Oh, no, Lisa! Stay safe. Good thing Millie is not there.

I’m ok. I know Ingrid is ok at the moment, but the fire is closer to her. It’s being called “The Lilac Fire”. It’s in Bonsal, near Fallbrook and Valley Center. Lisa

It IS horrible. These fires are beyond horrible.
I doubt that all of the damage can be erased in my lifetime.

This is unprecedented in my lifetime! Maybe in several lifetimes? What a year all around.

Lisa and Ingrid, please remain alert and safe!

I believe OR sent over 250 firefighters down there to help. I hope they can offer some relief!

Carol

Carol, I'm sure those firefighters from OR (and other states) will be very welcome. It's a shame that y'all can't also send down some rain.

I wish we could, Virginia! Alas, we have no rain either, but fortunately our soil is moist and our winds are not Devil Winds, just blustery cold ones. Carol

Ive been praying for everyone in the path of the fires. This is truly horrify to watch on the news and I can only imagine the true horror of actually being there. It has to be terrifying, I understand the feeling of helplessness as you have no control over what's happening. I lived thru historic flooding here in Texas and now y'all are having historic fires in California. I'm glad all the forum members have been safe so far and I'm in awe of the firefighters, they are so brave and fearless. I know they are exhausted and I hope they get fresh help soon.

Oh, goodness! Here's praying the Lilac Fire gets extinguished as rapidly as the Malibu fire did today. Thankfully, our winds have died down, but not before pushing smoke from down south into this valley. I can only imagine what Kippy is dealing with in Santa Barbara!

It's heartbreaking to watch and learn about all this devastation. Hope you all stay safe with your family and pets. I wish we can do something to help from afar. You are all in my prayers.

It does not look good at all and the high winds hinder attempts at containment. This is going to get a lot worse, I'm afraid. The fire front is absolutely huge, and many homes have burned to the ground. We're not in the path of the fire, but to see the devastation on TV is awful. Roads are not adequate for all people and livestock to evacuate. Quite a few horses have already perished. It was too windy for air support in the beginning and that allowed the fire to spread very quickly.

I can't "like" that. I am so sorry.

Thoughts and prayers to everyone out there. Used to live in T.O. and N.P. and I pray the winds/Santa Anas die down.

Thank you all for your concern. Unfortunately they don't expect the winds to abate until Saturday morning. I just hope desperately that somehow it will get better soon.

I'm not feeling good about this. There's a huge mound of black smoke billowing up from the other side of "our" hill.

"Ready, Set, Go." We are Ready and Set to Go at 5 minutes notice. Another part of the Thomas fire seems to be getting closer to my sister in West Fillmore.

Hopefully, I am being alarmist.

I pray you're being an alarmist.

OH, Jeri...do be careful. It might be good if you and Clay take turns sleeping tonight, one of you always on alert and observing the news and conditions. Better to be a living alarmist...

Press conference update on the Thomas Fire...115,000 acres: Ventura .... 427 structures destroyed, 85 damaged. Winds are low currently, but they will resume and shift tomorrow with warmer (mid seventies to low eighties and single digit humidity) weather for the next few days. The Santa Ana wind event is weakening which causes the fire to be much less predictable. Carpinteria area (Santa Barbara County), mandatory evacuation for portions of the City of Carpinteria. Yesterday, the fire moved 9 miles in 12 hours. The fire is 7 miles away from the Pacific Ocean with Carpinteria between it and the ocean. They are reporting some Summerland area evacuations. Summerland lies between Carpinteria and Montecito (where Oprah lives!), then Santa Barbara... Fortunately, there has been little spread in the past five hours due to low winds. The structure total is only for the city of Ventura. There are definitely more not reported in that figure.

Oh, boy! We're all thinking of you in the line of fire.

A "feel good" story about the fire.

By 7:44, the wind has dropped to almost nothing. GREAT news.

Great news, Jeri...may it continue (to be calm).

11 PM news..."Thomas Fire spreading nearly an acre per second. Anticipated containment date as of now...December 24!" 17 days from now.

Multiple Face Book users have been posting for donations for fire victims. This is one.

