VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Gregory Best

The 2003 Cedar Fire remains the largest fire in California history. It consumbed about 275, 000 acres fueld by dry Santa Ana winds of 60-70 mph. Nearly 3000 buildings destroyed, 15 dead. 13 of those were in a few miles of our home. At one point it burned 80,000 acres in on hour.

We were fortunate. 40 neighbors lost their homes.

It is still etched in our minds. We were awakened by our dog barking at 4:00 am. I went onto our deck and saw a nearby hill fully engulfed. There was no warning. Marcy called the Sheriff dispatch who told her if you see flames get out. Her thought was everyone in eastern San Diego County could see flames. It would have caos for everyone to evacuate. We left when we could see 100 foot flames coming over the hill and heard propane and car gastanks exploding. It felt like a war zone.

Emergency comnunications and notification systems have greatly improved. There are new firefighting helocopters and more fire trucks. Rural Fire stations are now staffed 24/7. I hope we never experience this again.
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Gregory Best

greg@gregorybest.com

Scott Pollak · Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 5:57 am Post subject:

I can't imagine. Living on the Gulf Coast much of my life, I've been through several hurricanes, but really, that's different. You usually have a LOT of warning and options. But something like that... man.

California really is a BEAUTIFUL place. There are about a dozen places out there I'd live in a heartbeat (if money were no object!). But between the cost and the potential earthquakes and the fires, I may have to stay a state or two away!

So glad you guys got thru that okay.
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Scott R. Pollak
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Bailey · Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 9:45 am Post subject:

Fast forward to October of 2007... almost the same date. 500,000 acres burned from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border, and 1,000,000 evacuated in San Diego county. We spent 2 days & nights at Qualcomm stadium.
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"Bailey"
a.k.a. Jim Sutton
Retired... Every day is Saturday, except Sunday.
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Gregory Best · Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 2:29 pm Post subject:

Both were scary. We were evacuated both times. I think there were more evacuations in 2007 from the lessons learned in 2003. Bailey, I hope we never face that again.
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Gregory Best

greg@gregorybest.com

Bailey · Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:01 pm Post subject:

Gregory Best · Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 8:05 am Post subject:

Rain is good.
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Gregory Best

greg@gregorybest.com

Rick Riley · Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 8:08 am Post subject:

Our family has a home on about 40 acres on Cuyamaca Peak, above Julian. My dad and stepmom built it 20 years ago. It's a pretty incredible place. On a clear day you can see the ocean and the desert from the deck and the San Bernardino Mountains from the living room while sitting in front of a 30 foot tall fireplace. My folks live in Rancho Bernardo, but they spend most weekends up at the mountain.

After the fire, my stepmom wrote all of us that they knew the place was gone. They were brokenhearted as they loved the mountain, but they were going to rebuild. When they were allowed to go up there, they found the home untouched. There was an outbuilding, which was gone, and the Kubota tractor inside was a lump of molten metal, but the house was still standing. They stood there with tears of joy, not believing what they were seeing as the house was surrounded by burnt forest.

As it turned out, my stepbrother has a girlfriend from Russia, Tatiana. Tatiana, has a friend from Russia, Victor. Victor got a fire suit to look like one of the crew, and went up to the house. He took four hoses and ran one up each corner of the house to the roof and turned them on. We have a water tower and pump that apparently was enough to do the job. He then took plywood and nailed it to the stacks of firewood that were up against the house, keeping any burning embers that might drift in amongst the logs and start a fire, out. Who would have thought to do that? But he did and he saved the home.

Off to the left of the house, there was one patch of trees that remained standing, unburned and no one could figure out why. A few years later, Victor noted that while he was up there, there was a plane dropping water to help contain the fire. Victor, in his fire suit, got its attention and tried to get it to drop the water on the house. It missed and hit the trees about 75 feet away.

My folks still go up there every weekend and my stepmom, 78 years old, hauls five gallon buckets of water to about forty trees that they replanted on the property, every time they go. They built a new outbuilding with a different view and life and their neighbors, have returned to the mountain.

Just thought I'd share what an incredible favor someone risked their life to do for our family.
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Bailey · Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 8:49 am Post subject:

Thanks for that story Rick. I'm glad your folks place was spared and protected by Victor's "From Russia with love" attitude.
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"Bailey"
a.k.a. Jim Sutton
Retired... Every day is Saturday, except Sunday.
VO-BB Member #00044 W00T

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AOVA Graduate 02/2004 ;
"Be a Voice, not an Echo." Ninja

heyguido · Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:01 am Post subject:

Now, THAT is a friend. Inoccent

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Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?"

Gregory Best · Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 12:08 pm Post subject:

Good friend.

A former coworker and a neighbor of his bought several lengths of fire hose, a nozzle and turn out gear. When the 2007 fire came tbrough the Poway mayor said his road was unsafe ordering firefighters not to go down it. He, has son (an off duty CalFire supervisor) and the neighbor saved his home and three others.

Sometimes you have to be prepared. His son was well trained. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. Someone in our neighborhood bought a retired fire tender truck which is a tank truck. He saved a few homes too.
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Gregory Best

greg@gregorybest.com

Lee Gordon · Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 11:52 pm Post subject:

Some of you may have seen this famous picture.

That was my high school. I was there, at the game/fire that day. One of the teachers actually owned a working antique fire engine, but since this was the final football game of the season, against our biggest rival, and our team was thus far undefeated, we had a big pep rally the night before. We removed all the hoses from Mr. Webster's fire truck so the pep band (that I was a member of) could ride on it to the rally. The next day, when the fire broke out, the hoses were still off the truck, rendering it useless to fight the fire.

Even if it had been available to pitch in, I think the old science building would still have burned to the ground.
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
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Bruce · Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 8:57 am Post subject:

Absolutely amazing photo. The game is much more important for those folks to watch than the flaming school building behind them. Now that's team spirit!

B
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I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

Lee Gordon · Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:20 am Post subject:

Keep in mind, the view is looking toward the visitors' side. It wasn't their school that was burning. cool

On the other hand, a camera pointed in our direction would have revealed that we were staying put, as well.
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice

Rick Riley · Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:25 am Post subject:

todd ellis · Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:35 am Post subject:

What a spate of incredible stories!
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