Are you okay?

I am North of the freeway between Tapo Canyon and Sycamore. I don't see or smell smoke. I was a block away from Kuehner and the freeway until 1:30 PM with the same observation.

I'm guessing that Papa Ken is safe, but smoked out, assuming he still lives where he did a couple years ago.

I don't recall any other West-valley RFMers.

'Days of our Lives' has been pre-empted !!!!!!!!

I have written a sharply worded letter to the editor of the Times and I put it in the afternoon post! Incensed hardly serves to cover the sharpness of my ire. They shall rue the day!

elderolddog Wrote:
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> 'Days of our Lives' has been pre-empted !!!!!!!!
>
> I have written a sharply worded letter to the
> editor of the Times and I put it in the afternoon
> post! Incensed hardly serves to cover the
> sharpness of my ire. They shall rue the day!

:)

Thanks, SoCal Apostate.

I was concerned that someone might need help to evacuate.

Paul called me about an hour ago to see if I was okay (he is at the mall on Topanga), and he said that the Northridge Mall either was in the process of closing or had closed.

Flying embers aside (because I don't know how far they can fly), I am in a fairly safe place so far as the fire itself goes, but six hours ago the smoke was horrendous, and when I was returning home (from driving Paul to work) I couldn't see the mountains right in front of me.

From your description, I don't think you will be in danger--mainly because I think fire fighters will have it under control before it can cross Topanga Canyon Blvd.--and I also have a great deal of faith in the LA Dept. of Water & Power to do what they have to do in prep. (My first adult job involved, in part, administering civil service entrance and promotion exams to LA Dept. W&P employees, and the laudable high caliber of their employees made a deep and lasting impression on me.)

Stay safe!

With high winds, embers can fly a long ways.

I've been on fires with 30-40 mph winds, carrying a burning 2-3" diameter branch 25' long over a mile.

If you are within 10 miles of a large fire and there are strong winds and they are blowing towards you, get out now, don't wait for the sheriff or the fire fighter to knock on your door and tell you to leave.

tumwater Wrote:
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> With high winds, embers can fly a long ways.
>
> I've been on fires with 30-40 mph winds, carrying
> a burning 2-3" diameter branch 25' long over a
> mile.

Wow. That IS a long ways.

Windspeed right now (11 mph in our neighborhood) is just a fraction of what it was earlier, so the Santa Anas have died down, at least for the moment.

It is eerily silent where I am right now: no emergency vehicles and no sirens within my hearing distance, and I can't even hear any sounds from the neighbors.

I will definitely keep your words in the forefront of my mind, because if indications to evacuate occur, I will.

Thank you for the information, tumwater.

Very muchly appreciated!

in b 4 ~ ¿ when the califoria republic exmos going to start to handle they business ~



in b 4 ~ every year ~



brb ~ fires ~ mudslides ~ blackouts ~




asking for a frein ~

I think we Californians handle everything you listed very well (taking into consideration whatever the on the ground facts are in any specific instance).

To a pronounced extent, we cooperate with each other....we help each other....and, together, we make it to the "other side" of whatever challenge we have to deal with at any particular time.

This isn't always true, but it IS true for most of the times I have knowledge of.

I've thought about this before, and I think a lot of it is because we (even the relative "newcomers") are the products of such a mixed society (ethnically, racially, religiously, and in every other way), and our appreciation of, and tolerance for, each other creates a very strong, and kind of wonderfully "united" [most of the time] California identity which works for the benefit of everyone.

Mis dos centavos.

ya ~


but every other state in U.S. American and even Canadia and Mexico have forests ~


but only california's burn down every year ~

That's cuz we run out of rakes & stoopid Finland won't lend us theirs…

anon raker Wrote:
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> That's cuz we run out of rakes & stoopid Finland
> won't lend us theirs…

Don't forget that it is ALSO about the Swedes and the Norwegians who won't send us their special, for forest maintenance, vacuum cleaners!

[P.S. I actually have and use a Swedish vacuum cleaner, brand name EUROCLEAN, I bought about thirty years ago through an American distributor. Best vacuum cleaner I have ever used in every way! However, I am definitely not going to use it for vacuuming any forests, no matter where those forests may be located. ;) ]

The first house we owned is directly south of the fire. We lived there in the 1970s. Our kids went to Darby. Can’t believe any of our old neighbors are still there. We were in Northridge 2nd ward as I recall. Hope everyone there is safe.

My first message was blocked. We lived south of the fire area years ago. Hope our former neighbors are safe.

Phantom Shadow Wrote:
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> We lived south of the fire area years ago.
> Hope our former neighbors are safe.

I hope your former neighbors are safe too.

Thank you for posting, and I am glad you and your family are safe in your "new" home.

Now I live in No.Cal, where we just had nearly 24 hours with no electricity thanks to PG&E. Although we live in the foothills here, our house has a tile roof--safer than former homes with a shake roof. I hope so.

Dagny, I knew a few people in Porter Ranch--they were just building in that area when we lived there.

I've been through some big earthquakes here, but these wildfires are especially frightening.

I lived in Porter Ranch when it was first being developed many moons ago when I went to Jr. and Highschool.
Phantom Shadow and Tevai got me wondering if the house I lived in was impacted so I checked the map. So far it is right on the edge of the evacuation area.

I wouldn't know any neighbors anymore but it is heart breaking to see the destruction. Every year the Santa Ana winds were scary. It's such a beautiful area.

Now I am in Idaho and we get fires in the foothills somewhere every year. One came dangerously close to us. In Alabama a tornado hit within a mile of me twice. Every place has risks of some sort.

I hope the destruction can be limited. I feel for the people impacted. Be safe.