Arlene,

Both KFWB and KNX1070 are streaming on the internet! www.kfwb.com or www.knx1070.com

They have links and maps....

Denise and Michelle,

Frank's son is a Fire Captain and Pilot for City of Riverside Fire. He doesn't fly for work - but the pilots do get paid for flying there. He does Arson Investigation and supervises several fire crews.

We have a client that is a pilot for LA City Fire. That's all he does and he's in the air for LA County with the water dropping helicopters.

Our neighbor is with LA County Fire. He's in charge of the heavy equiptment group and rescue in Malibu but he's up near Michelle and Don's house at the moment. He was a responder at the World Trade Center.

They risk their lives everyday without regard for major disaster or not. We are very proud of all of the men and women too that protect us.

Thanks for the info, Kathy. I'm sure that there are many specialized and paid individuals dealing with emergency air support during such times. The report I heard stated that there were numerous pilots that offer emergecny air drop support and do so on a volunteer basis, with no compensation. Risky enough when it's one's job. Taking that risk, gratis, takes the respect and admiration level for these fine and selfless individuals to a whole, new level.

Far more calm evening last night down our way. I've yet to put on the TV and see how things are going elsewhere. Hoping that each day finds calm and safety in everyone's community. At last report, winds were to die down considerably. Even a slight hint of clouds, by week's end/weekend. If ever SOCAL needed rain, please let it be SOON!

Trying to calm my nerves. Woke up at 4:00 a.m. to the sounds of an armata over our house....a NEW fire within a l/2 mile of us,Santa Clarita looks to be at the cemetary up on a ridge. Many helicopters plus 1 fixed wing (circling). It's dark but we can see them. The air drops are huge! With this amount of fire fighting air support, I can't imagine this one gettting farther...praying it doesn't. I'm trying to sit here in my downstairs window with my 2 dogs. Cars pointed downhill. we're ready.

Oh, Michele! Praying along with you that this ever-so-close fire is contained and doused quickly.

You are wisely prepared to leave. Wishing with all my heart that it doesn't come to be. Please let us know how you and Don are coming along. So worried about you both. :hug:

Dear Denise, Michelle and all our other LCT friends in harms way.

Please stay safe. We are praying for all of SCal.

Hoping for the best for you, Michelle.

These firemen are incredible!!! We are the fortunate ones. We have watched them for 2 hours now & they attacked this blaze with EVERYTHING in their arnesol. We are SAFE, praying the wind stays calm. What a way to wake up. We're going on over 48 hours being on high alert. Castaic, Canyon Country, Stevenson Ranch, still going to the north of us a few miles away, thankfully. I want to go back to sleep - uh-huh, right.

Finally checking in. We've been without internet for about 36 hours and it will likely come and go some more until the winds subside. I've had our LCTers on my mind so much. Please, stay safe all or you that are in the proximity!! My prayers are with you.
Our area is NOT affected, other than the nasty air we're breathing, lawn chairs blowing around the backyard and our garbage cans ending up several homes away. These Santa Ana's are the worst I can remember.

In 1980 we were affected when we had to evacuate in a city near by. It was around 5:00pm when we could see the flames getting closer and closer. After watering down the wood shake roof and deck we evacuated around 7:00pm.shortly before it became mandatory. With the car loaded with what we could take and our pets, we headed for my parents home. I'll never forget the sinking feeling pulling out of the drive way not knowing if you'd see your home again. Gina was only 3 and was such a little trooper. We were able to return 3 days later (showing proof of residence to prevent looters). Our home did not have any fire damage at all, just a strip of charred back yard due to where the fireman purposely set a fire to act as a fire wall down the entire north side of our street. Upon entering our home we knew we could not stay. The smoke damage was very extensive with our Navajo White walls turning to deep slate soot. Again, we had to leave our home.

Our insurance covered everything including resurfacing all the walls and painting, 100% new carpet and drapes through out, and replacing all our soft sided furniture, linens, mattresses, etc. WE WERE VERY LUCKY TO STILL HAVE OUR HOME. Not one home on our street was lost due the superior work of the firemen.

The day we had to evacuate was my due date of my daughter Jill. She ultimately arrived perfectly 3 weeks late. I think it was God's way of telling her that we had too much on our plate right now.....why don't you stay in here a little bit longer! Now, almost 27 years later, my little "fire baby" is getting married on Saturday.

Sorry to ramble.....these fires just open up so many memories. I pray for all the families and animals who have been affected. Hopefully today the winds will subside.

STAY SAFE ALL!!!

SoCal sisters and brothers, hang in there...it is unseasonably warm up here in NorCal...where is that rain we had last week so that we can send it down??!!!

Marcie - that's an amazing story, especially the week of Jill's wedding.

Michele - hoping you stay safe and the winds die down. The stress must be incredible.

Hugs to you & Don - Anne

Wow, Marcie, some story! Congratulations to you on Jill's marriage.

Good to hear Michelle that they've go you covered up there in Santa Clarita area.

Watching the news is beyond belief. Something like 800 homes gone overnight. No firemen in sight in Rancho Santa Fe north of San Diego and homes burning like something out of a movie...

