Fires in Yorba Linda
11-15-2008, 09:12 PM
#1
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Fires in Yorba Linda
Anyone heard from Chris, I know he lives out there???? I hope and trust all is well.
11-15-2008, 09:52 PM
#2
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I was just thinking that... I haven't heard from Chris since yesterday. I was going to go to YL tomorrow to visit my parents for my bday, but they've been evacuated. It's pretty crazy to see your childhood town on fire like this. I'm hoping for a safe and speedy end to this!!!
11-16-2008, 10:41 AM
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Hi guys, I spoke with Chris yesterday he was in a middle of evac. Haven't spoken with him since.
The fire is right up the street from me in Chino hills state park right now, no evac yet.
The fire is right up the street from me in Chino hills state park right now, no evac yet.
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11-17-2008, 12:09 AM
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Like Robin said, thanks all for your concern!
We were let back into this area around 6pm tonight. A surreal scene of one long line of cars waiting to get back to their tract to see what they have left. Hoping and praying all is well.
Its been a journey of concern Saturday morning, to attention turned to my surrounding neighborhoods, to watching my neighbors hose down their property, to me follwing suit then when a house a hundred yards from me caught fire, panic set in. I was then loading immediate important things such as birth and wedding certs, passports, all of our photo albums, pictures off the walls and our two cats. Realization set in that I have to get the heck out of here!
Photo showing my neighbor across the street had a fire burning in the backyard adjacent to hers. A shed and a fence was burning pretty good, firetrucks were around the neighborhood thankfully putting this spot fire out immediately.
Wifey was at a friends house in West YL, roads now blocked, no way for me to get to her. Power was now out, no landline or news on TV, only cell phone which luckily worked the whole time.
Car loaded, I walked through the house one last time with thoughts that this may be the last time I see it and how unprepared we are for this sort of thing. Shame on me. Very surreal and in a state of disbelief. This cannot be happening to me, were thoughts racing through my mind.
Cell phone ringing constantly with family back on the East coast, local friends all offering their help. Amazing people indeed. Wifey also on the phone guiding me around the house double checking what we both felt was important, really important. One has to set their importance filter pretty fine at times like these.
Anyhow, in the car with two cats that are freaking out, I am on my way out of here. Leaving my tract, Santa Ana riverbed all on fire!
Winds still strong:
Directed only to get on the freeway by local road closures, the 91 West bound. On the 91 on-ramp, stopped. Nobody moving, smoke and burning ash everywhere. We sit for around an hour watching the hills on the other side of the freeway (Anaheim Hills) burn towards us a few miles away. Then the RV park next to us on the other side of a wall is burning like mad. We are all sitting here with nowhere to go.
While stopped, a guy in a RV was handing out water to those around us, I helped him. Then had to use his restroom in his RV since I was literally in pain needing to do a 10-100, good buddy.
After a few hours we did a U-turn up the off-ramp of the 241 toll road, inching a long on this overpass right over flames. I was really stressing about the heat weakening the overpass and with all of this weight on it, cars nose to tail, closer than NASCAR drafting.
Now on East bound 91 that was flowing just fine, drove by a few new spot fires. I was a few lanes away driving around 50mph and felt the heat right through my car. My skin on my arm tightened as the heat was pretty sharp. I cannot imagine what our firefighters must endure. My hats off to them!
Drove past the 15 freeway and parked at a Carls Jr. for another much needed and desperate 10-100. Got some water for the cats, tried to get them to eat something, no luck. Sat there for two hours wondering what to do, how to get where my wife is staying at. Just about all freeways to the other side of OC were closed or jammed.
Learned a short time later my wife with our friends were being evacuated from West YL -- shoot, is there a safe place around here? Poor girl, she was crying, stressed like we all were, me concerned about her wellbeing.
At dusk, I set out to head South to my brother in law's place in Foothill Ranch. Only to get there, it was 15 South to 76 West towards Oceanside, Ortega was jammed. Single lane on the 76 stop and go for 18 miles to the 5 freeway. Made it to my brother in law's place around 8pm.
My five year old niece greeted me...
Drove back to West YL this afternoon to meet with wifey, then lead follow back to home.
