Post #481753 by VampiressRN on Sun, Sep 6, 2009 2:33 PM

Glad to hear you are OK Ernie...fires in canyons are a scary thing...been through a few myself. It is amazing how fast they spread and the winds can blow embers for miles. Really makes ya think about the insurance aspect for sure.

My Mom has been through some horrendous fires in Wildcat Canyon in Lakeside, Ca by Barona Indian Reservation in the past few years. As kids our family had to evacuate several times, my sister would ride her horse out (which is scary, cause they are freaked and just want to run wild) and we had to move cows, goats, dogs...that is a job and you can only do it if you have time...sometimes you have to leave your animals behind.

In the last big fire a few years ago my Mom was asleep and had her hearing aide out so couldn't hear her neighbors knocking on her doors and windows at 3am when the mandatory evacuation came. For some reason she did get up and went to the bathroom and then the fireman were banging down her front door...she made it out with just her false teeth, hearing aide, cell phone, purse and the ragged nightgown she was in. Many people lost animals in the fire, a couple of folks died in their car trying to escape and houses all around her burned down. She was lucky, as her house was safe, but all her sheds, pool house, and pool were destroyed. It took 2 years of fighting with the insurance to get it all built up again and her pool resurfaced.

I cried my eyes out when I went to the fire-station so my Mom and I could give them our contributions for saving her life. Gawd bless the fireman...they are so wonderful. We just really can't do enough for these brave people. DONATE!!!!

Ernie...get your insurance updated...it's worth it. What gets covered never really takes care of all the damage, but when you don't have it...well :(

Stay safe!!!