It is 3:30 a.m. roughly. Another day in this infero'd state. We are being told there are resources to fight this coming from OTHER STATES.
I fell into bed with Winston (my Jack Russell) after midnight. I stayed at the barns in Del Mar until after 11. Hearing 150,000 acres are burned from the Witch fire alone. It is volitale. Hearing Encinitas is in danger and trying to get caught up with evacuations. Angela is down in Del Mar with the horses, I will go down in a bit and 'spell' her. Horses are alright and no fire in site down there currently.
Tirawa (my malamute/wolf) slept outside for some odd reason, but he's amazing....remember he was in Louisiana helping me 2 years ago and a special companion.
My throat/eyes/lungs are trashed. I'm going to try to put another diary up later if things 'settle' down and I stay at home....unlikely I will stay home given animals need help, as do people. Everyone who has been sending well wishes through KOS, as well as links, updates and been volunteering...thank you, thank you...you are all amazing. Barbara
THEY ARE EXPECTING THE WORSE AT SHOW PARK...I am heading there NOW. PRAY HARD FOLKS...we have almost 3000 horses within 1/2 mile of where the flames sound like they are heading.
6:45 p.m. - just spoke to Angela, my landlady and the woman who was instrumental in assisting me to get a horse trailer and get my horse the last stall at Show Park in Del Mar. Morgan Hill has just evacuated and horse trailers are going into Show Park again, to just park apparently.
I am going to change back into my jeans and boots and head back down and assist it looks like. Just when I was breathing in Encinitas...at least as well as one can in ash and crappy area.
It sounds like there is a fire in Rancho Santa Fe (we hear nothing of it on the News which is not a good thing) and they fear it will hit Show Park...
FYI: I've had people call/email me about the whole I-5/Camp Pendleton thing. What is going on there is there are MANDATORY EVAC ORDERS in FALLBROOK and the quickest way out of Fallbrook is THROUGH the backend of Camp Pendleton, so they are opening the base to allow traffic to go THROUGH the base and get to the I5...
Dear All,
Today has been a rough ride. I got Bear (my older Arabian gelding) to Del Mar Show Park thanks to my landlord who trains out of there. He got the last available stall. We then helped to evacuate horses as we were needed and ended by taking two post-op horses out of Helen Woodward Center in Rancho Santa Fe as they evac'd.
Tirawa (my malamute/wolf), Winston (my jack russell) and I are currently at the house. The truck is packed. After talking to emergency folks I've decided to stay since the truck is packed and ready and I am 1/2 mile to the crowded I-5 and 1/2 mile to El Camino Real which is a road that can go north pretty far (or south).
I have alot of ash in my house and problems breathing, but that is what it is. For those of you out in CA and volunteering you all ROCK. For those of you that are losing anything/everything, my heart aches for you. I'm staying smart and safe for now, several routes planned to go. I have great neighbors that I KNOW and we are all helping each other.
THANK YOU, one and all.
IT IS BARBARA, I am at home, shutting down the computer and getting the hell out. We need to go back to the horses with a car, then come back and will head north. This is horrible...my fearlevel knows no bounds
We are fucked. THERE ARE NO RESOURCES TO FIGHT THESE FIRES..it is ALL IN IRAQ..FUCK BUSH, FUCK THE POLITICIANS>She is just about a mile from her house. She said they are evacuating, all businesses and everything closed down.
The Del Mar fairgrounds reportedly has around 3000 horses there.
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"The fire is approximately 8 to 10 miles to the beach in Delmar. It is coming down between Carmel Valley and Rancho Santa Fe."
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She is in Delmar at Delmar Polo Grounds.
She was getting ready to try to make it back to her house. The fire is coming up from the back of where she is now, from the area where she just took her horse from.
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#11 Barbara can't get back to her home where her dogs are so she has called neighbors to evacuate them if necessary. In the meantime, she is assisting with evacuation of the Helen Woodward Center animal hospital in Rancho Santa Fe. I believe she said the center is 2 miles from the ocean.She is in Delmar at Delmar Polo Grounds.
She was getting ready to try to make it back to her house. The fire is coming up from the back of where she is now, from the area where she just took her horse from.
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#11 Barbara can't get back to her home where her dogs are so she has called neighbors to evacuate them if necessary. In the meantime, she is assisting with evacuation of the Helen Woodward Center animal hospital in Rancho Santa Fe. I believe she said the center is 2 miles from the ocean.
#10: Barbara got her horse, Bear, to the Del Mar Fairgrounds just in time to learn that they are evacuating that park and moving 1/2 mile closer to the ocean.
I-5 going N. is a parking lot. That's all the information I could understand due to much static on the line.
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From TXsharon: Barbara called. Del Mar Fairgrounds is the designated safe haven for horses because they have determined that the fire will likely burn all the way to the coast. Barbara is headed there now. Then she will return home and pack her things for evacuation.
FOUND HORSE TRAILER...going to get it, am sure the roads are gridlocked. Hope we have a place to move him. Wish me luck, keep us in your prayers. Thank you. Damn it...I have to get my horse out NOW. My trailer is 50 miles away and all horse trailers are being used. Am going to have someone take me there and will ride him out...bring him to my home if necessary.
OMG, I have never been this fucking terrified. The sky over us is blackish orange. They are evacuating in Rancho Santa Fe now....I am panicking....
