on Monday morning for a mission trip to Peru. They drove to the airport not knowing that there house was in immanent danger. When they reached their stop over in Miami they learned that an hour after they left their house burnt to the ground. We were helping them search for some Navy Medals and Cuff Links that had been presented by President Reagan.

Cross Stands On Burnt Hillside

Smoke Over San Diego

I stand at the foot of the cross on Mount Soledad and look north. Smoke hangs over the city - as far as the eye can see.

Smoke Hovers Over San Diego

The evacuations have been lifted. Folks are returning home to sift through the debris. Last night as I watched the news I see a family searching in the piles of ash -- amongst them a familiar face, a big smile as always, despite the devastation. He runs across my TV screen and gives the family a high five when they find a ring amongst the rubble.

It is a has been a long week and I am tired. Tomorrow I will awake early and meet up with that familiar face. Just a month ago we were working together in Biloxi - helping families rebuild after Katrina. Tomorrow, here at home, we will search with our neighbours for hope amongst the ashes.

2 Hamsters, a fish and tub of Haagen Das

Everyone in San Diego this week has a story to tell. The last few days - at Starbucks, at Denny's I have asked people, "Have you impacted by the fire?" Sharing our stories is an important part of the journey together.

Today, I eased into my work day. First, I spent some time talking to my colleagues and listening to their stories. Here is one evacuation story.

The knock on the door came at 6 am Monday morning telling them to evacuate. The family madly rushed and packed up and was ready to leave in 15 minutes. Even though there were three kids to wake up and get out the door, my friend took the time to ask her children what it was that was important to them and let them choose what to pack up and take. When they were ready to pull out of the driveway --- the mini-van packed with three kids, two hamsters and a fish – her oldest son very proudly proclaimed that he had brought along a tub of Haggen Das ice-cream!

If you had to leave on a moments notice and everything left behind will be lost – what would you take with you? After you know your loved ones are safe -- what would you go back for? You would be surprised when the time comes - how little in life is irreplaceable. On Monday, I helped several people load up their cars ready for evacuation. I carried boxes of family photos/videos, a favourite toy for the kids -- but not one TV or DVD player.

Events like Katrina or the California fires have a way of putting things into perspective.

Sun Rises From From Smoke and Ashes

Sunday: the fire starts in the rural area of Witch Creek.
Monday: early morning the fire crosses into the city of San Diego and half a million people evacuate.
Tuesday: the fire continues to rage out of control in the city
Wednesday: the weather starts to change, air support is able to fly, the fires started to turn back out of the city.
Thursday: I stand on my balcony, give thanks and take a picture of the sun rising above the smoke and ashes.

Firestorm Prayer

Dear Lord,
Today we pray for those who have lost their homes and those whose homes are at risk. We pray for protection, faith and hope. For firefighters and emergency personnel who are risking their lives to save others, we pray for strength, rest and protection. For government officials who are making decisions for our county’s welfare, we pray for wisdom and discernment. For all of us, we pray that we would trust you and see your hand in the midst of this disaster. Empower us to comfort others even as you comfort us. Amen.

-- Prayer by Pastor Mike McClenahan of Solana Beach Pres

A Community Gathering of Prayer and Support
Solana Beach Presbyterian Church
Thursday 7:00pm in the Sanctuary
Our gathering will include a time of singing, sharing and prayer. Please bring your children, students, friends and any needs you may have. If you are able to volunteer your home or your time, please come prepared. There will be an offering taken for relief efforts.

The Winds Are Changing

The hot, dry, easterly Santa Ana winds are calming and being replaced by the normal westerly wind off the Pacific Ocean. Last night, I could actually feel the cooler moist air coming in off the ocean. What a tremendous relief. This morning it felt scorching hot and dry again - but the news says that the breeze coming in off the ocean is building. The air support that is so critical to getting the fire under control is now starting to fly. It is re-assuring to see and hear them up above.

The onshore winds are a mixed blessing. It is great for us on the coast, but a problem for mountain communities where the fire is now doubling back and could re-igniting some hotspots in areas already burned over. Some communities are now being hit by a second wave of fires and houses missed the first time are burning.

