Continued…

So, I look to the north as I leave the house this morning & what do I see looming over the hills across the street? A huge column of smoke reaching into the sky. My heart jumped & then I realized that the smoke was coming from the mountain about 10 miles away from me. It’s so weird. It just seems like it’s not going to end.

At least not anytime soon.

***

Evacuations getting closer…

Most all of the mountain communities (at least those that haven’t burned to the ground) have mandatory evacuation orders. & now the evacs are starting to go into the lower mountain areas: Angelus Oaks, Barton Flats, Running Springs & Forest Falls. Forest Falls is getting too close.

Here’s another SB county geography lesson. Forest Falls is on the other side of a small mountain from Oak Glen, which is separated from Upper Yucaipa by a bunch of dead grass. & that part of Upper Yucaipa is only about 5 miles away from home. If the call goes out for voluntary evacs of Oak Glen, I’m leaving work & getting the Boy from school. I am not going to try to fight my way up there after the order goes out. I’ve already been in contact with the ex so that we know what we’ll be doing if the fire makes its way over the hills.

I’m feeling a little bit of panic starting to build up. I’m trying not to listen to Irene’s talk of this being a terrorist attempt to spread our firefighters out thin & then attack. I’m trying not to succumb to the idea that this is some serial arsonist. I’m trying to stay calm & rational. Normally in these situations I am calm. I take care of what needs to be taken care of &, after it’s all over, let the shakes & nerves go. This time, though, I don’t know. I just want to have the Boy & T with me, so that I know he’s safe & that I would have some support from her.

I think I might have some packing to do when I get home tonight.

***

Maybe sooner than that. The fire is starting to hit some areas of Mentone, a little town north of Yucaipa, just over the Crafton Hills. I keep getting conflicting reports as to whether or not there are any evacuations in the northeast part of town. It’s making me anxious. So, I will leave here shortly, pick up the Boy from school & pack a few things. Then, we wait.

I hate waiting.

Lousy fire.

***

OK, I picked up the Boy & we went to see if anything was going on up around the Mentone side of the hill. We found out that the road has been closed going toward Highway 38. The Boy's school is closed tomorrow due to the nasty air quality.

I keep waiting to hear an evacuation warning for the area. My nerves are on edge, expecting to see a wall of fire come over the hill at any moment. I'm probably getting my Fruit of the Looms in a knot over nothing, but...I dunno. I'm used to earthquakes - they're quick. You don't sit & wait for it to come. This is making me crazy.