I'm staying with Matt & Carolyn Dharm over in Mira Mesa, which appears to be well out of the way of the fires. My neighborhood is still not under an evacuation order. Everyone north of Twin Peaks, and everything north of Poway Rd, east of Community has to leave. I didn't, but I left anyways. It strikes me as wise. I'd rather be out and get a good night's sleep, rather than be anxious that someone's going to knock on the door at 3am with the flames cresting the next hill.

I got past the blockade on Espola and took a look at the high school before I left. It's in pretty good shape. Lots of wind damage to screens on fences. And most of the new trees planted this year were blown over, hopefully they can be replanted. The hills east of the school are on fire, going north around Lake Poway and into the Blue Sky Preserve. There's houses destroyed in the Maderas area, I'm worried about my cousin's house in the Heritage. She told my aunt she'd heard from a neighbor that stayed behind that another neighbor was on fire, and people were looting other houses. The fire may also be threatening Karen and Marty's house. There are reports of houses destroyed in Eric's dad's neighborhood.

All I can really do is hope for the best. And that I keep getting an answer from home.

It's really dry here. 6% in many places, as low as 4% in a few.