Evacuation orders have been lifted for the coastal communities of Solana Beach, Olivenhain and Del Mar, Del Mar Highlands and Carmel Valley. A portion of Rancho Bernardo also is allowing people back. That means my guests are able to go home and my office is back open - so off to work I go...

I want to give a "shout out' to Alice for letting Picky and I bunk in with her for the last few days!

I am sitting here rather tired trying to work through some technical issues. The upside is that work is air conditioned and that is a welcome relief from the heat.

It is exhausting watching the fires hop scotch through the city. I have to say, it is heart wrenching watching on T.V. a disaster happening right in your own back yard. When the fire is moving fast and jumping around life pretty much turns into 24 hours a day watching the TV to figure out when/if you need to evacuate.

Late in the day Monday some of my neighbours started loosing their phone, cable etc and heavier smoke began to roll in. Once the mandatory evacuation zone made a move south towards us the level of panic really started to increased. I helped several neighbours pack there car, but then explained that pre-emptive evacuation may sound like a good idea -- but once there 1/2 a million people under mandatory evacuation and flooding the freeway searching for safe place ... it is really better not to add to the mayhem. Their evacuation plans were going to take them through mandatory evacuation zone and along 100 miles of freeway that was currently averaging speeds of 5 miles an hour. Talking with my neighbours, I began to realize how confusing it is for people new to the city and especially those with English as a second language to know how to decipher and respond to all the emergency broadcast information.

The always handy Cal Trans Map that shows current Freeway speeds.


Here are some local info on the web about the fire situation.

1. Fire Map. Click here
   
2. Sattelite photo of smoke blowing out over the ocean. Click here
   
3. Slideshow of pictures taken by local San Diegans. Click here
   
4. UnOfficial Lists of Burned Homes. Click here or here
   
5. Local Newspaper. Click here
   
6. Local TV. Click here
   
7. My church's Fire Relief Page. Lots of good info and links. Click here
   

Fire Update

I found some nice digs for the day -- a local Starbucks with free WiFi AND air conditioning. There are about a dozen people that have been camped out with me here all day with their laptops working. One of my colleagues who had a house full of evacuees for the last 24 hours also swung by to visit and escape for a bit.

All day yesterday things were too chaotic for any "numbers" in the news reporting. The numbers are starting to roll in - and they are very sad. At noon 500,000 plus evacuated, more than 2,000 structures and 250,000 acres burnt. The fires still continue to rage out of control.

There is some good news. In some areas planes have been able to take off and start an arial attack. Also, a couple of previously evacuated areas are now being proclaimed safe and people are allowed to return.

Most non-essential services are all closed through the end of the week.

Picky and I continue for now to stay with a friend. The air quality here in PB is quite good - much better than to the north. Until we return home or the mandatory evacuation is cancelled for my place of work -- Starbucks is my internet service provider and office!

Fire updates here

Fire Continues To Burn

Click here for the latest updates.

5:30 am
Rancho Bernardo has now been evacuated. 48 power outtages through out the city. The fire jumped freeway 15 just south of Pomerado at West Bernardo Drive. Parts of freeway 15 are closed.

"The situation has gotten dramatically worse overnight," said Chief Bill Metcalf, the area fire coordinator for the county. Instead of calming, winds increased overnight, pushing the fire westward with flames shooting up to 200 feet in the air, he said.

6:00 am
Evacuations expanded to Del Dios and Rancho Santa Fe.

6:30 am
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for a huge swath totaling 100 square miles and ranging from Interstate 5 on the west across Interstate 15 to the east, and north from state Route 56 to Lake Hodge. Among the communities in the evacuation area are Rancho Sante Fe, Carmel Highlands, Rancho Bernardo, Del Mar Heights and Fairbanks Ranch and parts of Rancho Penasquitos. Qualcomm Stadium set up as evacuation center.



7:00 am
Emergency officials are urging people to avoid using major roads and highways within the county today. With highways already clogged with evacuees and emergency vehicles, authorities asked residents to avoid all non-essential trips, and to stay home from work if possible.

8:00 am
Officials also ask that people keep their cell phone use to a minimum to keep lines open for emergency officials to communicate.

9:00 am
Houses are burning in Rancho Bernardo just off Pomerado Road.

