SoCal Fires!

[BP-Revo]

Well, as some of you know, I live in Orange County along with a few other members. Anyway, my home which I grew up in is in Huntington Beach, but during the week when I'm off at school (Cal Poly Pomona) I live with my Uncle and Aunt in Chino Hills.

Saturday, it was my grandma's birthday, and it happened to be at that same Aunt and Uncle's house. So on Saturday around 1, I left to head up there (I drive back to HB every Friday). So I'm headed down the 55 toward the huge cloud of black smoke, and I hop on the 91. And then it seems like I'm going right into the smoke. I figure, ok, fire is close. And then, it gets VERY VERY thick, and people slow down.

I look to the right, and the brush on the shoulder of the freeway is on fire (not huge flames, but like scattered small fires covering about a square foot each)! and there are emergency vehicles driving up the small paved space to the right of the slow lane. And in the slow lane, people are driving BACKWARDS!!! I'm in the fast lane, and I figured its best to charge on through and get outta there, rather than turn around and possibly get trapped.

So I continue on and I look left, and notice the otherside of the freeway is empty - it got shut down. I noticed that practically everything thats near the freeway on the other side is up in flames, and these are full on. Fireballs were rising and I could feel the heat of the fire on my face.

The 71 freeway (which I needed to take) was shutdown, so I had to go up the 15 and find my way through Chino. All in all I made it to my aunts, but we were stuck there until about 8 when the 57 (which got shutdown shortly after the 91) had re-opened, and we made it home fine.

Then, the next morning (today, Sunday), I learned that the fire had gotten within 100 yards of my Aunt and Uncle's house (my weekday home) and that hey had to be evacuated. Luckily, the fire never made it there and they were allowed to return.

That was my crazy weekend, thought I'd share.

[rawfuls]

Ouch, that's gotta hurt.
I'm over here in Woodland Hills, very smokey, but luckily, nothing too big.
Glad to hear that the house didn't get damaged.

[mkrusedc]

As a survivor of a few hurricanes I understand what it is like to be in an area of a natural disaster. I am glad you and yours are well. Stay safe.

[BL_RV0]

I've lost my home twice in various fires over the years.