The other night my parents awoke at 1:30 to the frightening sound of a voice through a bullhorn ordering them to evacuate immediately. My mom sleeps with earplugs and missed the whole thing, but my dad got her up. They threw on clothes, hopped in the car and headed down their hill.
An enormous fire was making its way up the mountain and they were ordered back up the hill to the TOP of the mountain to await further instructions. An hour later they set off to my sister's house, unsure if fire would consume their community.
I awoke at 7am to an email from my sister simply titled FIRE. She explained briefly what had happened and didn't want me to worry if I heard about it on the news.
My parents were allowed back at noon the next day where they found, to their alarm, that fire had made it all the way to their back porch - scorching plants and dumping ash and soot everywhere. Their actual house was spared, and ironically there was no furniture downstairs due to the FLOOD they had a month ago (another story). A fireman told them that they had to break into their house because someone thought they saw embers in their living room, so there was muck and mud from firemen's boots, but no fire.
Fire seems to erupt everywhere in October and it all seems so intangible until it creeps up to your parents' back porch. Last year Erika's family's Lake Arrowhead home burned to the ground. Today is just another 90 degree, high fire alert day in Los Angeles.
The political race is also heating up. I am trying to find my way back to Las Vegas next week. Until then, Liz and I are making calls to Nevada from a very cool house on the Venice canals. Sure we got the giggles once or twice last week, but what's an historic campaign without a few laughs?
1 comment:
I'm so glad they're safe. About to post on pancakes over at http://learningtoeat.com. Then later today, plan to make some calls to Obama from home! Love the blog. It's perfect you!
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