CA brushfires

[CJ2008]

Just hoping everyone in Southern California is safe...

 

[KimberlyH]

Sending good wishes to all our L.A. area PSers.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

I''ve been evacuated, unfortunately. thank god it was time for my pets'' annual exams so i already had them with me when the evacuation was mandated.

 

[JulieN]

My parents are preparing to evacuate...we''ve never gone through this before.

 

[mommy2iz]

also evacuated....6 fire trucks on my street! so scary!!!

 

[*Danielle*]

I am also in the area but no where near getting evacuated. I hope everyone is staying safe and your homes remain untouched!

 

[Skippy123]

Praying everyone is safe and this fire is put out soon.

 

[luvmyhalo]

I''m in the area as well. From my house, I can see tons of smoke and way in the distance I can see flames but as of right now, we''re far from being evacuated. It''s going to be a long night.

For all those who have evacuated, you''re in my thoughts and prayers that your families and your homes will be OK.

 

[choro72]

The freeways are all closed so I couldn't go to my adviser's retirement party

I was looking forward to it for a long time...

 

[CJ2008]

How are you guys doing? So many homes destroyed...hoping you''re all safe.

 

[EricaR]

As long as the winds don''t shift south-east I''m OK. I was out on fire watch all day yesterday and am heading out to resume it right now. I hate this weather...

 

[mommy2iz]

my evacs were finally lifted....home for about 2hours now. house is ok. our back gate is melted in areas, soot covers EVERYTHING inside, mud/soot inside under all door-ways. smells HORRIBLE!!!! does anyone have any idea how to remove the odor?
we can''t open windows or turn on a/c due to air quality.......so overwhelmed. where do i start!?!
grateful we''re safe + house is still standing. thanks to all who sent prayers, happy thoughts,etc.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 11/16/2008 11:53:05 AM
Author: mommy2iz
my evacs were finally lifted....home for about 2hours now. house is ok. our back gate is melted in areas, soot covers EVERYTHING inside, mud/soot inside under all door-ways. smells HORRIBLE!!!! does anyone have any idea how to remove the odor?
we can''t open windows or turn on a/c due to air quality.......so overwhelmed. where do i start!?!
grateful we''re safe + house is still standing. thanks to all who sent prayers, happy thoughts,etc.

m2i, Our neighborhood is one of many that burned during the SD fires last year. We were very lucky that our home was safe; we were evacuated for over three weeks (and out of town when the fires started) so we returned home to a fridge full of rotted food (no power), soot, etc. We turned on the house fan and used lots of Lysol; I was still cleaning soot out of our window seals over the summer (I have no idea where it kept coming from, it was like a magic trick, I would scrub and more would appear. The smell became less obvious the more time we spent in our home and eventually it went away, but it took time. Best of luck to you.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

I''m still evacuated several of my little brother''s friends'' houses are burned down and they are only on the next hill over from us. My answering machine still works, so our house is untouched so far.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 11/16/2008 11:53:05 AM
Author: mommy2iz
my evacs were finally lifted....home for about 2hours now. house is ok. our back gate is melted in areas, soot covers EVERYTHING inside, mud/soot inside under all door-ways. smells HORRIBLE!!!! does anyone have any idea how to remove the odor?
we can''t open windows or turn on a/c due to air quality.......so overwhelmed. where do i start!?!
grateful we''re safe + house is still standing. thanks to all who sent prayers, happy thoughts,etc.

Sorry about your house

Have you called your insurance co? Try filing a claim and have your entire interior replaced. . .walls, doors, etc. The smell is difficult to get rid of.

 

[EricaR]

The smell is difficult to get rid of, but it can be done. Last year''s Santiago Fire burned to directly across the street from us and our apartment was pretty trashed afterwards. Here is what worked for me:

1. The ash will continue to work its way into your house. Place towels under each outside door and window for at least the next week.
2. Wash all clothing, bedding, etc, throwing about 1/2 cup of vinegar into the washing machine with the detergent.
3. We ran our A/C, just were wary of the filters. We changed the filters the day after the fire started, then twice more that week, and once a week for the next month. This made an enormous difference.
4. Sprinkle carpets liberally with baking soda and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. Vacuum. Repeat as necessary. The first few times the baking soda was just about black by the time I vacuumed it up.
5. The ash and smell will continue to linger outside for quite a while. Everyone coming into the house took off their shoes in the entry way, and my FI and I both took off our clothes right there. They went into a hamper and right outside to the washer/dryer.

I''ll think about it and see if I remember any more tricks we did. I know that we got our carpets professionally cleaned about six weeks after the fire - any sooner and I think they would have gotten icky again right away.

 

[snlee]

My thoughts are with those affected by these fires. I hope that the fires are out soon and your homes are ok. Please stay safe.

 

[swimmer]

Watching the news and thinking of LA area folks. Hoping that people stay safe...hats off to the amazing rescue crews going above and beyond. Just can't imagine checking your answering machine to see that your house is OK. That really got me. Strength to you all!

 

[mommy2iz]

thx so much for all the helpful hints! i''ve cleaned non-stop for 4 days, and even had the cleaning service come over to help. the insurance deductible is ridiculously high, and not worth the claim unless we decide to replace floors (which we may have to do) and remodel. the winds blow piles of soot all day long...the best tool thus far has been the gardener''s vacuum/blower! too bad it weighs as much as i do, or i''d ask to borrow it + just wear it all day! baking soda, candles, and fans are helping. ugh!

 

[VRBeauty]

I'm sorry to be so late in posting this. I hope all PS'ers in the areas hit by wildfires are safe and that no one suffered major damage. I'm glad the fires are finally under control!

I stumbled on this today and thought it might be useful to anyone dealing with ash from the fires: Safely Removing Fire Ash, Dust and Debris.

http://www.aqmd.gov/news1/2008/afterfiretips.html