"We have more houses burning than we have people and engine companies to fight them," said San Diego Fire Captain Lisa Blake. "A lot of people are going to lose their homes today," she said.

10:00 AM
250,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.

Dozens of home in Rancho Bernardo are burning and there are now reports that some homes in 4S Ranch are also on fire.
San Diego City Fire spokesman says that fire is burning both north and south of Lake Hodges. He also said there is beginning to be some fire activity in Rancho Santa Fe.

11:00 AM
All of Rancho Santa Fe is now under mandatory evacuation.
"No matter where you live, pay attention, look to the media for updates and be prepared to evacuate" - The Fire Marshall

Noon
All Solana Beach residents told be ready to evacuate.

The Navy is asking only essential personnel to report to duty.

The San Diego Wild Animal Park was evacuated at 5 a.m Monday, with a selected group of smaller and endangered animals taken to a veterinary hospital on site. By late morning, the park was enveloped in a blanket of ash and smoke. 30 employees deemed essential were left behind, including keepers, veterinarians and operations staff.

The Del Mar Racetrack's 1,800 horse stalls are full and it's unclear where any more horses will be held. As of 9:45 this morning, there were only 100 stalls left and by 11 a.m., people were told they were full. Officials were bringing horses to the Scream Zone area temporarily and were also considering double-stalling the horses, housing two horses per stall.

After a power outage knocked Clear Channel Communications' nine radio stations off the air earlier today, KOGO AM 600 and its sister stations are back and broadcasting.

Part of Rancho Bernardo Baptist Church, located at West Bernardo Drive and Duenda Road, has burned.

Fire evacuees with motor homes or other large vehicles can go to the Silver Strand State Beach in Coronado or the Torrey Pines or San Elijo state beaches in the North County, officials said.

Cars have been streaming into the Qualcomm parking lot at a steady clip all morning. A concession window was opened, and free slices of pizza and hot dogs were being given out.

Police and fire officials were on hand, as were representatives from the San Diego Blood Bank, which was accepting donations. Lynn Stead, of the San Diego Blood Bank, said they only had a two-day supply of blood.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders is encouraging residents and business owners to donate the following items in support of fire evacuation relief efforts at Qualcomm Stadium: prepared foods, water, tents, cots and blankets.

All donations should be delivered to Gate P at the Qualcomm Stadium.

1 pm
Mandatory evacuations ordered for Fallbrook and Valley Center.

2pm
As of 1:45 p.m mandatory evacuations are ordered for the folowing area:

Everything south of Scripps Poway Parkway
North of MCAS Miramar
East of Interstate 15
West of Highway 67.

Governor Schwarzenegger held a press conference in San Diego and declared the fires in San Diego to be the worst in the history of California. 800 National Guard Troops will be diverted from the border to help with the fire effort.

3 pm
I hear my neighbour stuggling down the stairs with her suitcase. I went out and helped her load her car. She is packed ready to go. Her daughter and three grand children are in the area and getting antsy. My downstairs neighbour came out and asks us if he think he should evacuate. He has two young children. We compare notes on the news and traffic and decide that the freeways are clogged with a quarter of a million people who under evacuation orders. For now it looks like staying put is the best option.

4 pm

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has directed the California National Guard to increase the troops available to 1,500 guardsmen to the firefighting efforts.

San Diego Sheriffs Department has called for a mandatory evacuation of Scripps Ranch, Harbison Canyon and Crest. All areasd devastated by the 2003 Cedar Fire.

A new evacuation facility has been opened in Orange County for people leaving Fallbrook.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is preparing to evacuate its detention center in Otay Mesa, includes a state prison, a county jail and a juvenile detention facility.

The Mesa Grande Indian reservation was evacuated.

The El Cajon Animal Shelter, will be open today to receive domestic pets and small livestock animals for emergency boarding.

The Westfield Parkway mall, , has opened an area in the Southeast corner to large livestock since Lakeside rodeo grounds have filled. They've also opened up the Northwest section of their mall parking lot for RV's and campers.

The new Home Depot location at 298 Fletcher Parkway, have opened a section of their parking lot to large livestock, RV's & Campers. They also have water available there and port-a-potties available.

