Jerome, and everyone threatened, my prayers are with you.

Dear friends, please keep safe. Our hopes and wishes are with you as we follow the news closely. When you get a chance, please let us know you are safe and well.

Rosefolly

This forum is exceptional! It is good that we may all keep in touch, know that you are in everyone thoughts, share updates, and be here for each other. With the unbelievable reach of this fire, how can we help with shelter? Is it possible to set up internet access in locations to help those evacuated reach there loved ones? Are any cell phones in the area working? What about water, food, hygine, shelter, the needs must be overwhelming. Tell us how we can effect Real Help. And What about all the wildlife and pets? Can we organize to let those in need know where there is property available to shelter animals? Maybe we can start a fund for food and supplies. If we can get generators, laptops and wireless to the evacuees, we GardenWeb people can help to share information to familys and loved ones and it would help them tell us exactly what they need and where. My mind is racing, I want to DO SOMETHING TO HELP!
Please share your thoughts how we can make a real difference for our friends and neighbors .....

OMG!!! It looks like hell on earth! I used to envy those in California for their optimum rose growing climate but not so much any more. Definately follow Jeri's advice and get the heck out of dodge so the firefighers can do their job.

Here is my sincere wish that your homes and roses escape the inferno.

Patrick

Our community is in the process of evacuating. I am here now at our parish in Costa Mesa. I love y'all very much. I will keep you updated as I can. I would love to thank each individually for your kind words, but am not on a computer I can hold up for a long time. Keep the prayers coming and I willl let you know what's going on.

Jerome

What can I say but that you are all in my thoughts and I hope so much your homes and gardens will be OK.

Just heard Acton is now in danger, www.Shambala.org is in that area and was threatened by fire not long ago. They needed crates to move all the large animals to safety then.
Jerome, so good to know you are ok and able to keep us informed.

What can we do?

I am praying for you all, that is all I can do here in Nova Scotia, wish I could do more.

Fire is the most devastating of terrors and to have it roaring through your home must be the most incredibly sad thing a person could witness. I am so sorry this is happening to my dear rose forum friends. I hope and pray it is over soon, that the skies open and the rain pours to soothe the land.

God Bless you all.

Valerie

My prayers are with all of you in California. This fire is an absolute nightmare. I hate hurricaines, but fire....my gosh, it is so much more horrific.

Keep us posted as to how you are all doing.

Sandy

Jerome, Cecil and Ingrid, I am so glad that you are in a safer place. I can't begin to know the feelings you have right now. I just want you to know that all of you that are in the path of this fire are in my thoughts and prayers. Buildings can be rebuilt and we, who care so much about you, can help you rebuild your rose gardens. Please be safe and let us hear from you when you can. Hoovb, can we get an update on your situation?

Carol

Times like these bring out feelings of vulnerability in all of us, but above it all, compassion, charity and love will rise above the horrors that are experienced by those we cherish. My prayers are with all who are in anguish at this time.
molly

As I read your emails, telling of evacuation orders, and the fear you all must be feeling, I can only imagine what you are all going through. My heart breaks for you all; losing your homes and gardens is terrible. Please stay safe; as everyone has said, your lives are the most important thing, possessions can be replaced.

Judith

PATRICK, California is still a great state, to live and grow
roses. As you know, it's a large state and while these fires
are some of the worst the state has seen, the whole place
is not on fire. That being said, it's just a shame that some
of our residents, are in the path of the fires. I do wish, my
fellow Californians, that are threatened by the fires, or have
lost their homes, God's speed.

My thoughts and prayers are with all of you in SoCal.
Sincerely
Kathy

I hope you are all safe. It's such a scary and sad situation.
Prayers.

Carla

Jerome dear, please e-mail me when you get the chance. I am so sad about your roses, perhaps they will be spared. We can help you replace them but not all the hard work and years of growing. On the bright side you are still okay.
I will be thinking of all of you today and sending my love.
la

The wind is down and hopefully the tanker planes and helicopters can get to work and get this under control. The fire was very close to Jerome's community but that property is a little more defendable than others. Modjeska Canyon very nearby is in the worst danger--homes are burned there.

My area is fine so far. Lot of wind damage in the garden but that is fixable. The hills around are all burnt.

The real disaster is San Diego County--hundreds of thousands told to evacuate.

blendguy, how are you? There was a new fire down at Camp Pendleton reported, very close to San Clemente...

Gail I'm so glad to hear that you're okay and praying that it stays that way. How are Hoover and Cuddles? Is the air quality better there yet?

Gail, thanks for the update. Really happy to hear your garden isn't burnt.Really happy!
la

Gail, thank you for the update. I was worried about you after the photo of the smoke that appeared to be rising right over your house! I'm delighted that you are safe and do not have much damage.

