All I can do right now is watch it on TV from thousands of miles away. Mrs N and my thoughts and prayers are with everyone back home.

GO BRUINS.

This is a true disaster folks.  The wife and I were evacuated from two different locations in SD yesterday and ended up driving to northern OC before we ended up at the in-laws' house.  Every hotel in SD and in most of OC had already been booked.

One of the many fires is presently headed toward our home and all of our belongings, so we don't know what will be left whenever we get back to SD.

I know a lot of members of BN live in SD and obviously, we hope everyone is safe.  

Nothing much else seems very important right now.

Be safe everyone.

when I hear that some of these were arson related. What kind of sick fuck gets off on that shit? trOJans are generally A-holes but whoever started these things are like trOJans squared.

But wow... some of you guys are dealing with some intense stuff right now.

Take care and be safe...
-Leanne

It is pretty much just dirty sunlight out here.  The air isn't unbreathable yet.  The sky was nice and blue this morning, with just one line of brown haze near the horizon, but when I left my office for lunch, it was definitely hazed over with smoke and the sunlight streaming down was orange in color.

Be safe everyone and get out when they tell you to get out!  

Also, listening to the news this morning, they managed to catch a guy who was walking in his neighborhood.  He did not receive the reverse 911 call to evacuate because the power had gone out in his house, and he only had cordless phones that were plugged in.  Perhaps everyone should think of having at least one phone that doesn't require electricity plugged in, in case of emergency.

I hope everyone in the area is safe.

Not even a month back in Cali and already I get a natural disaster. El Nino can't be far behind.

My uncle in San Marcos was evacuated but luckily his house was spared. May all those in danger stay safe and keep their house. May all the arsonists burn in hell for eternity, but not before suffering every minute they still have on earth. And to the morons who accidentally start fired: get a clue.

I still don't get why, when the Santa Ana winds are forecast, there aren't planes and helicopters circling the area to catch the first hint of a fire. It can't be that difficult.

He hasn't got the evacuation order yet, so he has about 4 other families and their pets at his house.

They think the call could come any time...

Nor sure if he's in the LA area or SD county, but he's somewhere in the region. CDF, tends to get sent to the big fires a lot.

to Bluegold, Bluestreet, Meriones, Tasser and everyone at BN for your kind words, thoughts, prayers, well-wishes and offers to help.  You all are the greatest despite being "haters."  :)

The wife and I (and two cats) made it back tonight, exhausted, to a home still standing.  It's still hard to breathe and we can't stop sneezing and our eyes are red, but thousands of others would love to have our problems right now.

The area around our home is still a ghost town and there are National Guardsmen everywhere.  It is incredibly eerie.  Just seeing the glow from the fires in Camp Pendleton at night is enough to give you nightmares.

I know many, many others have not been so lucky.  The coastal communities of SD, many of which had received either "voluntary" or mandatory evacuation orders, appear to be in the clear now.  Many inland areas are still in danger.

The danger now appears to be over for us but I cannot describe the incredible feeling we had when so many of our friends called, out of the blue, to offer us lodging when the evac orders came down in our neighborhood.  By that time, we had already determined that there was no availability in any SD hotel, and we were speeding up through Camp Pendleton toward OC.

Not to sound preachy, but it's worth the time, and the minimal expense, for everyone to have an emergency "kit" in order.  We had one--about 75% complete--with some basic supplies, some clothes, snacks, basic medical kit, etc. in a suitcase, ready to go.   All we had to do was throw it in the car.  When you get the order to evacuate, the last thing you want to think about is packing a kit--your time is more valuable than that.

Thanks again to this community for your support.  Based on the comments on this board, I know there are many others out there who are not yet out of the woods yet.  Our prayers go to everyone during this time.