Well this is getting close...

Oh boy

My house is currently in the midst of the so cal fires going on now. Right now I'm about an hour away at school and my sis is sending me updates on the situation there. It does not look good, especially when she can see flames on the hill nearby. My family is currently getting stuff ready in case the mandatory evacuation issue is ordered.

I'm gonna drive home now and try help with the cause (at least bring an extra car to carry stuff). I am hoping the worse doesn't happen.

Please wish me and everyone else in the area luck and hope for the best.

Take care now, Sakura. I'm sending positive vibes to you and all your loved ones.

Good luck, be safe.

Take care. When I lived in the (San Fernando) Valley I remember the huge fires that used to rage to the north and such.

May all be well in your household and with your people.

Best of luck

Good luck Sakura-chan. ^_^

Don't get careless out there and come back in one piece, ya hear?

Oh man! Be careful!!!

Thanks guys. I really appreciate them.

I'm currently back home now. I packed up whatever I thought was worth keeping, which strangely isn't very much. Makes me realize what is really of importance and what is junk.

Situation however is really scary here. As I was driving back about 20 min away I could see several mountains on fire. I had to calm myself down as I got closer. So far my family is calm and we are waiting it out. Will most likely be a long night.

Sis and I went across the street to the neighbors side and the entire hillside is on fire. It really looks like the apocalypse out here. I'm just hoping the fire stays over there and doesn't come closer to where we are. Currently there is no wind so that has been helping.

Please keep me in your thoughts. This battle is still going.

Do you have access to water so you can try and keep your structure damp?

Yes we do. If worst were to happen we'll all use the hoses around and soak down the house. One of my neighbors even has sprinklers on their roof. =P

We got the call for mandatory evacuations. I'm honestly scared now, but I'm glad my family is with me and we are pulling through this. Hopefully this is only for a safety precaution.

Hope everything is fine when you get back!

My family experience a house fire several years ago and I know how devastating it can be. I wish you all the luck in the world Sakura

God luck Sakura! I hope everything will be okay with you, your family and your house!

Good luck Sakura, glad to hear you're out of there though. Property can be replaced, lives can't.

Good luck out there. As long as family is with you, you will be alright. At least my mom says that one.

I think I just experienced the most scariest moment of my 27 years. I'm still shaking thinking about it.

We stayed at my aunt's place nearby for the night. Around noon, my dad (who left an hour before), went back to the house and said it was okay to come back so we did. The fire blazing in the hills had moved to the east so for the time being the closest danger seemed to be far for now.

Less than an hour later, I went outside with my dad to check out the area across the street of my neighbors. So far looked okay, but then we saw huge black smoke form and move in our direction. Planes were flying really close dropping fire retardant. My dad decided to go back inside to grab anything he took out of the car temporarily. I stayed outside to access the situation. The black smoke was getting larger and closer.

Then I saw flames in my neighbors backyard. I screamed for my family to get to the cars. During those 4-5 min of grabbing anything else we can think of, 3-4 more planes dropped fire retardant right over my neighbors houses

Sometimes during these moments, you think of being a hero and think you'll get out your water hoses and fight the fire from the roof. Everything/everyone that meant anything to me was with me and I just hoped we coud get out alive at that point. I refused to leave until I saw my dad getting into the car.

While driving down the street to escape, we passed by two firetrucks coming up the road. I yelled to them good luck.

Now I'm back at my aunt's house waiting it out. I hope this will end soon.

Still wishing you the best, keep safe.

hope you , your family, and home stay safe,people are important, property has insurance !

You can try Putting it out from on top of your house But what about when the hose melts below or the water stops runnign because the firetrucks are using it all?

just be as safe as can be

Good luck! Remember this:

During fires, NEVER jump into a pool (or a lake or whatever). Heat just right it'll boil you to death like crabs.

If worse comes to worse, get to a place that's already burned down to the ground. Fires never scorch the same area twice.

You're in my list of shaking god down for favors, Sakura.
Hope things go well for you and your family.

Thanks again guys. These last few days have been hectic.

A lot has happened in a short period of time. The fire yesterday was around 7,000 acres in the morning has expanded to 40,000+ acres now. The imminent danger near home has passed (for now) and I'm so grateful the firefighters have been doing a fantastic job keeping no homes burned in the area.

They let us go back home now and it's crazy how insanely close the fire got. The entire hillside behind my neighbors was burned. It got all the way up to the street in certain areas. The air is really smokey and there are constant helicopters taking care of the fires still in the distance. For now I'm gonna keep a look out in case flare ups were to happen.

Currently the fire is moving in directions towards other cities and won't be stopping anytime soon. I hope they'll be okay.

I used to live in SoCal, and I remember fires getting way to close to both my parent's and my grandparent's houses. My sister's friend's house was only one of three houses in a large area to escape one of these firestorms (the fire burned the wood fencing on their porch, but not the roof it was supporting).

Having lived through many Southern California firestorms, I can say that the color in the sky and the smell in the air is quite beautiful...but only when your house is not the one in danger.

I'll also add that the only time school for me was shut down was because the firestorms got way too close.

Good to hear that the immediate danger has passed.

During fires, NEVER jump into a pool (or a lake or whatever). Heat just right it'll boil you to death like crabs.

And to think two people thought they could ride out the wildfire in a hot tub. They ended up with 2nd-3rd degree burns and a medical copter had to fly them out of the dangerous situation. Instead of boiling, I'd be more concern with the lack of oxygen when you come up for air. In the end, not the best thing to do.

Fire has moved away from most of the areas nearby (since it already burned up the fuel), but still affecting other parts and is over 140,000 acres. While I already knew, I'm still pissed to hear the fire was caused by arson.

There are better fire pictures on the news sites, but just for kicks I took a few pics of the hillside across the street.

Spoiler:

Thanks again guys for your well wishes and for reading!

Glad to know things are well for you!

...and so we remember that, while the views are great from the top of a hill, there are some risks involved.

Ugh, I'd really like to get into the heads of so called "firebugs"... seriously. Many of the Black Saturday bushfires we had were intentionally started as well.

Good to hear you are in one (un-cooked) piece.

It's really awesome that you aren't dead and that you still have a home!

I'm so glad you, your family and your property is safe. I've never even really seen anything like in those pictures...