Weve been evacuated from our new home due to massive Ventura CA fire
Keep a good thought for all those in its path as it is explosive and wind driven. We had so little warning due to power outage I thought I heard voices in the street and went out to see red and blue flashing lights. Couldn’t make out what they were saying so flagged down a passing car and heard mandatory evacuation. Looked at hill in back of house and saw entire sky was red. Crap. Wish I’d had more notice, but I woke hubby, leashed doggy, grabbed our medicine and headed for our inlaws.
This is the real deal — we have our two elderly cars and the clothes we stand up in. The Santa Ana winds are howling outside. Well, I also have my purse and cellphone, and can charge the cell in my car.
Tomorrow we find out what happens to our home overnight but now it’s after 2am and I need to sleep and also don’t want to drain the battery anymore
Thank you my friends for being here. I’ll check in when I can.
Hekate
= new reply since forum marked as read
Sending thoughts and prayers!
We're all here for you.
to have to leave any home, let alone a new one, in the middle of the night over threat of fire.
Even though I am Northeast, I know about the Santa Ana winds.
There is nothing I can say other than to empathize with you. I will be watching this thread for news of how your home fared.
to a good person 
I think this event is supposed to last a couple days but hope the winds don't blow it further your way. Heard on the radio this morning that the area has not seen a wildfire in almost 30 years so very mature trees/brush/other growth. 
Hoping for the best for you and your family.
How freaking frightening is this for you. I got goose bumps reading it. You're in my thoughts.
Stay safe.
Keep us posted!
Hopefully the fire won't get near your home and you can return soon. It's a very tense time for you, and you'll need your rest. I know sleep will be difficult, but don't run your physical and mental batteries down.
Take care of yourself, and let us know how things went. We can always do a 'Go-Fund-Me' if necessary to cover any costs not covered by your insurance.
Peace. 
Not sure what else to say. Just that a lot of folks around here care, a lot, about what happens to you.
Let us know if we can help in some way.
We're all happy that you and yours got out safely. I sincerely hope that you return to find your home untouched.
Best of luck Hekate!
safely.
and good thoughts your way.
I am so sorry! I recently met someone who had been through the Santa Rosa fire, and heard her story. I am glad you were able to get out, and with your hubby, both cats, snd your dog. I hope your home has been spared, and that you will be able to return soon. We are all here for you. What a nightmare!
I hope you are at least safe for now; fingers crossed that your home will be spared...
The entire southland seems to be blanketed by smoke and ashes today
?itok=9yc1ec8Zhaving something that horrific bearing down on my home. Yikes, that's scary! 
THat's all we can all do now - hope for the very best and support each other.
often act like tornadoes, burning one house to the ground, but the house next door is completely unharmed. The fires move so fast they often create weather patterns of their own. Let's hope your home is one of the lucky ones.
Peace.
You don't sound hopeful. Please keep up posted when you can.
Lived in L.A. for almost 20 years. My ex still lives in the house in Woodland Hills up in a canyon.
So I know about the Santa Ana winds. Very scary.
I lost my home to fire 10 years ago, but not wind driven wild fire. I hope you don't have to go through it.
Holding good thoughts.
Up here in NorCal we had a bunch of wildfires in October. I was hoping the rainy season would mark the end of fire season for all of California. I guess not. I'm so sorry.
Take care of yourselves and check in when possible
This whole thing is scary. I have many friends in the paths of the multiple fires, some have evacuated, some we haven't heard from.
Hope you get back to your home soon.
We all care so much will help you get through this any way we can.
Please let us know how you are when you can - and hoping you have good news tomorrow.
Hopefully a good part of the "fuel load" around your neighborhood has been drastically decreased. 
went through this in Sonoma County last month. Very hard but you will find it brings people closer together, even strangers.
Stay safe.
I’m glad to know you’re running to safety. VERY glad!
But that’s about the only thing I’m glad to hear.
So sorry to hear of this Hekate. Glad you got everyone out safely. That's what matters.
I can't imagine what it's like for you. I hope your new home will survive. Keep us posted when you can.
Thanks for keeping us up to date on how you're doing. Such extreme winds!
please be careful and check in when feasible.
Still using my cell phone for checking in here, still staying with BIL and SIL. The dog loves it — they have always been as gods to my little doggy, and they have a gigantic gentle golden-doodle who is in love 😍 with my dog.
The dogs are hilarious, the news not so much. Yesterday we heard word of mouth that our house still stands. Today we will check to see if residents are allowed back on the street to get some possessions. We are expecting high winds tonight, which will stir the embers.
After presenting our ID to prove residency, we were initially told to hike in and out, a mile and a half each way, but someone drove by and offered us a ride. She was a neighbor doing shuttle service, because her car was left behind when she evacuated. As long as she didn't go past the barricades she could just keep looping around the valley. As we started examining the yard for hotspots someone else drove by and said the cops were allowing cars in and offered to drive hubby down the hill.
I basically packed what I would have the other night if given some notice: clothes, toiletries, jewelry, dog food... Checkbook.
The inside of the house is FINE, but stinks badly of smoke. Water is on (the entire town must boil it, though) but electricity is not. Some neighbors are staying the night, but not us. High winds are expected tonight, with gusts up to 80 mph in some areas.
In the early adternoon the sun slanting in turned orange. The smoke turned back and filled the valley. We finished filling the station wagon and left.
As to the neighborhood, only one house is gone -- down to the melted steel girders. A lot of landscaping is crispy. The barranca out back burned, all the leaves under the oak are gone.
We are enclosed by hills, and they are absolutely black from top to bottom. The fire encroached on every property. We have been so lucky so far.
Very happy for you
The hills will recover.
sweeping down both sides of the mountain range between "beautiful downtown Burbank" and the area where we lived. 100,000 people at last report still evacuated there. Just read about the scary nighttime emergency evacuation of lion, tigers, hyenas and other animals, many dangerous to man, from Wildlife Waystation in the mountains above Tujunga. They got all away safely, animals and those who love them.
I worry about the beautiful native Theodore Payne Foundation gardens I once loved to hike, but if they burn they will come back to show why the foundation recommends native plants for landscaping in areas of high fire danger.
Which is all of LA, of course, but especially the mountains so many love to live in, but perhaps should reconsider now that climate change extremes are upon us. I appraised in so many neighborhoods in both counties, and others, that are burning tonight.
LA County fire chief, and no doubt Ventura County's as well, recommends "sleeping" with one eye open tonight. Winds up to 80 mph expected.
Edited to remove report of deaths picked up from twitter discussion. As of this morning, ABC says that have been no deaths so far. 110,000 still under mandatory evacuation order in this area alone.
Take care.
Can't imagine being evacuated and not being able to stay with your property. Would be like leaving a sick friend behind.
Stay safe and keep us posted when you're able. ......