The community that Cyndi and Tom (she started the Diet Thread) was evacuated according to the news. We chatted yesterday briefly.

The wind here is very strong still. Temps in the 90's today. Not good for firefighting.

Oh my Marcie I can see why you are having such memories flooding back. I wish you and your family a lovely weekend for the wedding! :)

Marcie, what a story! Best wishes to the bride and groom. You have many blessings to celebrate and to be thankful for. Congratulations.

Still keeping all affected LCT-ers in our thoughts and prayers. They say the winds should die down by tomorrow afternoon.

Take care!

That reminds me of our old fire story.

It was our first Christmas eve in our new (very old) house. Our son Christopher had just had his first birthday.

We lived in this little old flat-roofed house build around 1880 in downtown Toronto, at the end of a block right next door to a very large hardware store. By next door I mean about 5 feet away, along one side of our house.

Well, the owners (we believe), decided to torch the store for the insurance. The basement and first floor were loaded with paint and solvents.

The place went up like a torch, a 4- or 5-alarmer, with trucks from all over the city, and a evac bus as well.

They came in and turned off the gas, and then we had to get out. They were on our roof with hoses pointed into the store, and they were watering down our roof to keep the sparks away.

Somehow I got out to a friend's house across the city with the baby (I think David drove me.) He drove back to watch and hope. Our neighbour two doors down kept feeding him shots of grappa until he could hardly stand, let alone drive.

So when he finally felt that the house was safe, and drove out to join us, he was over the line, and got caught in a Christmas eve spot-checks. He explained about the huge fire and the policemen actually drove him to his destination.

We had Christmas morning with presents under the tree from our very kind friend. Our house wasn't damaged except for smoke.

Any news from our SoCal LCTers?

I'm just stunned by the horrific events in your area.

Just saw on our noon news Clark County (Las Vegas) has sent units this morning to help. Must be really bad because we are 280 miles east. I feel so bad for the residents and animals. Hope this will end soon. Denise, will this put stress on Alan's job as an insurance adjuster? What a huge job this will be in the next few weeks.
Califorian's are a very strong and patient group of citizens. Fires, mud slides, earthquakes. I think the beauty of the state outweighs the risks. Our house is always open to any of you that need some R & R. Las Vegas is just a 4 hour drive! Judy & John

Things are still burning and blowing here in SoCal. Apparently there are quite a few smaller scale fires that are not being reported in the media. I have had 2 employees call in that they can see flames from their windows out in the Rancho Cucumonga area. Haven't heard anything on the news about it. I also heard a guy in CNN say he evacuated his home in San Diego county when he saw a wall of flames but that "his" fire was likewise not being reported anywhere so he was unable to find out about his house. Really dreadful happenings.
MArcie, are you reaLLY windy in Fullerton? There is barely a breeze here in Diamond Bar! We have very little ash altho you can smell the smoke. Stay safe everyone.
----------------------
Helen

I just caught a quick glimpse of the news in our employee cafe. Looks like the Santiago Canyon fire is really intense.

Judy, Alan would normally be greatly impacted and placed on CAT (catastrophe) assignment. However, Friday is his last day at work, as we prepare to leave for CROSS. Therefore, fire and/or wind-related assignments will be minimal for the remainder of this week. When he returns, no doubt, he will roll up his shirtsleeves and do his part to help insureds as best he can. Alan truly goes above and beyond for those individuals he's assigned to, catastrophe or not. I know he'll want to do his part once we return. Anyone who has met Alan knows what a compassionate man he is.

Funny that the accountants were all having lunch and talking about claims payments and the impact of the fires on local businesses. We all had experience with claims post 1994 Northridge Earthquake and my house was Red tagged (unliveable) for two years.

The smoke here has been thick enough to impact a lot of people. Eyes burning and breathing affected too. We have a client who lost their home in Rancho Santa Fe today.

I had to turn the news off for a while. Too heavy to listen to.

Another quick peek at the TV to check on the fire situation. Chilling footage of the canyons ablaze! The newscaster said the size of the damage is equivalent to the size of the city of Chicago!

We watched coverage while having dinner. It is just beyond belief, so devastating. They showed a reporter reporting as his house burned to the ground, it made tears some to my eyes.

Denise - it is heart breaking I have to walk away from TV at times - has Michele checked in this evening? Well evening here - Cross will be some well needed R&R with wonderful people - as much as I will miss you, selfishly, on daily basis I know you will have a wonderful trip - please check in often! :hug: :hug:

From the corral at 4 a.m. this morning...



The winds came back & flared it up again this afternoon...This is a photo of the "Quebec-ies" flying the fixed wing. Thankfully, the winds didn't shift towards our property & others. We are so fortunate to have immediate help.



Don & firemen spotters.



I haven't been able to see any news today. I'm praying everyone in SoCal is OK. Denise, Don & I hope you & Alan can get some peace & on to CROSS. Thanks so much for your kind words everyone.

Michele, Denise, Dena & Kathy,
I'm glad you guys are safe and have reported in. The wind has almost come to a halt here now. Hoping it's finally slowing down all around So. Cal.

