Originally Posted by BENZ-LGB

I can't believe how widespread they are either.

It feels as if the whole place is on fire.

Over 260k people evacuated from teh San Diego area. That is a huge number of people displaced from their homes. They are being taken to Qualcomm Stadium. And that is just in San Diego!

Some of the fires are arson set. These conditions attract arsonists like moth to a light. Other fires are set when power lines spark and the sparks set off fires. When I used to do insurance defense work, we had an expert testify as to the "heat value" of a spark as it travels from the arcing wires to the ground. We were trying to show that the sparks were hot enough to start a fire. This way the insurance carrier could go after the utility company for its losses.

I was talking to a friend who handles property insurance claims. He said that in spite of the devastation, some homeowners may actuall be "glad" about the fires. These are the homeowners who were deeply upside down on their property and were about to lose their place when the interest rates went up on their ARMs.

MATTSD300 lives in that area. I worry about him, I think that the fires were coming right at him!

We are OK where we are. The smoke, howeer, is really thick. My house and cars are covered in ashes (like in a volcano). It is hard to breathe the air and my eyes have been burning since Sunday.

I feel so sad for the people who have lost homes and personal belongings. It is also hard on animals, especially onhorses who get easily spooked. Cats seem to do the best.