Waking up today I'm reminded of teaching several years ago when we were down in San Diego and fire came a mile and a half both to our home in Temecula (in the second big fire) and to the School District at Warner my husband ran in the first( Julian Fire) fire.
I worked there too up on the highest peak in San Diego servicing kids from two reservations and nearby farm lands and trailer parks and "camps". Actually I'm also remembering meeting my wilder than any class I ever saw group. Named by one the "Lord of the Flies" group... coming to school out of this fire.....which burned some of their lands... when I worked a year and aged a good many.

His first week on the job the Julian Fire bore down on them...we learned the ropes up on those mountains in a hurry, where he not only dealt with a fire that burned to the door, but also one of the days got my evacuation to a road from the Warner Ranch ( been there since the time of Teddy Roosevelt and has a golf course with big sulfur pools and horses and trails-overall nice if not ablaze especially if you like to ride-long term holders of cabins) where we were "staying" temporarily. They yelled "get out" that was pretty much it. He had the car. So I walked away with my suitcase in hand, as they dealt with all the horses boarded there. Trying to get them out, horses freaking in the confusion and wind. Awful. Awful, not enough trailers, trying to call to find safe ranches to take them. I was insignificant for sure. The people at that Ranch some nasty folks in a fire. well up on that hill are nasty folk. One a board member working the desk one of the meanest women I ever saw, at least under the pressure of that pending possible disaster. She kicked me to the street. Or long country road. Never saw her the rest of the time behaving like a human.

Jack was to preoccupied to worry much, answer the cell phone or recall getting me, not thinking all day about going and getting his wife but on relief stuff, how to get the school protected, getting info. and who knows what all. So I walked with embers blowing. You just have to experience it to appreciate it. Not a good memory. I could see the fire cresting the ridge about a mile or two away. Quite awful. I flagged a kid in a truck finally that took me some of the way as dragging my suitcase was bothering me. It was pretty much downhill from there.

I learned that too. In fire some people freak so badly they are wickedly difficult.
He had to lead and coordinate and start a school year with severely traumatized kids. That fire blazed awhile.
Me starting class too, failing to find another interviewing around in the area, my students all from fire areas. I had a "temp" job that year as a 3 to 6th grade teacher. Not so easy to find another job as we went in pretty close to the year starting but a job was open in Jack's district. Let me tell you it was a very rocky road for them, for us, not a place that understands civility, it sets people on fire to test them. That year rather literally as it happened. That fire proceeded the severe one in San Diego by about a year after we were settled living in Temecula and commuting 2 hours a day. That second fire turned our lives again. Not pleasant thoughts. I sent my girls and son to school several times in Temecula then, with this San Diego fire going on, in smoke so thick you could not see a foot in front of you (because they feared missing work and in Temecula even if you have a doctor's note they still lower your grades if you miss school in their nightmare test driven joke of a program which is so scripted they might as well hire robots) and the school made them in this severe warning weather that you would never go out in, eat outside, such was their fire safety "preparedness" and teacher's sensitivity to the situation, my Sophia so ill from asthma I'll never again assume that any system can react to things "as they are." I feel for their teachers, they allowed that system to roll all over them. Nothing reminded me of a "good thing." Big fund raisers however, fancy teacher lounges.

We had to pack our things and evacuate home. Expensive, confusing. And my grandma was dying in the middle of all of it, was dying but held on good while longer so I could not go to see then her funeral. Awful. . Although the wind switched in the middle of all of this as she held on unexpectedly so connected it was very odd in the coincidence...so it was ...well it was a time i lived.

The wind is high today and it feels wrong. I walked downstairs this morning to hear the news on...and it's not good news. Brings this back.

This morning here in Oxnard the wind is blowing so strong the panes are rattling in windows as if they might break and if you stand outside you feel as if blown over.As the chairs fly out of your yard and the neighbors greenhouse destructs and flies. And then a giant piece of a palm or eucalyptus blows by and you get inside. To avoid a blow.

I like to drive down PCH, Pacific Coast Highway to see the incredible views in Malibu and go to Zuma beach for lunch. Down Pepperdine way. This morning that drive would be impossible the roads closed and fire in several structures. The wind and the dry conditions make this a very awful situation. I'm watching two students that are there....in that University..on TV talking right now. Thinking about my daughter down in another city. Then recalling the feelings we went through in the San Diego fires.

When San Diego caught on fire my daughter was at a band competition down about two miles away they drove kind of through it at about 1 AM. On a bus. It was very ticklish getting her home, when winds reversed then the fires came our way in Temecula. The thing I learned from this. Fires are erratic, firefighters are amazing, and
Santa Ana's (winds) are just awful, especially today.

And from all I hear when the TV is working, it's a very bad situation in Malibu.

We've lost our power many times the AM.

I remember in the Warner fires trees would burst into flame from the heat....other fires are burning too in CA, one up Piru way threatening the condor preserve. One in LA county.
Just awful.

What news I see...

High Winds and Fire Equal Trouble for Malibu

Fiery Wind Fueling Malibu Blaze

As I sit and watch, so of course it brings thoughts to me. We have experienced the Loma Prieta Quake living 35 miles from the epicenter, fires, floods. I recall one year lifting children water to my knees in my portible teaching so they could be carried to the cafeteria for lunch and safety. That when my 18 year old was 6.
My father came out once when severe mud slides had sent a good bit of Malibu under mud...My kids little then.

Today, California has a big, big problem in Malibu. It is such a beautiful area. Awful.

Winds gusting 80 MPH and low humidity, in mountains up to 100MPH. With this prognosticated for several days. Not good. My daughter awoke ill with asthma as she does. Not good. Week will be a hard one.

I was so traumatized in san Diego I made a file of fire photo's largely from the new stations. I had great ones too, but can't locate them. For some reason I'm going to put them here....though they are from my past. I suppose for the days when things were experienced. Friends of ours then went through some awful experience.
Keep good thoughts.