A Live Account of the California Fires

A close friend lives in San Diego, California and she sent me an e-mail of what is really going on regarding the fires.

For those of you who don't already know,many parts of CA are burning including San Diego county. When Iwalked outside of my house this morning it smelled like a campfire! All schools are closed and the hospitals are overflowing of peoplewith smoke inhalation, asthma, COPD attacks (the air is horrible) andburns. Our burn unit reached maximum capacity with the majority being firefighters. It appears to be foggy outside from the smoke and italso looks like it's snowing because there is so much ash in the air. So many people have lost their homes. The wind keeps shifting directions so they have not been able to contain the fires to this point. Everyone has been advised to stay at home to clear theroadways so that emergency vehicles can get through. They shut downthe interstate going north and south early this morning. You are onlyto leave your home if they evacuate your neighborhood, which my brothers neighborhood was evacuated about an hour ago. UCSD medical center (my work) is crazy right now! I just left to come home about20 minutes ago and when I stepped out of my building there were about 20 ambulances sitting outside the ER and a helicopter trying to landon the landing pad. I honestly don't think I've ever seen such madness as this, except on tv.