Yes, it's very bad from what I see on CNN and I am worried about friends
also.  Check in Joe, we need to know you are okay.
Ann

I know chief is in So Cal. Do we have any other ASAers we need to
worry about? I lived in San Diego for 12 years and several of my
friends have evacuated and don't know yet what's become of their
homes. Just got an email from my best friend and she's packing. . . So
unimaginable.

diane

it really is an horrendous situation.  the fires have caused more than
300,000 people to be displaced and some 1300 homes have been destroyed.  i
hope all our so. cal. people check in very soon.  i was glad and relieved to
see email from chief this morning.

kate

Saturday, Mary and I had a moonlight dinner-steam train ride in Felton
(north of Santa Cruz) through the redwoods.

Returned to our motel and learned about the Malibu fire.

Sunday morning we heard about more and more fires in L.A. County.

Left Santa Cruz according to agenda and drove to Santa Maria for the night.
First heard of the San Diego County fires that evening.

Monday morning we got updates and headed south on the last leg of our 12-day
journey.  Then we heard of the fire in Santa Barbara County, just west of
our route on U.S. 101 into Los Angeles.  Nothing noticed in Ventura County.
Entered L.A. County and began to seen tales of the Malibu fire.  Couldn't
see anything from Castic-Magic Mountain fires north of our route.

Took 101 to I-405 past LAX and into Orange County.   Some telltale signs of
two fires north of I-5 and I-405.

Merged into I-5 from I-405 and continued into San Diego County.  Began
receiving radio signals from S.D. and started wondering if we'd be able to
reach home because Rancho Santa Fe is just east of I-5.  But surprisingly
southbound traffic was light and fast all the way to our exit at I-805.
Northbound was a virtual parking lot, bumper-to-bumper traffic of evacuees
heading to San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

Reached 94 eastbound at the 4-mile marker - our last leg to home.  At
approximately the 12-mile marker we could see signs of the Harris fire.
It began at about the 50-mile marker of 94 and burned up to the 16-mile
marker.  All of our UHF TV transmitters are on Mt. Miguel above that 16-mile
marker.  Firefighters took a stand at the crest of Mt. Miguel and prevented
damage to any of the stations.  The smoke totally covered those blinking red
aircraft lights.  Jamacha Junction where we are located is at the 15-mile
marker (from downtown San Diego).

01:00, 02:00, 03:00 Tuesday I watched the flames about 1 mile south of our
condo.  Tuesday afternoon (today) some idiot issued a false evacuation for
the community.    <G>    Tonight we can still see flames on the crest of Mt.
Miguel, and smoke still obliterates those blinking red aircraft warning
lights.

Major damage has been in Rancho Bernardo 25 miles north of downtown San
Diego, parts of Escondido 35 miles north of San Diego, and Rancho Santa Fe
(our ultra-million $$$ community which was the 1st to have covenants and
R&Rs), just above and east of Del Mar off I-5.
Military family housing at huge Camp Pendleton (our buffer zone from
L.A.-Orange sprawl) is being evacuated.