So What DO You Take In A Fire . . . ?

The other side of town’s on fire. The wind has been blowing up to 70 mph tonight. There’s a bright red glow off my side porch – it looks like it’s just a couple of blocks away, even though I know it’s actually a couple of miles.

I’ve got the kids packing essentials, just in case. I’ve seen firestorms in California before – we will be prepared to get out of here on a minute’s notice.

I got the kids, the dog and the cat, and the wedding pix (tomorrow’s our anniversary). And the video of the kids as babies. And after that, I don’t know what I’m going to pack. The Christmas stockings made by a beloved, and now deceased, aunt.

Don’t think I’ll be sleeping much tonight. Hope to be here to greet you all tomorrow.

-Melin

Well, don’t forget the peeps!


Ranger Jeff
*The Idol of American Youth *
Riders In The Sky

Geez…how scary. ::crossing fingers for Melin::

Aside from the boy, the hoosband and the dog, I’d definitely make sure I knew where the coats and car keys were. I’d pack up as many photos as possible, and the camera. If there’s time, I’d recommend taking pictures RIGHT NOW of all your valuables, for insurance purposes. Grab your files, as well.


“Wednesday the 15th - Chris made one of her rare good points today.”
Guanolad

Oh, fire is one of my worst nightmares, and my thoughts and prayers will be with you today.
If you have any important documents - birth certificates, passports, etc. - be sure to take them as they are kind of hard to replace. Any family pictures. A family bible with important events written in it, if you do that kind of thing. Warm clothes, and a few changes of underwear. All keys to cars, house, office, lockbox, etc. A few gallons of clean water for the pets if you have containers you can put it in. Stuffed animal(s) if your kids need them. Have each family member choose one thing that’s important to them, though not really necessary to survival. Anything portable left to you by deceased grandparents.


It may be that when an ornithologist says the Water Ouzel walks under the water, he only means that he has seen a Water Ouzel or some other bird sitting on a stone in the general vicinity of a body of water.
–Will Cuppy

Let us know you’re okay, sweety.

:::hugs:::


>^,^<
KITTEN
Fluff yer hair Beula, I’s feelin frisky - M.S.

All the above is great advice in your circumstance, but if it’s a fire in the middle of the night, and you get out with your family and the clothes on your back, you’ve WON!

Keep us posted, and my prayers are with you!


VB

When you are lost, or in doubt, run in circles! Scream & shout!

Melin, you know you and your family are in my thoughts. This morning’s news said no structures were in immediate danger where you are, but the news up here is maddeningly sketchy - all I know is fire near you and fire in Ventura county. This of course concerns me, as my friends and my entire family are there (and my firefighter bro is out on the front lines, for sure). WHERE exactly in Ventura county? Anyone know?


StoryTyler
“Not everybody does it, but everybody should.”
I Spy Ty.

Ty, I don’t know about the Ventura fire, I’m sorry. If I find out anything I’ll email you.

The wind shifted after I posted last night, and that means the fire is going in the other direction. Hubby and I stayed up 'til about 1:30 keeping an eye on it, and then felt comfortable enough to try to get some sleep (not easy with so many firefighting helicopters flying over the house, which they are STILL doing).

It’s really scary to look out your bedroom window and see flames. Not just a “big red glow” (although that was a little awesome, too), but flames. We’ve got the house closed up today, even though it is bright and sunny outside, because of the smell of smoke and ash in the air.

MajorMD emailed me this morning to tell me that ABC morning news ran a story about it.

The good news is that it is pretty much still confined to mountains and brush. It threatened the hospital for awhile, and there was talk of trying to evacuate it, until the wind shifted. Lots of families spent the night at the high school, having been evacuated from their homes, but amazingly either no homes or only one home (I forget)has been destroyed. The Glendale police firing range lost its buildings, too, but those are more easily replaced than a home is.

So it seems like we are going to be fine. Thanks for your caring!

-Melin

Well, we’re safe and sound. The wind switched, and died down some, and that was a big help. The freeway I take to work is closed – the fire jumped the freeway there. We’ve had helicopters going overhead since about 10 p.m. last night, dropping water and fire retardant chemicals. The fire is still burning, but doesn’t appear to pose a threat to anybody’s homes anymore. A whole bunch of people spent the night in the high school gym, though.

It’s scary to look out the bedroom window and see flames.

MajorMD sent me an email to tell me that we got 15 seconds on the ABC morning news.

Y’know what? I couldn’t think of any “thing” to take. So long as I knew the kids were okay, I guess I figured I could either replace or live without any material thing that we own.

Thank you for all your good thoughts and prayers.

-Melin

::sighing:: Damn double post!

The computer ate the first post, really it did. I signed off AOL in frustration, and then came back a couple of hours later to make the new post. Apparently when I clicked “submit reply” after finishing the second post, the old post resurrected and posted itself.

Sorry!

-Melin

I’m glad to hear you’re okay. I’m sure lots of us were paying extra attention to news of the fire and thinking of you - I know I was.

I have a box of mementos that I’d take. And here’s a little bit of advice: When you get your negatives back with your pictures in it, put the negatives in a fire-proof box. If there ever IS a fire, then you don’t need to grab all the photo albums, you just need to grab the box of negatives. You can get prints re-done later.

Glad everything’s okay!

Fire exit items: wallet and cell phone.

And folks, don’t leave that Christmas tree plugged in all night.