And if you're still reading this (sorry for the long tirade) we found our home to appear to be ok, thankfully. So very thankful!!!!!!!!!!
We were let back into this area around 6pm tonight. A surreal scene of one long line of cars waiting to get back to their tract to see what they have left. Hoping and praying all is well.
Its been a journey of concern Saturday morning, to attention turned to my surrounding neighborhoods, to watching my neighbors hose down their property, to me follwing suit then when a house a hundred yards from me caught fire, panic set in. I was then loading immediate important things such as birth and wedding certs, passports, all of our photo albums, pictures off the walls and our two cats. Realization set in that I have to get the heck out of here!
Photo showing my neighbor across the street had a fire burning in the backyard adjacent to hers. A shed and a fence was burning pretty good, firetrucks were around the neighborhood thankfully putting this spot fire out immediately.
Wifey was at a friends house in West YL, roads now blocked, no way for me to get to her. Power was now out, no landline or news on TV, only cell phone which luckily worked the whole time.
Car loaded, I walked through the house one last time with thoughts that this may be the last time I see it and how unprepared we are for this sort of thing. Shame on me. Very surreal and in a state of disbelief. This cannot be happening to me, were thoughts racing through my mind.
Cell phone ringing constantly with family back on the East coast, local friends all offering their help. Amazing people indeed. Wifey also on the phone guiding me around the house double checking what we both felt was important, really important. One has to set their importance filter pretty fine at times like these.
Anyhow, in the car with two cats that are freaking out, I am on my way out of here. Leaving my tract, Santa Ana riverbed all on fire!
Winds still strong:
Directed only to get on the freeway by local road closures, the 91 West bound. On the 91 on-ramp, stopped. Nobody moving, smoke and burning ash everywhere. We sit for around an hour watching the hills on the other side of the freeway (Anaheim Hills) burn towards us a few miles away. Then the RV park next to us on the other side of a wall is burning like mad. We are all sitting here with nowhere to go.
While stopped, a guy in a RV was handing out water to those around us, I helped him. Then had to use his restroom in his RV since I was literally in pain needing to do a 10-100, good buddy.
After a few hours we did a U-turn up the off-ramp of the 241 toll road, inching a long on this overpass right over flames. I was really stressing about the heat weakening the overpass and with all of this weight on it, cars nose to tail, closer than NASCAR drafting.
Now on East bound 91 that was flowing just fine, drove by a few new spot fires. I was a few lanes away driving around 50mph and felt the heat right through my car. My skin on my arm tightened as the heat was pretty sharp. I cannot imagine what our firefighters must endure. My hats off to them!
Drove past the 15 freeway and parked at a Carls Jr. for another much needed and desperate 10-100. Got some water for the cats, tried to get them to eat something, no luck. Sat there for two hours wondering what to do, how to get where my wife is staying at. Just about all freeways to the other side of OC were closed or jammed.
Learned a short time later my wife with our friends were being evacuated from West YL -- shoot, is there a safe place around here? Poor girl, she was crying, stressed like we all were, me concerned about her wellbeing.
At dusk, I set out to head South to my brother in law's place in Foothill Ranch. Only to get there, it was 15 South to 76 West towards Oceanside, Ortega was jammed. Single lane on the 76 stop and go for 18 miles to the 5 freeway. Made it to my brother in law's place around 8pm.
My five year old niece greeted me...
Drove back to West YL this afternoon to meet with wifey, then lead follow back to home.
And if you're still reading this (sorry for the long tirade) we found our home to appear to be ok, thankfully. So very thankful!!!!!!!!!!
Last edited by chris walrod; 11-17-2008 at 01:05 AM.
11-17-2008, 01:27 AM
#12
Rennlist Member
Stirring narrative and pics. Glad you and yours are ok.
11-17-2008, 01:43 AM
#14
Riveting stuff. I'm glad you're okay, Chris, and that your house survived. Thanks for bringing at least a little of the feeling home with your pictures.
We owe a lot to our brave and tireless firefighters. Hats off to our heroes.
We owe a lot to our brave and tireless firefighters. Hats off to our heroes.
