October 28, 2007

The call came in at 10:41 AM. The mandatory evacuation was downgraded to voluntary evacuation---and we could return to our area if we wanted to after 12:00 noon.

Driving up the ridge at 12:07, you would never have thought anything bad happened here. Nobody was back yet---it was quiet and still. The sky was clear and icy blue. The fall leaves were blowing across the roads. To my left, a blue jay flew across the road and landed on a small dogwood tree to survey the area.

You could almost say it was the perfect day...

Until you rounded the last corner and looked 1/4 mile across a golf course toward your neighbors at Brentwood Dr, Rivera Dr., and Modoc Lane.

Gone. Completely reduced to rubble, black ash, smell of burnt toast, and people standing around in disbelief.

Not much noise. Just a few muffled sobs in the distance. For the next few minutes, you really do get what happened up here. And you consider yourself very, very lucky it was not worse. You also weep for those that it was.

A few minutes later, the quiet is broken. Drooling media helicopters appear and hover overhead---masturbating out a LIVE! TEAM COVERAGE! broadcast of our devastation for the rest of the world to glance at in airport CNN terminals while sipping Starbucks and awaiting their BC upgrade.

In our immediate area, 174 homes have been destroyed. Oh, and 50 or so looters have been arrested for trying to destroy the other homes that the fires missed. Thousands of trees, wildlife, and forest bio-diversity have been reduced to ash.

But the spirit is still alive and well around here. That, dear JSN readers, is something which is stronger than ever. The people volunteering their time to assist, the families holding up signs along the highway with 'Welcome Home' writing on them. The hearts and ribbons of hope everywhere.

As I left the scene and drove the final 1/4 mile to my untorched home, I saw a fire truck roll down my street. The people in the truck looked utterly exhausted.

It really is exhausting being a hero. Superman and Batman make it look easy. In the real world, seeing this fire truck drive down the block---all the smiles, honks, waves, and other attempts at thank you are simply not enough. They were here, they saved most of the area, they worked 40 hour shifts, they placed their lives in extreme danger, and they will never fully know the gratitude of how we all feel.

And neither will you. Your emails, calls, offers to assist, contributions to the fire victims, and thoughts of support have made all the difference in the world for us. So, from the bottom of my heart, I want to send all the United employees a big heartfelt THANK YOU! Can you hear us from up on the mountain? :-)

Yes, we are very lucky indeed.

Christopher and Bailey
Back Home, October 29, 2007

Special Mention

The following businesses were extremely supportive to us during the time of our evacuation. I feel that they should be mentioned here and we highly recommend their services for all JSN readers:

Yorba Regional Animal Hospital

Both a vet and a boarding place, they treated Bailey very well, gave us a substantial discount on boarding, and had no problems whatsoever with my constantly visiting him and taking him out for long walks each day. I've used a lot of boarding facilities, and this is without a doubt the best facility in the Southern California area to watch your dog or cat.

Omar's Exotic Birds, Inc.

The Placentia location was amazing. Although they run full all the time, they took our Grey in with no questions asked, took amazing care of him, and at the end, surprised us by zero bill. They have a policy that fire evacuees can board their birds there for free.

Ayres Hotels

This chain of hotels helped board the firefighters on a last-minute basis. They also helped us with a variety of items, such as internet, boarding, area information, and more. Their web site home page also takes Red Cross donations for the victims.