Thank you for sharing the updates, good news and bad. I find myself tuning into this forum thread as much as I have the news.

Kim, i can't even imagine an acre per second! That's like trying to visualize the speed of light.

Jeri, I think John's advice is sound. I know that emergency services can notify cell phones, but still.... I am wishing with all my might for the winds to remain calm and the blaze to stay away from both your sister and your hill.

Carol

I hope everyone out there will be safe.

An acre per second. Mercy.

An acre per second is crazy scary! Praying for everyone's safety.

20 miles from Thomas, no wind this morning. Still extremely dry. Yesterday I hung a cotton bath mat out, dry in 4 hours where it usually takes 2 days.

Got restless and hiked to the top of the ridge between Conejo and Ventura/Oxnard plains yesterday. Air was clean and views of smoke extensive. Even as we walked the smoke changed. One time we could see the far hills, next view and they were gone. One time no pyrocumulus, next view there it was. I'm sure the winds on my ridge were far less than those in the fire and they were quite bad, very swirly and inconstant. Not horribly strong but I didn't feel I would come back with a hat if I went out with one!

There was a long anxious discussion on Nextdoor last night. Some people were convinced the fire was really close but one guy actually drove the area to the top of the ridge this side of Santa Paula/Fillmore and found nothing. There are gaps between the hills that allow a view and the hills burning are higher than the hills between. I haven't seen flames, smoke is awful enough for me.

We are trying to decide whether or not to reschedule the memorial service for my friends mother. I’m safe at my house but they are concerned about the drive from Bakersfield, stopping in San Bernardino at the coroners,(to pick up the ashes) making it here, and then the wind and ashes that are falling from the sky. The memorial service was to be on the beach in Oceanside, and that’s where the fire is headed.

My son, who works for a veterinary clinic, is preparing for evacuation at work. They have a large amount of animals boarded there, and they may need to leave in a hurry today. I can’t take any of them, because Sebastian wouldn’t stand for it. I could take Millie, though. That way my son would have more room at his place. He would take the ones that need medications and special care. Lisa

From this direction, that sounds like a no brainer, Lisa. I understand the desire for "closure", but these are crazy, wild times. Holding it now seems it would potentially put your loved ones in not only extreme inconvenience, but possible danger. I also wonder how many may not attend due to the safety and health/danger concerns. I'm sorry it's working out like this. No one needs it.

I agree. I’m trying to encourage her to reschedule, but it’s not really up to me to decide. I would much rather she reschedule it. I’ll know in the next hour or so. Lisa

Good luck! I hope she agrees to the reschedule after all the awfulness is over.

Everyone out there is still on my mind and in my prayers. I wish there were something I could physically do to help. Please continue to act out of an abundance of caution.

Well, against my advice it’s on. I thought I had her convinced to reschedule. Now I’m in a time crunch because I allowed myself to slack off a bit thinking it would be rescheduled. Nothing I can do now but make the best of it. Lisa

Be careful, Lisa. Check the wind patterns all along the route before you leave. Here's the link that Ann posted earlier. You can zoom in to any area:

Wind Patterns for Ventura and Surrounds

For Lisa and those traveling this weekend:

My son had to get to LAX from Santa Barbara yesterday, they left 8 hours early in case they had to turn around and drive to Paso Robles to Bakersfield to LA (a good 6 hour detour) but were able to get down the 101. Through the fire, he said it looked like a war zone.

Before he left, the phone gps had them avoiding the 101 by taking the 150 to the 33. I mention this because if people are traveling they may get this route info and think they are safe, but that route IS the fire. Just probably Caltrans and the CHP are busy with other things and their web info maybe get be slower.

Also, if you are coming through the Santa Barbara area, but p95 masks prior to getting here. You may need them and while they are handing them out free, there are long lines and they are running out early.

I would like to thank direct Relief international for handing these out and if you want to make a donation, they are top rated in how they use donations.

Praying for you, Lisa! Please be extra careful!

