Matthew Wayne Selznick

We continue to await the hopefully not inevitable voluntary evacuation notice — we’re still several miles away from the front line of the fire, but the wind is pretty strong, so anything’s possible.

Those of you who might expect a call, we won’t be calling until it’s to let you we’re leaving… if you don’t hear from us, we’re fine.

I just heard that 90% of the homes in Julian, California, have been lost. Julian is a lovely little town in the high desert of San Diego County, where I had the pleasure of staying a few times. My thoughts go out to the Rockin’ R Ranch…

Thanks to International Space Station Science Officer Ed Lu for this image of the wildfires, taken Sunday, when things were just starting to sizzle…

It’s pretty creepy up here now.

The animals — we have four cats, a dog, and a turtle — are getting weirded out. Okay, I don’t know about the turtle, but you get the idea. The dog keeps wanting to go outside, where he just walks around and eats grass. The cats are whining.

I’ve got a little air purifier running in the back of the house, cuz that’s where I’m hanging out, but the air quality in the front of the house is noticeably worse… every window and door, including the flue of the fireplace, is closed, but the air outside is more smoke than air.

There’s still no fire in Hesperia. Heh. I said, “Still.” There’s no indication that there will be, but man, it’s a little eerie out there. I’ve been pretty much stuck in the house (see exceptions in previous entries) and with the stars gone from the sky and the air fouled, I’m feeling a little boxed in. The darn animals are probably getting buggy cuz I’m getting buggy!

There’s a voluntary evacuation in a neighborhood about five miles southeast of here, and a mandatory evac a bit south of there near the Cajon Pass. I don’t think my house is in danger, but I’m betting I’ll be up all night — I’m too keyed up.

So I went to get something to eat and the folks ahead of me waiting for a table were evacuees, straight from Big Bear.

They were eating because they hadn’t had time to get breakfast before they had to leave their house. I was eating because I was tired of being in my house.

So I mostly filled up on a plate of perspective…

Today’s satellite image.

It’s the third day in a row that I haven’t been able to go to work because of freeway closures related to the fire. I want to make it very very clear: this is not like a vacation!

I’m going buggy. I think I’m going to brave the air quality and leave this fortress for … I dunno, a restaurant, a coffeehouse, something! I gotta get outta here for a while.

I wish my laptop wasn’t down. I’ve got website and writing work to do, but I don’t think I can sit in my office all day today.

I’m gonna stop whining now. My house isn’t burning down.