Reply #29: My neighborhood was the first to be threatened by this fire.

[Kablooie]

We are in a motel waiting to be allowed back home.

On Wed there was smoke behind the mountain. Not too big a deal.
Thursdsy evening flames were visible at the top. Everyone came out to
take a look. Very odd sight.
Friday evening the whole mountainside looked like a volcano erupting.
Lines of firetrucks and sheriffs were all over the place. News trucks were
up and down our street. (I was interviewed by CBS)

Later that night we were given a two hour notice to evacuate. As I was leaving
there were several huge explosions in the distance that lit up the whole sky.
A firefighter said those were transformers blowing.

Since then we've been lazing in a hotel. I went up near my neighborhood this
morning and it was like a thick fog. You could only see a couple of blocks away.

Since our area has pretty much burnt out we hope to get back home later today or tomorrow. The power might have gone off though and with the over 100 degree temps here
I don't look forward to opening the refrigerator.