Hi all!
I'm writing this to let people know what is going on with the fires and their impact on me and my dogs.
I evacuated Sunday as my house, near Ramona was right in the path of the Witch Creek fire, still 35 miles away at this point, and the smoke was horrendous, driven by 50 mph winds. I got 2 crates and 5 dogs in the car, packed a couple bags of clothes, got my AKC paperwork in there and a couple pictures that are very important to me. I packed as if I might not be back for a couple days, but with the thought that things could always turn very ugly, as I had seen this happen 4 years ago in the Cedar fire.
I brought my adult dogs the the Vet Specialty hospital in San Diego and continued on with my puppies to my friend Lynne's house, where we stayed up all night watching the news. The winds were terrible and the fire relentless and moving so quickly. About 4 am we heard that the fire had reached my neighborhood and that there was massive destruction. You cannot imagine the feeling.
I have been staying with different friends, and three of my dogs are at various friend's homes. Fiona and Cuishle, who was bred last week, are with me at the hospital and stay here in a huge deluxe run at night. Last night I stayed in a motel and had the first good nights' sleep in a long time!!!
We still cannot get into my neighborhood, which is located between Ramona, Escondido, and Rancho Bernardo. A neighbor snuck in Monday and let me know today that things were extremely depressing; she described it as a war zone. We still do not know about my house. This is one of the most beautiful but rural areas in San Diego county. I am directly across San Pasqual Valley from the Wild Animal Park, halfway up a mountain with a gorgeous view. I am renting there, and was allowed to have dogs, as my landlords are Rhodesian Ridgeback breeders. David left the house with 10 dogs at 3:30 am Monday morning and barely made it out alive, driving through fire to get out.
Hopefully none of you will ever have to go through this kind of event, but stop and think now of what you would bring and how quickly you could evacuate if you had to. I don't regret one bit NOT bringing the computer or my shoes :-) Just not important!
Thanks to all those breeder friends who helped me out in a time of need! It's hard for some of us independent cusses to accept help, but I have been humbled!
For all of those going through something similar in San Diego, there is help out there, and I offer my support during this difficult time.
And for all those who have tried to get ahold of me, I am trying to update everyone and will let you know when I know about my house.
Robin

Robin
I am glad to hear you got out safely. You make a very valid point about thinking ahead and being ready. What would you grab if you had to leave in a hurry?
Good luck to you and if you need help from the lab community, ask. If I can do anything for you, let me know.

Debbie

Holy Cow - what a lucky escape you had!
I am single and my dogs are my family so I know how you feel.
Good luck and I hope you and David have a home to go back to soon.

OH MY GOD!

Thank god you and your dogs are all OK. I've been thinking alot about everyone down there.
It's so scary. If they find out for sure it was arson, they need to bury those people under the jail.

Take care and keep us posted.

Donna

I am so sorry Robin about all you must be going through..I hope you can get resettled soon. Glad you had your priorities in place and once again we are reminded that we all need to be prepared for emergencies like this....Please let me know if I can help. Glad you and your Labs pulled through....Leeda

Wow so glad to hear from you again Robin. I was just relieved when you called me Sunday night to tell me you were safe.

I would have taken the computer though!

Hang in there and let me know if you need anything.

Dianne

Robin,
I'm so glad that you and the dogs are all safe and sound, and hope that everything is okay when you are finally allowed to return home.

There was a mandatory evacuation at our home as well on Monday morning, but since then, the fires that we had up here in Santa Clarita have almost all been 100% contained. It was scary and surreal, but absolutely nothing compared to what you guys have been through, and are continuing to go through down there in San Diego.

My thoughts and prayers continue to be with you...thank you so much for the update. -Julie

It was pretty scary here too!

We have lots of wind damage to our home/roof/pool/downed trees.

We have horrible air and the dogs have all been in the house this week.

I still have 10 horses, 7 llamas, 6 cats and 3 dogs that we rescued from the homes just 8 miles away. We were 'pretty safe' from the fire but had the room to help.

Several wild animals perished -- which was very sad -- they had no where to go.

They will be going home today but what a scare!