Granite Hills High School, located at 1719 E. Madison Avenue has opened their parking lots only for large livestock, RV's and campers.

There is a serious lack of horse trailers to transport these animals. Anyone with an available horse trailer can call the San Diego Animal Support Foundation immediately at 619-847-8755.

Night Time
Shortly after dinner the evacuation area expanded again. I have friends that had evacuated and stayed at the office of their family business. As the evacuation zone moved south they needed a place to stay. The gang has settled in to my place. Rather close quarters but they are upbeat and staying positive. So my apartment is now home to 5 adults and 2 children.

The Pickster and I have headed a bit further south and are staying with my friend Alice in Pacific Beach. We packed up before we left - since if the evacuation zone moves further south we won't be able to return and get our things.

No high-speed internet at my new location so I will probably go quiet now.

Fires Burning in San Diego County

Witch Fire: is 10,000 acres, 0% contained. The fire is still spread westerly. Currently there is 28 engines, 1 dozer, 14 fire crews, 2 water tenders, 18 overhead (369 firefighters). Multiple structures have been destroyed. There have been no injuries to firefighters and one injury to a civilian. Communities threatened: Highland Valley, City of San Diego/Rancho Bernardo, City of Escondido, City of Lakeside, Barona Indian Reservation, City of Poway, Wild Animal Park, Mt. Woodson, Muth Valley. Wind driven fire with spotting up to 1/2 mile. Rapid fire spread burning down hill, down canyon. The fire is burning primarily in unburned fuel between the 2003 Paradise and Cedar Fires.

Coronado Hills/San Marcos: The San Marcos Fire Department says reverse 911 calls were sent out to 4,062 residents in the community of Discovery Hills and the Red Cross has set up an evacuation center at Escondido High School. There are reports of structures burning and more than 200 acres have burned, threatening structures in the Coronado Hills area near California State University at San Marcos.

Mission Fire/Fallbrook: A new fire is being reported at East Mission Rd. and Davis Dr. No further details are available at this time.

Descanso Fire: According to Cal Fire a fire has broken out in the Descanso Valley area near Interstate 8. It has burned 200 acres. No further details are available at this time.

Harris Fire:is 20,000 acres and 5 percent contained. They are currently mapping the fire. Aircraft is periodically grounded due to high winds and visibility. The Southwest Powerline was shut off yesterday and to remain shut for unknown duration of time. San Diego County Sheriff and U. S. Border Patrol are handling immigrant issues including the rescuing, medical treatment, and identification of individuals. Otay Lakes Road is next fire decision making point for impact to San Diego City and Chula Vista. Multiple structures have been destroyed. There are 55 engines, 4 bulldozers, 9 fire crews, 6 helicopters, 5 airtankers (assigned), 6 water tenders (400 firefighters). The cause is still under investigation.

McCoy Fire:is a U.S. Forest Service fire it is at Boulder Creek and Eagle Peak. It is 400 acres and 5% contain. They are looking at full containment on October 23rd. One structure has been destroyed. Currently they have 5 engines, and 3 overhead which is about 30 firefighters. The cause is under investigation. The Rice Fire is 300 acres 0 percent contained. The location is in Rice Canyon in the northern part of San Diego County. The fire started on October 22 at 4:16 am. 250 structures are threatened and 1 has been destroyed. No mandatory evacuations at this time. The cause is under investigation. Firefighters are attempting to keep the fire in the area of Rice Canyon to east, I-15 to the west, Rainbow Heights to north and Hwy 76 to South. The fire is currently burning into agricultural areas.

Fires Are Burning

Today has been a very warm and windy day. The Santa Anna winds started to pick up early afternoon and the temperature soared to the high 80's and humidity dropped to 6%. The weather conditions eerily reminded me of a Sunday four years ago when we woke up to find San Diego on fire. That day it was dark by noon and ash was falling from the sky. I wasn't sure if it was my imagination but I thought I could smell smoke today. The sky was clear, but I decided to check the news online just to be sure. CNN has scary pictures of the fires burning in Malibu. Nothing about San Diego. I check the website for the local newspaper and the Malibu fire is the top story there as well. Perhaps my neighbour has started smoking again. Nobody around here smokes - so whenever he lights up the smell permeates the neighbourhood.

