These are a few images of our fires. When you look at the map of San Diego county to see what was burned and who was evacuated, it is really quite devastating. If you watched TV long enough, it almost felt
apocalyptic. All day for three days, the only thing that was on the news was fire coverage. The skies are cloudy, and there is smoke and ash everywhere. They are telling people that although the fires are diminishing, the air quality will be awful for days. We are all due to return to school and work on Monday. It has been a strange week.
On Monday morning, they were announcing school closures on the radio and I had flash backs to snow days in Washington state. The difference is, on a snow day, you could play outside in the snow all day with your friends, and in this case, we were all inside cloistered around the TV waiting for the notice to evacuate. I know this is not a unique thing. People all over the world have to endure this scare, but when you have to pack up what you think is important, it really makes you realize what you really care about. All of this stuff in my house is mostly just "stuff." Many people have lost their homes, but amazingly, only three people died. Two of them were a couple that refused to leave their home and went down in the fire. Sad, really.
I've heard on TV that people are making a connection between San Diego and New Orleans. They are speculating that because SD is a rich, white county, that is why our evacuees were treated "better" by the US government. Let me tell you that when they started evacuating to Qualcomm stadium, they asked for donations from the community, and they got it. They got so many donations that they had to ask for the donations to stop. Animals were taken care of, people were housed and fed, all because our community stepped up. The federal government didn't help out until days later. On a side note, in SD county, whites are the minorities! So, whoever is pulling the race card doesn't know what the hell they are talking about. This has been devastating for SD county, put the community is stepping up. Maybe that's what the difference is.
My family is all safe. My friends are all safe, too. We know someone who lost his house in the fire, and our cousin moved back into his house yesterday. His house survived while some of his neighbors' houses burned. He was lucky, as are we.
Four years ago, there was a big fire, the Cedar fire, that burned a lot of our county, but it was nothing like this. It will be a time for change in our communities, but it will get better! San Diego is a beautiful place to live.
I appreciate everyone writing and commenting their well-wishes. Thanks. And thanks to the firefighters who kept us safe and those that are still out there trying to get this fire put out.
Peace Out,
Mom
