The fires for us.

We thought this might be a good place to let everyone know how the fires that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres across San Diego County have impacted ourselves and our families.

Sarah's mom, Pam, and step mom, Kat, have been evacuated from Ramona since Sunday afternoon. They first heard about the Witch Creek Fire while having lunch together after a play, and by the time they got to Ramona, the east end where Pam lives was already closed off. The police wouldn't let her through in a car ... but had no problem with her walking past the roadblock, so she trekked a half mile up the road to get her cats and a few necessities, then drove out in her other car. Sarah's moms have been staying with their moms in Santee and Oceanside.

It has been difficult to get information out of Ramona, and while we were fairly certain that Kat's place was safe on the west end of town, we were less sure about Pam's, which is located along Highway 78 in the very heart of the burned areas. She had some word from her step brother, who works for the CDF and stopped by her street, but he wasn't able to identify her house specifically. Yesterday, my dad was able to talk him and I through several police barricades and we confirmed that Pam's house escaped the fire — just. The flames burned to within 100 feet of her home (see picture; click image to enlarge), charing much of her property and leaving behind a still smoldering oak we spent some time snuffing out. Several of her neighbors lost their homes.

My dad's sister Carol and her family evacuated for a night out of Carlsbad. My cousin Monica and her family evacuated. My cousin Theresa and her family spent several days at the stadium in their RV. And another cousin of mine evacuated and may have lost his home in Ramona, but my dad and I couldn't be 100 percent sure because the property was blocked off, but from what we could see and what we found out from someone coming out — the area where he lives was a total loss.

My dad, who is an Engineer with the La Mesa Fire Department, never got sent out to fight the fires. On his off day, he and another guy checked on the threatened homes of other firemen.

As for Sarah and I, we have only been affected indirectly — with the exception of the constant ash fall and the apprehension that comes with massive fires burning to the north, south, and east. Her work was closed for a few days when Poway was evacuated, and her school has been closed all week. All my colleges have been closed all week, as well.

Jason