So I live in Escondido, CA. From my brothers apartment on his balcony we can see the glow of the fire in the distance.

Below us a small gathering was forming to watch it from a lesser vantage point in the parking lot.

A few of our neighbors are Wican.

I watched as someone commented about praying to god for rain, which followed with someone telling said neighbors to summon rain to put out the fires. Then it turned into they probably started the fires. Of course all "in jest."

I felt so bad for these people, because while they ignored it at first, people freak out easy. Some people freaked out that they were "witches" as they put it, while others in thier ignorance made barbed remarks. The neighbors finally went back into thier apartment but the damage was already done and you could hear ppl angry as if it was thier fault or something.

Ive been to a few demonstrations but none of them had such hostility. Its scarey what people who are scared will do, who they will lash out at. Especially is so short a time. You see it in movies and TV, it was unnerving to see it in person.

Anyways at work now, and all I can think of is those neighbors, and hope nobody is stupid enough to start something. Especially since we've been told we may be next to evacuate.

Best wishes to anyone who may be in the Ramona area and having to evacuate, as well as the firefighters injured earlier fighting the blaze.

I heard about that. I was once close enough to a forest fire to see it coming. We were evacuated and the fire department was dumping water on the houses bordering the woods.

I've also been in a burning apartment.

Oddly enough, I didn't feel fear either time, but yea. I can imagine.

What I do hope to NOT hear is this was yet another fire started by some idiot who wanted his 15 minutes of fame. Putting life and property in danger like that just pisses me off.

I think the fear that he was expressing was in regard to the mob rule mentality and intolerance of a small incident he observed.

About how quickly people de-evolve and start throwing rocks, sticks, and bones at the moon because of their fear.

Those fires are scary. Man, this is just like the last time we had these wild fires.

Those fires are scary. Man, this is just like the last time we had these wild fires.

Worse.

I was living in Ontario, Cali, and visiting family in San D the last time we had them.

Right now im at work because im stranded, and making sure we get all our guests out because a voluntary evac has been issued. Im sticking around making sure we get everyone possible out, then I guess driving to Qualcom.

I can agree with Fyrr on that statement.

Had a former co worker once say about California fires that it was ok, the mud slides would put out all the fires.

I hope everyone is safe and that there is no property loss to anyone here. Those fires are scary to see on television and in photos, I can't imagine watching them get closer and closer to your home, take care everyone.

So far so good in my area but fires are springing up everywhere. They've evacuated 300,000 people so far and lost about 1000 homes.

I think the winds may have died down some today but the weather pattern that brings all this about isn't going to change until Thursday.

Yesterday was retarded. I could see the flames at the treeline as I left Rancho Santa Fe... our last guest refused to leave anything behind until I said I was leaving with or without her. Obviously no cabs would come to pick them up.

This was 5 minutes after I watched the 2 police cruisers that were blockading Del Dios came bolting away from the fire at top speed.

Aparantly the owner and GM had stayed behind. :P

Pan, so glad your area is safe so far, I hope it stays that way. Let us know how you're doing, ok?

ToKu, I'm glad you put your foot down, how crazy for people to risk life for some possession, I'm sorry she put you in danger and glad you escaped unharmed.

I wish the best of luck to all involved in the fires out there. Hopefully everyone makes it out alive and with minimal loss. And Hopefully you all can continue to post there for many years to come.

Well, the Santa Ana winds are supposed to come back and the original fires still aren't out. This could get REALLY scary.

You are all in my thoughts, I hope the fires can be contained and put out very soon. Please keep us updated on how you guys are doing out there.

Its all business as usual here now atm.

My work was evac'd on that monday, and I was asked to go back in on wednesday to babysit, we opened again thursday. My drive home that day wasnt fun I found out the area including my home were mand evac so ended up going to my uncles, was allowed back thursday it never made it close.

THere are 3 concerns in the near immediate future for me now. Not in any order its rain and mudslides, especially on Del Dios which I wont drive if its raining for a while. The winds were supposed to be getting this weekend, not as bad as that monday, but it wont make anything better. And FEMA, I think my neighbors (who already easily form mobs) are ready to form one to keep them away from San Diego with those long poles you put nets on for swimming pools.

