I was forced to evacuate my neighborhood.
The entire North County is on fire. The
first one started at Camp Pendleton Marine
Base.

This is the third day of fires with very little
of it being contained. The Nuclear Power Plant
in Carlsbad has also been affected although currently
in a dormant state, it is still vulnerable.

Legoland was closed and the school districts
are closed along with San Diego State University.

It has been super hot here with low humidity.
I simply do not understand how it can be so
wide spread. Arson is suspected, because some
of the fires are miles apart. The Marine Corps
is using military assets to squelch fires here
and there, but San Diego is utter chaos at the
moment.

I don't know if I will have a home to return to,
but I'm thankful for my life and health.

I also wished that we could set-up a program
for those willing to share a bed or room with
those affected to rest their heads etc...some
kind of list, if you will so folks don't have
to shell out money for hotel rooms etc...a sort
of craigslist for "Couch Surfers" until we can
sort this mess out.

Stay safe, Israel. And keep us posted about how you're doing.

Take care, Israel. Best wishes.

Sad to hear for sure. My wife's nephews Serge and Neiko run a cigar & wine place in SD (Excalibur?)- they are probably out giving away cigars to the firefighters- great wonderful guys and I miss them. They I'm sure have University of Michigan football stuff in their establishment someplace. When I was last in SD visiting my wife's sister, the beauty of that city is absolutely off the charts. My brother's son is a Marine currently stationed at Camp Pendleton- he is probably in the thick of it knowing him- absolutely fearless. As above, stay safe!

Stay safe, Israel.

Good luck Israel.

We are thinking of you. Stay safe.

Good luck and stay safe. We had to deal with the same thing 2 years in a row. I wish they'd catch the idiot.

Fire fighters have made progress aided by calmer winds they said here on the news but it still looked bad from the film they showed. They said "dozens" of different fires seemed to start at the same time wide apart. Which sounds like arson to me but I don't know how they could do that. Timed devices perhaps. Mind you I guess once one starts it can jump quickly in high winds from one place to another. Anyhow good to your people and the fighters.

Stay cool and be safe.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. Stay safe and thoughts go out to all those affected by this horrible disaster.

Thanks so very much everyone. Your words really mean much to me.
A dear friend has offered me a place in her home until we are
able to return. I hadn't seen her in a few months, so it's a
real treat to catch up with her, with an extended sleepover.

Sadly, my home received a red tag and is no longer habitable.
I am not allowed to even scrounge through the wet burned mess
to collect anything salvageable, but there are roving patrols
in the area to discourage looting, which has not occurred thus
far thankfully.

Many didn't wish to leave, but either die in the smoke/fire
or face arrest for non-compliance.

I along with many wonderful neighbors helped folks to move
animals, mostly horses to a safe area until we could load
them up on trailers to haul them away from the area.

It was quite surreal as folks were scrambling to either save
valuables such as automobiles and family heirlooms...it was
like a scene from Armageddon.

One neighbor had five automobiles and was asking for help
driving them away. I certainly didn't offer, it didn't seem
like a priority to me. Please forgive me.

The local hotels are offering discounts on rooms and a few
gymnasiums have opened up areas with sleeping accommodations
for those whom are unable to afford other arrangements or make
travel arrangements.

I am most thankful for the many emergency responders and
firefighters who are still battling this fire in this
unusually hot weather as well. They are genuine heroes!

I am speechless that you have endured so much and pray you and your neighbors find the strength to overcome the the things you have lost.

Know you have friends here.

I can't imagine the pain you must be going through. I wish you and your family the best. All those in the area, affected or not are in my prayers.

Three more fires started at Camp Pendleton and Escondido
and parts of Encinitas are the main focus at the time.

A suspect was apprehended, but most of us suspect that there
were more than just one individual arsonist.

They let us return to our neighborhood, but there isn't much
to return to. Most of the homes on our block also had red tags.
The city is going to waive the re-build fees.

The roving patrols have mostly moved on to their regular duties.
I was tired of being tied to my "stuff" but this isn't exactly
what I had in mind. All of my magic equipment, dvds, memorabilia,
were lost, except for a closeup kit that I grabbed along with my
laptop and documents. I did recover the sterling silver dinnerware set.

My friends I thank you for the private messages in addition to the
well wishes here. I am now officially homeless...WOW! In a strange
way I draw comfort that I'm not the only one struggling. Hundreds in
the area are going through the same thing.

It's going to take time, but I can only shake my head at the moment
as the fires continue to rage now heading into day five.

I am thankful for my health. I rarely drink these days, but scotch
has been my friend this weekend as I watch documentaries on Youtube.

Devious - I don't know what to say, speechless. Wishing you the best.

-JoeJoe

Same here brother. Prayers your way. I can't imagine losing my home and possessions. Even with insurance, some things just can't be replaced. Hang in there and keep us posted.

Talk about taking a few punches in the last couple of years!

You're doing all right, Israel. Hang in there.

All of the fires are now squelched as of last night.
In addition, The Allstate Insurance Claims Adjustors
were pretty expedient and fairly efficient.

All of the firefighters sure deserve much credit in spite
of the property damage. They did what they could since
the fires were moving very quickly due to the high
Santa Ana winds.

I am planning a nice little vacation since I don't plan
to rebuild. I'm going to downsize my life. I met a nice
gal named Noel who looks like a young Farah Fawcett due
to this incident. A second date is planned for this Thursday.

I thank my friends here for your concern, I sincerely "Due."

California is now under control and Arizona flare up! Wow!