INTERSTATE 15 is shut down for something like a 15 mile stretch
6:30 a.m. - I am now officially terrified. I don't get this way often, didn't when I was helping in Louisiana, but am now. The San Marcos fire has merged with San Pasqual. They canNOT get air units up. Our Marines are in Iraq, our National Guard is in Iraq. We could be FUCKED (sorry, don't want to get anyone upset by my language). Conceivably this fire could come all the way to the COAST. It is NOT that far from where I live. It is completely and utterly out of control and volitale. We are all watching, waiting and praying.
QualComm Stadium is being open for EVACUATION. Del Mar Fairgrounds is now taking PEOPLE, they are CLOSED to horses.
4:30 a.m. - I am taking my dogs out and climbing a ridge behind me, which should allow me to see some fire lines. The San Marcos and San Pasqual fires scare me....where the San Marcos mandatory EVACS are is a few miles (as the crow flies) to us and much closer to my one horse. I need to get wrapped around this so to speak to see if I need to move Bear (my 19 year old Arabian gelding)...
5:10 a.m. - DEL MAR FAIRGROUNDS and the POLO GROUNDS are already FULL with horses. I just rec'd a call from the 84 year old woman that owns the property where I have Bear, they want to bring horses there....we really don't have the space and I'm fearful we may have to evac our horses out of there. San Pasquel fire has jumped parts of the 15, by North County Faire, which is a huge mall. This is residential areas.
Ash in my bathtub (left a window open) and I'm on the coast in Encinitas. I'll be back.
It is about 9:30 p.m. here in Southern California and we are on fire...literally.
There is another diary that has over 100 comments and not on the recommend list...this doesn't surprise me because heck, it's California and we are just a state of 'fruits and nuts'.
The fires in the state are going to cost us millions and millions of dollars folks. California has tens of thousands of deployed military and national guard....
We are in a State of Emergency. Ramona is burning, Malibu is burning...it is being said this will be worse then our 2003 fires.
There are hurricane force wind gusts. Airtankers canNOT get in the air.
We have lost ALOT of livestock. The fires are so fierce that people canNOT get animals/livestock out.
We have a number of firefighters now in CRITICAL condition and fighting for their lives. We have a number of civilians in the same condition.
If you don't want to RECOMMEND this diary, then at least be human enough to take a moment and send a prayer or healing thoughts.
I live on the coast and the smoke is making me sick, the thought of being 30 miles inland in the path of the fire and inhaling...well, that's a tough one.
Here is a link for a live stream for the San Diego fires: http://www.kusi.com/
I ask that those of us who are following this because California IS OUR STATE, send links where we can get updates.
Tomorrow I will watch and make my decision on when I will go to the fire lines and help how I can. Being a licensed massage therapist, this is something I do....plus I have a hauling truck and can help get animals out.
What a cluster fuck....ugh.
Thanks for the RECS if any.
10:30 p.m. [UPDATE...PERSONAL] I just found out a legal project I've been part of for a year is laying me off in 2-4 weeks, so I'll be poor again (ah well, that is what America is about these days!)...that being said, I have ALOT of work to bill in the next 2-4 weeks, however, I'm going to take probably Tuesday off to volunteer with animals and do massages...I will write diaries on any day that I do something and can offer an informative diary.
Thank you all of the RECS...if you are close to fire areas, please volunteer...use your common sense and just do it...
Remember Katrina? and me? Going pell mell and pissing alot of people off? I have never regretted it for a moment.
REMEMBER THE POWER OF ONE...Be well everyone and help fellow man, we only have each other. Cheers. BarbaraBe safe my friends who are closer then I am to the fires. Peace. Barbara
11 p.m. - MAYOR JERRY SANDERS is stating NOW that the WITCH FIRE may well ENTER THE FAR SAN DIEGO CITY LIMITS by MORNING...think this isn't serious?
My link above is LIVE STREAMING this news.
11:15 p.m. - Witch fire has broken apart. One part and the more agressive is the San Pasquel, the other is the 52/Poway. People need to begin to prepare to leave. This is getting very serious and getting closer to the city limits, it could reach the Wild Animal Park is in danger.
Del Mar Fairgrounds is going to begin taking horses. Other places will be announced. Livestock and all animals are very vulnerable. Homes are building in Ramona. Resources (trucks, men/women, etc) are suppose to be headed this way, but remember that our National Guard is heavily deployed out of this state as is our military from Camp Pendleton...
California people who are living in San Diego County, stay up, and PACK YOUR NEEDED THINGS and be ready to LEAVE.
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UPDATE #5 - Harris fire just EAST OF JAMUL now...more info to follow. RESIDENTS TO STAY ALERT.
A THIRD FIRE is now in PAUMA VALLEY...this is on Hiway 76 if I'm not mistaken, no info as of yet. There are NO evacs currently and is rural with again, alot of animals.
4 A.M. - UPDATE #6 - SEVEN FIRES NOW IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY. I just woke up from semi-sleeping for 2 or so hours. There is now a fire in SAN MARCOS, this is 6 miles from ME, this is a couple of miles from where one of my horses is. U.C - SAN MARCOS is where the San Marcos fire is by...and the SAN ELIJO HILLS...this is a LARGE new development. The WINDS are amazing, they are HOWLING. I seemingly have ASH on my truck, not alot, but it is there and smells. Fire in FALLBROOK...I have good friends there...NO further news yet. This is a tough area if that fire gets going because of tough terrain, bad roads and over-building. I need to grab a shower and prepare to find a horse trailer and may need to evac Bear (my older Arabian gelding). Winds up and over 70 mph today in areas.
Fire headed for WILD ANIMAL PARK in Escondido, CA.