Best wishes to everyone involved in this, especially anyone who may have lost a home.

Del Dios hwy is scary in any weather, rain especially. Pretty area though. :)

I just read on another board that the San Francisco Bay area suffered a 5.6 earthquake around 8pm tonight. I hope everyone in that area is safe, first fires and now this. Wishing everyone well.

I dont think much really happened with the earthquake. No major damage or injuries.

Will all the retrofitting, moderate earthquakes really not that bad.

Del Dios hwy is scary in any weather, rain especially. Pretty area though. :)

Thats true, I drive it at 10pm at night to work and 7am in the morning home so with no traffic its 55 most of the way, sometimes corners still scare the hell out of me. Especially with all the wooden posts on the guard rails burned off, not even the illusion of safety. ;P

Its kinda a wierd drive now, they fire jumped back and forth along the hills, one place it burned completely around a building on all sides but left the building alone. The lake is also quite noticably lower.

Today they finally got some of the poles cleared out, some of them had burned at the base and were leaning or even just hanging on by the cables at the top. If it rains, the mudslides and rockslides in some of the areas there may be very bad.

I just read on another board that the San Francisco Bay area suffered a 5.6 earthquake around 8pm tonight.Don't worry, it was just a brief and harmless rumble; we're all used to it.

Some awesome, scary, beautiful, horrible pictures a friend sent to me...

Don't worry, it was just a brief and harmless rumble; we're all used to it.

Hehe me and my friends joke that we dont even wake up to anything under a 6.X ;P

I was there for a 5.5. Really, its nothing. It felt like someone pushing your chair around is all.

The news blows these things out of proportion.

I was there for a 5.5. Really, its nothing. It felt like someone pushing your chair around is all.

The news blows these things out of proportion.

Blame Sci-Fi channel, didnt they make a movie called Nuclear Earthquake? (after the success of Nuclear Tornado, Nuclear Train, Nuclear Train 2)

Anyways I can say that for some reason moving earth really scares the hell out of people. Had a conversation in a Cracker Barrel on my drive back to Cali from Michigan. Both the waitress and the people at the table next to me were horrified, and said they would weather tornado's over earthquakes any day.

Then again I think tornado's are awful, and my only basis is the movies Twister and Nuclear Tornado. ;P

My friends saw something like that picture with the mountain on fire. He got up in the middle of the night and looked out his windows and saw a big mountain all outlined in flame. He lives quite aways from it though, so he was fine. Still, must've been scary!

One thing that is kind of scary is that most of the broadcasting in San Diego is done from one hill with a lot of transmitters on it. The fire went up that hill and knocked our local PBS station off the radio/TV for a long, long time. It nearly knocked off another station too. Those people without cable TV (of which I am one now) could potentially have been without any broadcast signals to get news! I was totally freaked out by my NPR station being gone for a couple days. I was all... "Oh ****, I have to listen to AM talk radio".

Don't worry, it was just a brief and harmless rumble; we're all used to it.

Oh good, I'm glad it was minor and no one had any problems :).

My friends saw something like that picture with the mountain on fire. He got up in the middle of the night and looked out his windows and saw a big mountain all outlined in flame. He lives quite aways from it though, so he was fine. Still, must've been scary!

One thing that is kind of scary is that most of the broadcasting in San Diego is done from one hill with a lot of transmitters on it. The fire went up that hill and knocked our local PBS station off the radio/TV for a long, long time. It nearly knocked off another station too. Those people without cable TV (of which I am one now) could potentially have been without any broadcast signals to get news! I was totally freaked out by my NPR station being gone for a couple days. I was all... "Oh ****, I have to listen to AM talk radio".

Took out some radio stations too if I remember correctly. On my drive home none of my presets worked. Then again clearcast was using one of thier AM stations to broadcast over all thier PM's so I just switched over.

I remember the radio talking about evac'n the wild animal park and sending the animals to Del Mar fairgrounds. Finally someoen from WAP announced they had a system in place to protect them at the park itself. I wonder what this system was.