I'm Safe - But still very worried about the cats and my house...

I have told various people various things, so please forgive any repetition. Today has been quite a day. I'm safe and sound at my folks' house, and the news from NBC San Diego is that the fire breaks have held, and both my complex, and the homes of nearby friends and family are safe for the moment.

About 4pm this afternoon, I was walking by our campus switchboard, and the operator happened to be answering a question from a student about a fire that was at Camp Pendleton. Someone looked it up online, and noticed that it was near the back gate....which happened to be about 100 yards from my back fence. The winds were high, and evacuations were immediate.

I grabbed my purse and keys and bolted from my office. My hope was to get home, get the cats, some clothes, and hopefully the photos I had stacked on my dining room table.. I had taken my suitcase and pet stuff out of the back of my jeep because I was going grocery shopping. I was running late this morning, and thought, "Gee, I had better put this back in the car. I will have to remember to do that when I get home." These are the things that make me shake my head..

There's one main road that goes to my house, and while the traffic was heavy, it was moving. We were only slowed by fire truck after fire truck working their way through the cars. We were all driving toward a looming column of billowing black smoke, with water dropping aircraft circling with what seemed to be only a few feet above our heads.

I slowly work my way up VanDeGrift to my intersection, where I hope to turn left at the park on Douglas and get into my complex.

As I'm sitting there, I start to see flames reaching up above my complex, and billowing as it reached new fuel....which in this case, were the first row of houses that backs up to the hills. My house is in the 2nd row of houses....about 200 yards from where I was in my jeep.

At this point I have to make a decision. The police were just getting set up and had not yet blocked off the street. I could probably have gotten into my complex if I tried, but I had to calculate the risk. The flames were higher than the 2 story houses, so 20+ feet. I've never been one of those crazy types who rates the lives of animals higher than humans, but it was a far from easy decision. Leaving my two cats behind to potentially burn to death was unthinkable.

But ultimately I had to leave it in God's hands, because the flames were getting higher, and the cops were starting to move us away. I flipped a u-turn on Vandegrift at Douglas and headed away from the flames and every single possession I owned, short of my car and the clothes on my back. Needless to say, I was a complete and utter wreck.

I had calmed down by the time I got to my folks, and realized that I needed pajamas, clothes for tomorrow and a toothbrush. (Of course, glasses, meds, laptop...all in Oceanside)

Breaking News: Winds have kicked up, and are once again threatening my Aunt and Uncle in Fallbrook. Might be having a family get-together up here.

My current plan is to leave Dana Point tomorrow about 7am, and try to get home. Depending on the fire situation, I will load up the cats and take them back to DP, then head to the Cabinet meeting at 9:30. My hope is that I don't need to get them and that we can all stay where we are.. Beyond that should (hopefully) normal.

Again, thanks to all who offered shelter and good wishes. Our fingers are crossed, and so far things are going our way. My hope is that Fallbrook enjoys the same outcome.

Will keep you posted.

K