Michele, your pictures are amazing. All our TV channels are pre-empted with continual updates on the fire. It's just so sad. Our internet is still on and off (mostly off) but now with the winds subsiding it may come back. I'm lost without it.

Denise, just keep thinking 1 week from today you and Alan will be AWAY for such a deserved trip!

Thanks ladies for reporting in!

Michele, your photos are amazing. I know you must feel as if you are living in a nightmare.

I haven't checked into OT posts for awhile (but hear from Denise) and WOW, you SoCal lct friends are really going through it! Best news to me this a.m. on CNN and NBC was hearing folks who had evacuated to some stadium how orderly everything was, and how happy the evacuees were with the service being provided by both staff and volunteers. Absolutely nothing like what happened in NO during the Katrina floods.

To all, stay safe and keep in touch. We are all pulling for you and sending positive vibes your way!

The good news is there is a lot of progress on the North and West fronts of the fires. People can go home in Malibu. In Santa Clarita, (Michele's area) they say they have made progress; The Magic Fire/Stevenson Ranch that was threatening to burn to Malibu yesterday is seeing some containment.

San Diego County and Lake Arrowhead....a sad and scary state. Orange County, I haven't heard much on the news in the last few reports, but, I am trying to work so might have missed it.

Michele,

Thanks for checking in again. Every time I see footage of the fires in your area, I become so concerned.

The photo from the corral is horrific.

I've been intermittently catching bits and pieces on the TV news during lunch and break times. The magnitude of these fires/winds is way beyond comprehension. The wide-spread devastation heartbreaking.

I left work and by the time I walked over to my car, my navy blue suit was speckled with ash. The winds have died down to almost nothing down our way. The heat, however, is fairly intense. While driving home, the heavy, dark and looming cloud of smoke off in the distance, was a sight to see.

Joanna and Marcie, CROSS is going to be so welcome for Alan and me. We just hope that this situation is well under control before we leave on Tuesday. Will miss you, too :hug: Emails and seamails will come your way.

Just watched the news and was happy to see that the fires appear to be a little better contained now, but it still sounds erratic in many areas. Thanks for the photos, Michele. What an incredibly scary situation.

My thoughts are with all of you SoCal people.

Thankyou all for checking in. What we see here on the news is unreal. We have hurricanes with a few days notice, nothing like what California is going through. So glad everyone is safe and sound..please keep us posted.

We've had almost no considerable rain in such a long time. We all knew this was going to be a bad fire season. To the extent that it has spread, pretty much throughout the state is startling.

Michele: You have had such an incredibly scary situation - please you and Denise stay in touch - I think Denise is fine but she is such a voice of reason - thinking of you all the time

Denise/Michelle, thanks for checking in with us. WE are all thinking about you and everyone in the affected areas.

Nancy

Michele your photos were amazing. We have been glued to the TV on and off all day trying to get as much info as possible. All of you thanks for keeping us updated here in DC, as we just don't get a full picture.

Denise - you really do need CROSS!!! And to everyone else in SoCal, our thoughts and love and prayers are with you every day, please stay safe and check in when you can.

I just have to share something that is so touching.

We just got off the phone with Don, who called to say he and Diana were thinking about us and wished us well, in addition to wishing us a great time on CROSS. To hear sweet Don's voice put a smile on my face. Don and Diana lived in SOCAL before moving to TX, so he could really relate to what is going on here. Alan and I assured him that we were fine.

Don and Diana,

You are both special friends whom Alan and I cherish! Your call meant so much. Wishing you both well and hoping we get to visit with you both again very soon (maybe a surprise on the flight from DFW to SNA????????). :hug:

Lots of emails from wonderful LCT friends and a call from Texas Don! Our hearts are very full and appreciative!

And, Michele and Don - :hug: :hug: :hug: to you both!

I can say nothing more than what everyone else has already said. I keep praying for all the LCT'ers and my other friends in the LA/OC/SAN area. Thank you all for keeping us updated.
Lynn

Checking in from the OC - all is fine here in Tustin - the temperature seemed hotter today but the winds have died down a lot. The Santiago fire, which yesterday was within a couple miles of our house, has shifted course significantly and no longer threatens Tustin and Irvine, but is affecting other communities such as Foothill Ranch. Temperatures and winds are forecast to decline every day for the next few days, so hopefully the weather will help the firefighters and the news will improve.

At my workplace, we've been involved in a small way with emergency coordination efforts in OC and it seems to be going relatively smoothly, with strong cooperation and communication between the involved agencies. OC is also supporting needs from San Diego where the magnitude of the disaster is so huge.

I did not have a chance to see/hear any TV or radio coverage today, so I hope that things are looking up in the other affected areas.

Dena

Wow Michelle, the picture is really something!

Somebody on TV was saying that the area that has burned down is larger than Manhattan! It's mind bogling.

Praying for calm weather and RAIN would be nice too!

So good to hear from you all on the scene; the situation is really incomprehensible! Praying for progress on all fronts!

Keeping all the southern LCTers in our thoughts and wishing you all safety. Hope the firefighters get the upper hand soon.