Thanks, so much everyone! They are traveling to my house from Bakersfield. I’m staying put. They have moved the beach memorial from Oceanside to Del Mar, to avoid the fire area and smoke. She called a little while ago from Hemet, in Riverside County. They needed to stop there to see what sort of work they would need to do to clean out her moms place. She said they’ve had a safe trip so far. They should arrive in an hour or two. My son also called me. It’s looking like they will NOT have to evacuate the animals at the clinic. That’s wonderful news! One of my other sons friends was evacuated, and is in a hotel. I feel bad, because I certainly would have Troy here, if I wasn’t already expecting a houseful. Lisa

I was hoping to hear things were improving but I've just read that the Thomas Fire is only about 10 percent contained and has burned an area the size of New York City.

The loss of properties is bad enough - I think I would be suicidal if that happened to me - and the deaths of those poor horses at San Luis Rey stables as well, - I was shocked and saddened to read that. This is a horror story.

Marlorena -- It IS a horror story. A continuing nightmare.

Updated incident report as of 7 AM today. Awe inspiring. From CalFire.gov.

Thanks, roseseek - it always amazes me how detailed these reports are, and how often they are updated.

My DH used to race sailboats in Santa Barbara, as well as other places, and we would be down there once or twice a summer. I played tourist, and always visited Summerland (a small community on the Coast just to the South of SB), where there are many good antique stores and restaurants, and lots of historic homes and other buildings. Brings the news of the fire to my mind's eye, since I have spent so much time there. It is spooky to think of all of that being endangered by this fire, which seems to be going around in circles. The paper said that the SB Zoo is just outside of the current evacuation areas, but the Zoo is keeping all of their animals inside of their indoor "night quarters", because of the smoke. Thinking of everyone down there - and hoping for some giant rain storms!

Jackie

There is really nothing to say, it is horrific and getting worse. Seeing the horses fleeing the fire and knowing that many didn't make it, including those of private owners in the area, and who knows about the thousands and thousands of wild animals, is a constant source of sadness. For the people there, I can't even imagine the trauma.

I'm happy to actually be able to SEE where the actual flames are. The reports make it seem as if the entire cities of Santa Barbara, Carpenteria and Summerland are in flames, but that is far from the case (thankfully!). Yes, areas are either voluntary or mandatory evacuation zones, but the flames are many miles away, which does permit for some relief. Granted, with the terrain and conditions, they MIGHT actually make it there, but with any luck, it might not. It's terrible, but perhaps not QUITE as much so.

There is good news, of course - NO ONE has died, at least not from the actual smoke or fires. That is remarkable. In the Northern CA fires, the death toll is I think up to 44. That is because the fire storm started in the middle of the night, and the authorities (unlike those in Southern CA, who used it immediately) decided not to use the emergency cell phone alert system which was in place, not wanting to "spread panic". (I have noticed that government agencies frequently use this excuse to not share bad news with the public, who could have used a little panic, i.e. fight or flight reaction, in this situation). So, no one knew what was happening, and unless people were awakened by phone calls from friends or relatives, or fire fighters or neighbors actually banging on their doors, they slept until the fires were right on top of them. Some cities in the region are digging their old fashioned fire/aerial attack warning sirens out of mothballs and setting them up again. At least they would wake people up!

Jackie

The wind has turned. On-Shore -- from SSW.

Normally, I'd say that was a good thing -- and the temperature HAS dropped. And the humidity is rising.

The problem is that the smoke that has been pushed to the west for a week is now filling our valley -- and our air.

So sorry, Jeri. I hope neither you or Clay have breathing problems of any kind. In any case, you need to stay indoors as much as possible. Hopefully it's only smoke you'll have to contend with, and not the fires.

All of you who are living this nigntmare, please know that you are not forgotten. America's thoughts and prayers are with you. I know the uncertainty and fear of a fire. Our family lost our property in Lytle Creek CA in 67. But, that fire was nothing like the monster fires raging in your beautiful state.

Please be safe and if you need a place to stay you can head up to Oregon. We will take care of you.

John, the fire has endangered my sister's home -- here, we're quite safe. But I do have asthma -- so, that's been a problem.

A week later, it's still burning... "Borrowed" from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department site (who borrowed it from the LA Times).