A little levity today is a good thing, Kevin. :D

I just spoke with Singpilot. He's at Van Nuys airport with a van. He's going to hang out for awhile. I told him that if he wanted to come up, I'd order some pizza and we'd wait it out. He said he's going to do some work, and we'll talk more a bit later.

My thanks to all of you for your concern. It's gonna be a long night, me thinks. :eek:

Damn it get out now! I know I sound like your mother, but as they say, better safe then sorry!

Kev, I am at Clay Lacy on Valjean, just up from the Airtel. Come on over, we can go from here if needed, the girl at the reception desk knows where I am.

I spoke to a friend of mine earlier who has a customer in Valley Center. This guy called my friend and said that they seemed to be out of harms way and 30-40 minutes later his house was consumed due to a sudden shift in the wind. Be careful and dont assume that you are out of danger until this is all over. Hope this goes well for you!

Kevin: To get to Lacy, take Sherman Way west, and just before going thru the tunnel at the airport, turn right at the Airtel Hotel (Valjean). It's a block or two up from the Airtel, on Valjean.

Wow! I thought I was having a rough day...

Good luck all you guys. Thumbs up for all the Pelicans (and others) helping others out!

Here's the latest...at 2:00 p.m. local time.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1067293501.jpg

The obligatory sun obscured by smoke shot. Hey, this IS Hollywood, after all.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1067294339.jpg

Hey, sorry to see all the terrible things happening out there... I grew up in Van Nuys and know the area well. I am now in Arizona and feel quite helpless. As the others have said: DON'T WAIT TOO LONG!!!! I don't want to be morbid, but they have found people in their cars that did! So, please don't take any chances, guys. EVERYTHING can be replaced except LIFE. So be careful out there! My humble prayers, as well as many others, are with you and your loved ones in your time of need. God's speed!

PS. Anyone heard if Santa Clarita is ok? My sister lives out there and I haven't been able to contact her...

Scottell for direc....we're on our way. Can you call Singpilot on his cell to give us directions

We just finished a 3 month battle with forest fires here in BC, took almost 500 homes in the Kelowna area where my mechanic is located;
Best be getting everything out (especially Porsches and Ferraris) while the getting out is good.

From looking at your photos, this is serious. Fighting forest fires is really tough, the wind, humidity and temp all play factors; the fighting equipment is more like spitting on a fire at this point.

Our prayers are with you also......

Santa Clarita should be OK. It's east and north of the fire.

Man o man o man! Scary *****. Frightening pictures. I lost everything in a fire years ago. Got away with the clothes on my back and my work van. Do what you have to Scott, I can't not think about you at a time like this. You've got some good friends out there.

Jens

I have some GREAT friends out there. Singpilot (whom I've never met) and KevinP are on their way over now with a van. Unbelievable! I hope we won't need to use the van, but if so it's comforting to know it's there. I'm buying the pizza, and we'll hang out for a few hours.

Hillary Clinton wrote that it takes a village to raise a child. I think Wayne and Tom have started a community on this board, and it's in emergencies like this that the true character of the P-car crowd comes to the fore. You guys humble me.

Hey thanks for the info. Scott, I hope your right about Santa Clarita... those pictures look seriously nasty. Scarry spooky stuff. If I was still living in the valley, I'd already be there with my truck helping any way I could. Even without pizza! So stay cool, focused and above all... SAFE! Good Luck, my friend, we’re all pullin’ for ya! I’ll be keeping a vigil…

I agree...I've been following your thread since early this morning, and the character of these fellow pelicanites amazes me. You guys all deserve a http://images.zeroforum.com/smile/emthup.gif and a http://www.vwvortex.com/vwbb/embeer.gif . Scott, is noone else in your community moving out yet?

A break...maybe?
 

To the northwest, it looks like the fire is laying down. To the west, however, it's still rocking and rolling. Here's the latest picture, shot at 3:00 p.m.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1067296123.jpg

This last picture is a good one for the ole U.S. Postal Service.

I used to live down that way and we would watch the fires burning the hillsides from our back yard. But this is real bad. I have lots of friends down there and worry for all of them. Scott I would get the hell out now and not take the chance. You might not get another. I am really impressed by the people on this board and how they step up to the others and help when needed. Take the help and beat it.

Premature optimism
 

4:00 pm update. Things are not looking good. Fire seems to have found some fresh fuel. Kevin and Michael are standing by. Not leaving just yet, but....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1067299206.jpg