Carol

This is a great forum. Gail, I am very happy/relieved to hear you are still alright. The latest I know is this. About 30 of us are at the parish here in Costa Mesa. 4 guys are still up at the abbey and the fire department is using our place as a kind of base, because we have lots of platforms. One of the guys and I drove down from Costa Mesa today to see how things are going...the police/fire guys are doing a fantastic job, we'll owe them all forever. The canyon just to the north of us is called "Live Oak Canyon". I heard on the radio that the fires are there and have crossed Live Oak Canyon Road...which is just one hill away from us. When we drove by, the smoke was just amazing from the ridge behind the abbey....so it is not over yet for us. Thing that is disturbing: I think I heard on the radio that many of these fires in the Santiago Canyon area are arson. Certainly the first start of it was arson, but I think I heard that the Live Oak fires were set later and are also arson.

I heard from the guys still at the abbey that it'll be a while before we can come back up because of air quality issues. But with this Live Oak fire, we may still very much be at risk. I'll give you updates as I can. Thank you very much for your kindness.

You know what I took as we left? Some personal letters from a dear friend, clothing and toothbrush, annnnd.....2 babies: Aimée Vibert and Mme. Creux in pots. ;-) As I put them in the car, I thought, "Jerome, you know you are cookoo for cocoa puffs...." That's okay. Aimée smells so good I thought I'd die, and the foliage is a lovely deep green blue.

Now I am prattling. More later.

Hope everyone is safe, and out of harms way. I can't imagine the heartbreak of an entire neighborhood just gone in flames. Wonder if the story of a mobile pot ghetto will make it on CNN???

www.kpbs.org/radio/listen
San Diego FM 89.5

If you want live information online, good San Diego source for help needed, no more donations needed, people calling in updates, new and practical information......

Camp Pendelton desperately asking for horse trailers to evacuate many horses.

hoovb, thanks for thinking of me.

I'm fine.

I went to bed last night thinking about the fires in Camp Pendleton, I could see the smoke was darkening up the sky. Overnight, the fire got large enough to shut down the main freeway, interstate 5. Flames were running across both lanes and heading for San Onofre.. the nuclear power plant! Yikes! Thankfully, they seemed to have the fire under control by this morning. Today has been overcast with smoke and ash. I live very close to the ocean, to the north of downtown San Clemente, so I suspect we will remain much safer than those to the east and south.

I've been very worried about Jerome, and the Abbey, so am thankful to see his updates.

Hopefully I can come out to the abbey when this is through and help bathe and nurse the roses and other plants back to health.

hoovb, I hope you and everyone else continues to be safe.

Let's hope the wind dies. I have dear friends in San Diego, Santa Clarita, now I read about Jerome, I see the fire near HoovB, Ingrid has been evacuated. Please be safe, everyone.

Cass

Jerome and Gail, thanks for the updates. Was waiting to hear how you fared.
So glad that everyone is safe!

Thankfully none of my family in So Cal are in harm's way at this time.

Janelle

So glad to see everyone checking in--safe!!

Oh my gosh...Jerome, that just brought tears to my eyes that you took 2 babies..little bands of roses. I just can't believe this fire has turned into such a monster. I am keeping all of our California forum family in my prayers. This is just unbelievable. I'm so sorry this is happening!

Deb

Oh Jerome I hope everything comes out OK. It was touching to hear that you took two bands of roses. I'm so glad you did. Years ago under fire threat I packed the car with some antique books and photos for my husband to drive out(along with cats and dog) and then saddled my horse and rode out. It is a terrible feeling. Fortunately we were fine.

Thanks for the update Jerome I was wondering what was going on over there--there was so much smoke, we can see it from our balcony. For a while this afternoon it looked better over that way, then it got a lot worse.

blenderguy good to hear you are ok!

Has anyone heard from Ingrid and Cecil?

Hope everyone has access to masks, my grandchildren are having respiratory problems, as must so many. I hope the smoke will blow far out to sea so if and when the wind blows in, it dosen't just return all the particulate. I'm wondering how all the ash can be managed to protect the ground water and streams. Also, lets hope we don't have heavy rains before erosion control is possible. There is much to do and this will take time to prevent more damage than already suffered. Is the help actually as exceptional as reported on tv?

Your correspondent from Costa Mesa here with the latest at 10:35 a.m. Pacific daylight time. I just got this e-mail from our fr. Claude: "The Prior called us a few minutes ago and says the air quality is horrid due to smoke billowing down from behind the blue house and, consequently, they are not going outside anymore now. We won't be able to return for at least another day."

I think this is more our leadership's decision than anything the fire or police departments are telling us. But to be honest, the air there on Tuesday was making me light-headed, and it's worse now, so I am not complaining. They have been so incredibly kind to us here in Costa Mesa.

I will check in as I can. Hoovb, the smoke you were seeing is the Live Oak fire. That's the one most affecting us. Hope they put it out soon.

Blendguy, glad to hear you're okay. Cecil and Ingrid... I'll e-mail you in a second. Thanks again to all for your kindness.

Jerome

Thank you all for your updates. I am checking in at this thread regularly to make sure of all you in SoCal are surviving this terrible ordeal.

Jerome-- I am happy that you took a couple of babies with you. for rose babies are the soul of any garden in that they represent growth and change. It sounds like your garden may yet be spared and for that I am happy.

I have been hearing that the weather is a bit more conducive to fire fighting now. Let's hope it stays that way.
Please be safe everyone!

