Please pray for my family and neighbors

[gcvmom]

Well we holed up in a Holiday Inn Express -- it's just too hard with-difficult child's late at night, even with extended family -- they just don't understand and it was already a very stressful situation.

The wind has died down thankfully, but we still don't know when we can go back in our neighborhood. I called my house and the answering machine is still working so I'll take that as a good sign.

Slept very lightly if at all. The cats are behaving well and we picked up a small litter box at Walmart just before they closed. The chickies spent the night in the tub.

I hope to drive up in a bit to see if we can get back in yet...

 

[klmno]

I'm glad you did that- none of you needed more stress. I hope it has died down and that your home was un-scathed. Keep us posted!

 

[crazymama30]

I am glad you slept somewhere else, it would have been hard to be home. Prayers that your home is safe.

 

[Anaheimfan]

Prayers being sent, gvc. I sincerely hope everything is okay for you and your family.

 

[gcvmom]

House is safe! I managed to sneak through the roadblock through a shortcut I know... Neighborhood looks good except for the pink everywhere from the retardant that was dropped. My whole back hill was burned -- thank God for cactus! Not sure yet when we can oficially go back but the worst is over! I'll post pics later...

 

[mstang67chic]

Sooooo glad to hear that!!! Hopefully you can get back to normal soon and I'm glad everyone is ok.

 

[tiredmommy]

I'm so relieved for you!

 

[flutterbee]

Gcvmom - I'm so relieved that everyone is safe and that your house escaped harm! What an awful ordeal for everyone. Keep us posted.

 

[TerryJ2]

Gcv mom, I was afraid of that when I saw the subject heading.
What a close call. Good idea to go to the Holiday Inn and not have to evacuate in the middle of the night.
I've got my fingers crossed for continued calm, no wind, and a bit of rain.

 

[KTMom91]

Keeping you all in my prayers!

 

[SearchingForRainbows]

I'm so glad you, your family, and house are all safe!!! Thanks for keeping us updated. WFEN

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

I'm sorry I'm so late to this! I have not watched TV in ages so I had no idea about this. Glad you are all safe.

 

[susiestar]

I am sending more prayers for you! I am glad things are OK but I have to ask

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?????

Those roadblocks are there for a REASON!! Sneaking around them into the area was NOT SAFE!!!! Don't do that again, you could have been hurt or killed, Fire moves SO FAST!

OK.

I am glad your house is ok, even if it is pink from the fire retardant. I hope that pink either comes off soon or you adjusst to life in the world of pepto bismal houses.

Many hugs,

Susie

 

[mom_in_training]

Yikes!!!! 7 homes consumed by the fire close to where my friend lives (Close to the origin of where the fire started). Some of the teachers from my sons school live in that same area but came out unscaved thank god. I hear that the fire is still going in Brea but that they have gained some control. Hope all is still ok in Diamond Bar area. Gcv I have not heard anything about your area today, The fires are no longer a threat to you I hope. Just heard that another fire has started in Elsinore area.

 

[Lothlorien]

Please check in when you can. I hope all is still well with you. How are the chicks?

 

[gcvmom]

IWHAT WERE YOU THINKING?????

I was thinking I wanted to see if my house was still standing!!! Besides, there really wasn't anything left to burn. They had the streets closed for WAY too long, in my opinion. They could have easily and safely let residents back into their neighborhoods by 10am at the latest. But it wasn't until 3:30pm that they finally lifted the barricades and we had a mass exodus of police cars (I must have counted 20 as I drove up the hill to my neighborhood).

 

[gcvmom]

The chicks and the cats are all exhausted. So are the kids. Everybody slept late today, and if it weren't for my insurance agent finally returning my call at 9am I would have still been sleeping

It took us most of the afternoon Sunday to get all the junk unloaded from our two cars and then go retrieve our third car (my junker) from the parkinglot down the hill. Then we spent today trying to get it all sorted an put away. It's amazing what the kids thought was important to take with them. husband got a little carried away as well.

The fire department was very nice today and brought four or five trucks up to help hose off driveways and garage doors and sidewalks to try to remove that slippery pink phoscheck retardant. That stuff is very stubborn and a lot did not come off. I have a damage restoration guy coming out in the morning to give me an estimate on cleaning my exterior (which was just painted last Wednesday). I suppose that if he can't get it all off the stucco, etc., we'll have to paint again. I was pleasantly surprised to learn our hotel bill, meals, mileage and incidentals from the evacuation are covered by insurance, and so a check is on the way for that.

We were very, very fortunate. Many homes 8 miles east of me were lost. I think the number was somewhere around 60 or 70. And these were HUGE homes. No water pressure up in the hills because of a known problem caused by decisions made by the developer AND the city. I think I smell a lawsuit coming...

Here's a shot husband took with his phone looking down our street just shortly before we were evacuated. The flames are about 2 to 3 miles away and the winds are gusting:

 

[KTMom91]

So glad you're all right!