In all my years in California I have never seen anything like this last week!

Glad you are ok Robin -- it was a trying time for all of us in the fire zone -- God was watching over us.

I sure hope they catch the arsonists who started the fires up here!!!!!

I'm glad to hear you are okay Robin! I wondered cuz' I know exactly where you live. Ya know Fee-Fee can come stay with me (forever...hee, hee...). I have room for you (and the dogs) if you need a place to stay.

Just to update you all, my landlords got into my neighborhood late last night and confirmed that my house is completely gone, nothing left. It was the coolest house ever, with gorgeous views and palm trees and flowers all around, I will mourn it like the loss of a good friend.
I am going up there later with some friends to sift through stuff to see if I can find anything. Then it's on to FEMA to get some info on disaster relief assistance.
Thanks to all my friends, breeders and non-dog people (is there such a thing?!) for all their assistance, support, hugs, and offers of everything and anything.
My support goes out to the many other people who are in the same situation. I am grateful that I have my dogs and my car and my job, the rest is just "stuff."

Oh, Robin, I'm so sorry to hear this. Prayers for you and the rest who lost so much in these terrible fires. The devastation that southern California is seeing brings tears to my eyes each time I read a new story like yours or see the local news. It brings it home even more when these horrible things have happened to people we know. I'm so glad that you and the critters are safe.

Mourning with you,
Julie

I am so incredibly sorry. Is there anything we can do for you, other than to send our strength and friendship? Anything you need to replace immediately?

Robin:
I don't know you. You don't know me. But when I see your posts on the Forum, I always read them with respect of your knowledge. I hope it will brighten your day to know that someone out there appreciates your feedback here. Will say a prayer for you and your doggies! Keep your head up!

I'm so sorry to hear this!

Best wishes

Guilherme

Oh Robin my heart aches for you ,I am so happy you and your dogs are safe. Stay safe! My prayers go out to everyone in California dealing with this mass distruction. (((hugs)))

Thanks for the update Robin. I was afraid you were going to find nothing left. How horrible to have to go through. It was a cool house and I loved the outdoor patio on the rocks. The view was magnificent, but I guess that came with a price. If you need any thing let me know. I can keep a few of the pups for you if you'd like. Did your landlord's house survive?

Lisa's daughter and ex hubby lost their homes in Ramona too. But everyone and the animals (horses included) all got out ok. I guess that's the most important thing is that you guys are all ok. Possessions can be replace, lives can't!

Take care Robin (((((((((HUGS))))))))))

Dianne

Hi Robin:

I am soooo sorry to hear about your loss. I have thought about you often, as Dick has not been able to get to work and just found out that part of the business that he worked for in Ramona was also lost. Please give me a call if there is anything that I can help with. If you need a place to stay, you and the dogs are more than welcome to stay with us. Please give me a call.

Kim

I have a puppy buyer that lives in Ramona, here is her email of what happened during the fires:

"Thanks Dianne, we are all good. We did not evacuate, we stayed behind and fought the fires with our neighbors. Don't believe those darned politicians, there were not enough fire trucks in Ramona to fight the fires and they just left us to burn. We (my husband and 5 other neighbors) singlehandedly saved 5 homes, including ours. We are cleared, did everything they asked us to do, and the county still didn't have enough support. After 3 days they decided they needed help and that was too late for Ramona. Dianne, if your friend needs anything, just let us know. We can take dogs, horses, cats, whatever, I'm so sorry to hear about their loss. We're here if they need us. Thanks again. (PS....Ranger looks like a black lab right now because of all the ash.)"

So if you need anything please let me know I can give you her contact info.

Dianne

So glad to hear you and the dogs are safe.
You will get through this! You have many
friends that will be there for you for a
long time, don't ever forget that Robin.

Best,
Vicki

Thanks to everyone for their support publicly and privately. I am going to the house site hopefully today to sift through for some mementos. Pewter/Armetale trophies and plates may have survived, I don't know. They are important to me but again, when you get right down to it, it's just "stuff." I'll just have to win some more to replace them!
P.S. My dogs are all doing great, and I'm going up to Hemet tonight to see my puppies!