Jerome----thanks for the update--take care and don't go back till the air is safe

What a sweet soul you are to rescue your two babies on your way to safety.

That is why we all love you here on the Forum.

Please stay safe and update when you can.

Love, Florence

For me the fire happened on Monday when it was visible from the office up in Lake Forest. People were all out watching it burn about a mile from there and that soon convinced the owner to close for the day. Everyone went into action taking important items of business to our cars. That day was so windy and nobody really knew what would happen. Next day that fire had moved south and east of us and we only had to deal with smoke, which today seemed the worst.
This morning I saw a group of tired looking volunteer firemen at the local restaurant supply where I was shopping. They were loading up some carts of food for a relief center in Trabuco Canyon. It appeared the store management donated the merchandise to them; the firemen were giving their thank yous. That's they sort of thing that is happening around here. Our local stables are full of evacuated horses. Rest homes have temporary patients from San Diego area. People are so wonderful in an emergency.
Wishing all the fire victims the very best thoughts and prayers.

Hello everyone, and thank you from the heart for all your good wishes and the concern you have felt for all of us in the path of the fire. We got home a few hours ago and, except for the soot and ashes, and a very dry garden, everything looks fine. I worked today and before I even got out of those clothes I was watering the plants until it became too dark to see. Then we unpacked the car! I think I will hate the smell of smoke for the rest of my life. Even at work it was everywhere. There was no place to feel safe because new fires were breaking out everywhere. Cecil's son-in-law, who is a policeman at UCSD is in the town of Julian looking for people who have not been found. Earlier he stopped people who were looting. But the real story is the wonderful organization, the helpfulness of everyone and the heroism of the firefighters. We can never ever thank them enough. Also army reservists were in our area with machine guns, protecting properties from possible theft. It has been an incredibly surreal experience, but ever so much more so for people who have lost their homes.

I'm so glad that everyone on the forum who was affected by the fire seems to be safe, and that I haven't heard that anyone here has lost a home. I sincerely hope it stays that way.

Warm regards to all of you who cared so much.

Ingrid

Great to read all your updates! So nice to hear the positives! You are all heroes, coping with brave dignity. YOU ALL make us proud to be Californians!

Very relieved to hear that you, your family and home are safe, Ingrid.

I'm (almost) speechless, and can only echo others' words: thank goodness for all the people and the gardens that are safe, and the goodness specifically of the firemen, police, volunteers, donors: everyone who is risking his/her life, helping, giving.

Melissa

I'm pleased to hear all of our 'family' seem to be safe and no catastrophic losses suffered. But it must have been a nightmare for you all.

Best wishes
Jon

Update from Jerome:

We are going to leave St. John the Baptist Parish to return to the abbey sometime today. We're buzzing around the rectory and convent, cleaning up the places they kindly let us use to leave them as clean as we got them. I am so happy you're well Ingrid.

Ditto to what everyone said about the firemen and the police. At the abbey, we will owe them all forever.

More when I get back to the abbey. I have to get Aimée Vibert and Mme. Creux back into the car and iron some very wrinkled habits.

This forum is one of the favorite things I do each week.

Jerome

When I think of the people I wouldn't know if it weren't for this forum it touches me deeply, some of you have become my dearest friends. I'm incredibly happy that you are all safe and strong and that this whole tragic week has been gone through with courage, sacrifice and a certain nobility by so many. Thank you all.
la

How does this week look? How are you all and how is the air quality? Still thinking and caring and wondering .....

Thank you for your kind inquiry, bodica. Things are slowly improving but we live quite close to one fire that isn't out; it's difficult to fight because it's in mountain terrain. But today the smell wasn't as strong and I'm sure the situation will steadily improve. Father Jerome said in an e-mail that the smoke smell is still terrible at the abbey and that the police are not allowing anyone into the abbey who doesn't live there. This is only the beginning of the fire season so there's no telling what the future will bring. Some rain would be so very welcome.

Ingrid

Best wishes and peace to all of you who have lived through these terrible fires. I am so frightened by the pictures, but that can't come close to what you've experienced.

Lila

Hi folks...I am sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. We got back last Friday, and there was a TON of work waiting for me, garden and desk work. I have been very busy. No excuse. We were spared. The firemen were great. They even used this place as a 'base' of sorts one of the nights. What great men.

It was ashy here, but I cannot complain. The deer have not been touching the roses (Liquid Fence, yay!) and we all returned to the best fall flush I have ever had.

Thanks to all of you who have been so wonderful through all of this. Please keep in touch with e-mails too, it's great to hear from you. Amazing when you consider this thread has gone from all across the bottom 48 to England and Denmark and Italy. God bless you all!

Jerome

It is a relief to read your notes as you all check in, safe one and all. We your distant friends are grateful to learn that you have not been harmed, and have not lost your homes.

Our hearts go out to those who have.

Rosefolly

Jerome---thank goodness you are safe ---

It is a relif as each one of our friends check in .

such a sad situation.

Please wear a mask untill the air gets clear.

Thinking of all our friends in CA.

Florence

LOL, last night, an earthquake, Never boring here!