Mid Afternoon
I decide to go for a run through the park and enjoy the warm weather. Half way through the park my eyes are irritated and itchy and I walk the rest of the way. By the time I return home the sky has gone dark and you can now taste the smoke in the air. This time I skip the internet and turn on the local NBC affiliate. They pre-empted hours of programming the last two weeks for the LaJolla Mud-Slide and the burst water main by Sea World. Surely, they will be covering the smoke filled sky. The T.V. tells me there are two fires burning in San Diego The Harris Fire and The Witchcreek Fire. Even though the air is heavy with smoke and it looks like the city is on fire around us -- the flames are currently 70 miles away. The Santa Annas have blown the smoke to the coast. The same thing happened during the Alpine fire. So far 1 dead, 9 injured. The T.V. tells us to be rest assured this is not another Cedar fire. The fire protection equipment and staff is so much stronger then 4 years ago. Everything was put in place ready for fire season on Friday. The air tankers were on standby at the airport before the fire started. By late afternoon 6,000 acres have burned. The Cedar fire was 400,000 and took a month to put out. A little perspective for those are panicking with the dark smoke filled sky, we are told.

Late Afternoon
NBC decides to air the football game and crawl the news during the game. The live news feed continues via streaming video on their website so I continue watching the news online. In the midst of all the re-assurances that the fire is far away and not a repeat of the Cedar fire the newscasters gently suggest that now is the perfect time to get together as a family and discuss evacuation plans. The screen flashes with the list of things to take with you in case of evacuation. Important papers, family photos - the things that can't be replaced. All the things I remember the people I met in the Gulf Coast mourning that they had lost.

An hour later we learn air bomber are not flying. The smoke was too thick for them to take off. High winds are causing the fire to jump around and the path is unpredictable. The winds are too high for the helicopters to fly. Communication has been lost with one of the fire crews.

7 PM
We are up to 14,000 acres burned between the two fires. 1 dead, 19 injured. To the south the fire crossed the border to Mexico - the Tecate border crossing has been closed. To the north, the residents of Ramona are on evacuation alert. 2,000 mandatory evacuations and 7,000 advisory evacuations so far. The Harris fire is currently 5% contained. The Witchcreek Fire is 0% contained and continues to head southwest towards heavily populated areas.

There is no rain in the forecast. Sadly, this is only day 1 of the Santa Anna's. It is expected to get hotter and drier as the winds continue to pick up for 2 more days. The optimistic tone of the news is starting to change. NBC is now saying that attempts to stop the spread of the fire have been unsuccessful. They are now warning this fire could be worse then the Cedar fire (click here for the 7pm news update).

9pm
Govenor Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency for several counties in Southern California. The Govenor will be flying down to San Diego tomorrow. The fire is now approaching the area where the Cedar fire started four years ago.

9:30 pm
They are using the reverse 911 system to send out mandatory evacuations for all of Ramona.

10:00 pm
Evacuations continue to expand. They now include North Eastern Areas of Poway and San Pasqual. Firefighters from other parts of California are starting to arrive to provide aid. Air quality for San Diego has now been declared unhealthy and school closures are beginning to be announced.

10:30 pm
Evacuees that were sent to Poway High School are now being asked to move to Mira Mesa HighSchool due to the thick smoke and poor air quality in Poway area. Reporters are now confirming that the fire is following the same path at the Cedar fire that burned into heavily populated areas of San Diego four years ago.

11:00 PM
The Mayor gave a press conference to announce that the fire is progressing faster than anticipated. It is expected that the fire will cross into the San Diego City Limits between 1 am and 2am this morning. The city has requested outside help in the form of 100 strike teams. Some resources from Northern California are now en-route and should start arriving sometime tomorrow. The Witch Creek Fire is being considered the most urgent of the California wildfires and will be the first to receive outside resources.

It is requested that people not evaculate until the order is given. For those in the path of the fire it is suggested that people start packing so they are ready to go when the order is given. Roads are already extremely congested with the large number of people fleeing the fire.

It was hoped the winds would taper off overnight. Unfortunately, the winds are picking up. Time to close the windows for the evening and pray for a change in weather.

Click here for the local NBC streaming live coverage.