Where there's fire, there's smoke.

[mrv3000]

Not right now, LJ. I have a headache. Just when I think you'll let me comment, you disappear. Your teasing will get you nowhere. Frankly, I'm sick of your crap right now. Go sleep on the couch.

Man, it is UGLY out there. UG. LY. I had to morph into an airport taxi service today but I did get a fabulous lunch and a latte (that I'm sipping right now) out of the deal so that made me a happy camper.

It's hard to describe the sheer magnitude of the fire situation over here. San Diego is pretty spread out. I just looked it up - the county's over 4,000 square miles and right now it's all covered in smoke. Thick, smelly, ashy smoke. The whole county is unbreathable. I've lived in Southern California most of my life and we get wildfires on a regular basis. This is by far the worst I've ever seen. From the airport you couldn't even make out the skyscrapers. Drove through a section of the freeway (MCAS Miramar - formerly Top Gun) that just yesterday both sides had been on fire. Smoldering, charred scrub and the eerie, sun-blocking, thick blanket of smoke made the landscape otherworldly. The person I picked up said you could see flames everywhere as she flew into the airport. Ash pelted their windows like snow.

I'm in no immediate danger from any fire line...but the smoke is a different matter. They've been telling us to stay inside unless you absolutely need to go out. Schools and universities are closed and many people aren't going to work. Lots of people are wearing facemasks - even just driving around.

It's very quiet out. Sometimes you'll hear a siren.

I smell like smoke.

Comments

[woodface]

Wow. It's hard to imagine but you explained it pretty well as I now have somewhat an image in my mind.

Here wildfires are very very rare. But nature is a frickle thing. Fire on its own is scary and at the same time fascinating.

AH, I'm not sure what I was gonna say when I hit comment. Thanks for sharing that view though.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Fire is fascinating and often beautiful, but yet so destructive and unpredictable.

We need a really good rain to wash everything away, but there's no rain predicted in the near future.

[woodface]

Ah rain, never there when you need but plenty present when you don't.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Boy, isn't that just always the way?

[woodface]

Yups. I think it's a general "weather attitude". Or just the people not being able too make up their minds: it's too cold, it's too hot, too dry, too wet etc

[diavestra.livejournal.com]

I hear you. I finally saw a bit of blue sky today for the first time since early last week. It's still hard to breathe outside but it's slowly getting better. Hopefully, the same will be true for you as well.

God, I can just imagine a nice, gentle rain washing everything clean.....that would be *so* wonderful. But you're right, it's not in the books. What I hate are the dirty piles of ash everywhere. The wind blows and everything floats around in a flurry and then settles into all the cracks and up against walls and such. Totally nasty.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Everything's so dirty right now and we still have ash falling here. :( Sometimes there was a spot of blue, but it would disappear quickly.

Did they have school up there? Everything's shut down down here.

Bleh. I was out and about for probably 2-1/2 hours at the most. Spent most of the time in my car with re-circulating air, but now I'm sneezing and coughing and my throat itches. Ick.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Heh heh. That's probably true.

[angst-angel.livejournal.com]

{{hugs}}

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Aww, thanks. :)

[diavestra.livejournal.com]

Although I know some campuses were closed, ours was open. Even after the water main broke and left us plumbingless for several hours.

Just now when I was out on campus with a couple of friends, one of them said (about the stuff on the pavement), "Doesn't it remind you of Night of the Comet, after the comet went by?" So now I can't walk out there without feeling like I'm walking on people!

And I now have the odd urge to watch Night of the Comet again. Wonder if I have it on tape.....

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Even after the water main broke and left us plumbingless for several hours.

Massive, massive suckiness!

"Doesn't it remind you of Night of the Comet, after the comet went by?" So now I can't walk out there without feeling like I'm walking on people!

EEEEEWWWW! I've never even heard of this movie.

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

It reminds me of Sydney during the deveastating Jan 1995 bush fires. Huge areas of the suburbs were cut off. Smoke palls covered the city. Large numbers of houses were destroyed - although nothing like as many as in CA.

It was very hot and dry, temperatures in the 110+ range, and everywhere you went it smelled of smoke. Just horrible conditions.

Fortunately, my parents place is not in a position to be really threatened by fire, but it's scary none the less, when a park just about 10 minutes or so from home catches fire just about every summer.

[diavestra.livejournal.com]

Oh! You *must* find it and watch it. Truly you must. One of the main characters is played by Chakotay (whose name I just massacred) from Star Trek. It's one of my favorites!

[mebfeather.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is so not cool. It's one thing to hear it on the news, but it's another to hear it from someone who's there.

I'll be praying :)

[suzvoy.livejournal.com]

I have it on video! Hee!

And you guys...blah :-/

[nicolevc.livejournal.com]

hope you're all okay! i saw pics in the newspaper, sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiit

stay safe mmk *smoochies, hugsles, knuffels, water*

[audrich.livejournal.com]

*Jeepers* {checks date/time}

Are you in still in any danger?

The best of luck XX

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Ugh. The worst is not knowing about your friends and family. There are tons of people I know that live in the areas hit that I simply have no clue about.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Thanks - I appreciate it. :)

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

Hope you can find out some information soon. You're right about that being the worst part. So long as you know where your friends are, you are that much less concerned about what's happening.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :) I can actually breathe now, so that's a huge improvement.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Still no fire danger...that I know of. One bad thing about being up in LA now is that they have virtually no information on San Diego. You wouldn't even think anything's happening down there. Of course, they have their own fires up here.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :)

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

And glad you made it up to your parent's place. Hopefully the air quality won't get worse up there - and you won't be threatened by fire.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Hope not too!

[diavestra.livejournal.com]

Isn't it a fab movie? I love it!

[mebfeather.livejournal.com]

Welcome :)

[steff-mg.livejournal.com]

So glad you're ok. Man, that sucks about those fires. ;(

Heh, you live in San Diego? Maybe I'm going there during christmas or in march since a friend invited me to go there with there.

California, yeah!

Steffi

ps: remember me? :)

[suzvoy.livejournal.com]

Sooooooo cheesy! Hee!

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :)

Well, hopefully the smoke will be cleared out by the time you come down here! ;)

Welcome back to LJ-land!

[steff-mg.livejournal.com]

Thanks. ;)