Wildfires

[Carlo]

Russ - Are you OK out there?
Carlo

[EZnKY]

I'm worried about the same thing.  Russ?!
My wife's got family in Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks.  Most of them have evacuated.

[TRAINS1941]

Russ - Are you OK out there?
Carlo

Let us know Unc??

Jerry

[Ray Dunakin]

Wow, I didn't realize Westlake Village was in that area.

There's a map of the fire perimeter and evacuation areas on this site:   https://www.vcemergency.com

Looks like Westlake is in the mandatory evacuation area.


Here's another map that might be easier to read, but only shows the fire's perimeter:  
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=34.13216640763679%2C-118.78219611558308&hl=en&z=11&source=embed&ie=UTF8&mid=1HacmM5E2ueL-FT2c6QMVzoAmE5M19GAf&output=embed

[finescalerr]

Hi, guys, and thank you for your concern.

I had to evacuate at 3:30 Friday morning and am at my wife's parents' home near Pasadena, California about 50 miles from my house. Fortunately I realized the severity of the threat long before my neighbors and, before bed Thursday night, went outside just before midnight and looked around. I saw a wall of fire along a hillside a few miles away and decided to take no chances. I packed as much into the car as would fit (not much, of course), and then, around 2 a.m., my next door neighbor texted me that the sheriff's department had announced a voluntary evacuation. His uncle and aunt, who live only a few miles from us, already had to flee and were there so we discussed options as they packed. Thanks to their suggestion I went back and tossed whatever legal paperwork I had into some bags and also a few last minute odds and ends.

Then at 3:30 Friday morning the phone rang: Mandatory evacuation. I stuffed my hissing, flailing cats into a couple of carriers, put them in the car, and headed out into the night with no idea where I would go. As I approached the freeway I could see a sea of flames roaring down a hill to my left, only about half a mile away and heading toward Westlake Village. There was only one way out so I headed for Los Angeles and traffic was light. For the next ten or twelve miles I could see fire burning just a few hundred yards north of the freeway. Once I was over the hill and into the San Fernando Valley I was out of danger but, a few hours later, the fire jumped the freeway and caused mile after mile of devastation, the holocaust you've seen on the news. After a while I decided to impose on my in-laws and had an enjoyable little adventure with the police as I knocked on front door of their house at 4:30 in the morning!

My wife and her sister are on vacation in Croatia so they are safe. The cats and I are fine. At the moment the house is still standing but the winds have gone crazy again; who knows what will happen? If the house goes up in smoke, so will all hard copies of my publications, all slides, photos, negatives, and storage disks from the past ... along with all my models. I saved all the computers and backup drives but they only contain backups of what you can see online on the "Order Books" section of this site.

What I saved would allow me to continue to make music, shoot photos, and do other stuff in the future but it was possible to retain almost anything from the past. Big deal, I'm old now anyway. In a few days we'll all know what actually will survive but, to give an idea of the extent of this disaster, I am one of about 250,000 evacuees in an area spanning about 30 or more miles. And, if I may offer an opinion, I think the two fires are the work of one or more arsonists. The locations of the starting points and the timing (no coincidence the fires began with an hour or two of one another on the worst and driest Santa Ana wind of the year) resemble similar events from a couple of years ago. Frankly, I expected trouble Thursday morning but didn't know what areas would be hit. It's a good thing I was cautious.

Russ

[Chuck Doan]

I am glad you and yours are safe. I certainly hope your house comes through. A very sad event, both here and up north. Heartbreaking for so many.

[Design-HSB]

HI Russ, I am reassured to hear that you are fine. We just saw on the news how bad it is and I had to think about how awful that is. We have a climate change that can no longer be denied, which makes all this kind of thing worse. Bad how many people have already died as a result of the fire.

[SandiaPaul]

Wow, thinking of you Russ. Blue Scarlett was in rotation tonight in honor of you. Best of luck.

[TRAINS1941]

Unc glad your safe that's what counts.

Hopeful the house will be all right.

Please keep us up to date.

Jerry

[Ray Dunakin]

Russ, I'm so glad to hear you're safe and that so far your house is ok. I hope and pray it remains so.

[EZnKY]

I'm glad to hear it as well Russ.
From everything I've seen, it's got to be truly terrifying.
Know that all of us here hope the best for you and everyone else affected.

Please keep us posted.
EZ

[finescalerr]

Tonight they lifted the evacuation and tomorrow evening the cats and I expect to return home; my house apparently is untouched.

This is the fourth major fire I've managed to survive but the first where I had to leave town. If my wife would go with me I'd move somewhere else within a year. Climate change has affected California more than most people may realize and I suspect it will only get worse. Add the threat of arsonists, pyromaniacs, terrorists, and careless idiots and the result is rather overwhelming.

I want to thank each of you for your concern.

Russ

[Wesleybeks]

Glad you are safe Russ.

Been watching the devastation here on my side of the world. So sad to see.

If what you say about the arsonists is true, I hope they catch the bastards.

Keep safe.

[shropshire lad]

Tonight they lifted the evacuation and tomorrow evening the cats and I expect to return home; my house apparently is untouched.

This is the fourth major fire I've managed to survive but the first where I had to leave town. If my wife would go with me I'd move somewhere else within a year. Climate change has affected California more than most people may realize and I suspect it will only get worse. Add the threat of arsonists, pyromaniacs, terrorists, and careless idiots and the result is rather overwhelming.

I want to thank each of you for your concern.

Russ

  Hi Russ,

   Glad to hear that you are safe and sound and that you didn't lose your house and possessions . It must have been a stressful time for you .

   HOWEVER, there is no such thing as climate change as your Great Orange Leader has said that there isn't!

Nick in damp and soggy Shropshire

[Hauk]

Good to hear that you are safe, Russ!

But is very depressing that this might be a man-made disaster on several levels.
What frightening times to be alive...