Updated 7:17 p.m.: The advisory evacuation of Carlsbad was lifted late this afternoon, and evacuations have also been lifted in some other North San Diego County locations that no longer face fire danger. Much of the rest of the coastal area also appears to have survived the fires with little damage, with tree branches blown into the area and a covering of ash, but few or no lost homes near the coast. The air quality may still be a problem. Fires are getting worse in the Lake Arrowhead area and probably in some other locations at a greater distance from where I live. The wind seems to be dying down sooner than expected, but winds from the ocean are still not expected until Thursday, which will help the air quality.
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Judging by Sitemeter and the radio and blog coverage, there are still people unsure of whether Carlsbad is under a voluntary evacuation and whether they should leave. I am going to do a quick post for those searchers with links to other sources of information and advice based on my experience of Carlsbad 4 years ago. Also, from my Oakland Hills Fire experience, I will give some information from experience that may help people who may have had homes damaged or lost elsewhere in the county.
San Diego Union-Tribune and its Latest Fire News Blog are good sources for general updates such as evacuation area status. Sign-On Forums have people posting information on specific neighborhoods, including Carlsbad. Sign-On Radio is broadcasting online, and there is a link from the Union-Tribune main page (top right).
A San Diego County Emergency page has updated fire information from the County, including information on new evacuations. The latest to change from voluntary to mandatory is all of Fairbanks Ranch not already under mandatory evacuation. As of 9:30 this morning, it posted the following information about air quality in areas not under mandatory evacuation:
"All areas west of the active fires in San Diego County will be impacted by the smoke. Air quality will be the worst in and around the fires and will also be very poor downwind of the fires. The air quality levels of particulate pollution in these areas will be in the unhealthy to hazardous range. In areas that are not directly downwind of the fires, air quality levels will range from moderate to unhealthy. People living or working in these areas should take caution and attempt to protect themselves as much as possible. Air quality will be significantly better in areas east of the fires, with levels ranging from good to moderate."
The area from Highway 56 (which is several miles south of Carlsbad) north to Highway 78 (around the northern boundary of Carlsbad) and from I-5 on the west all the way to I-15 on the East were under a voluntary evacuation beginning mid-afternoon Monday. I received a reverse 911 call and left quickly. I heard later that it had changed to a mandatory evacuation, but the map last night still showed it as a voluntary evacuation, and I think that is correct.
Four years ago, the air quality in Carlsbad became so bad that it was entirely unbreathable, and it seemed particularly bad around I-5. It may not be that bad this year because there seems to be more of an ocean breeze near the coast keeping the air from getting that bad around the beaches. If the air quality is still good near the coast, you may want to evacuate today if you have not yet done so. If the air quality is unbreathable outside, and the evacuation is only voluntary, and if your home is recently constructed and pretty airtight, then you might think of simply keeping all doors and windows closed, make sure your fireplace flu is shut, and just stay put. The last I heard, the air was not expected to improve until Thursday, and it could get worse. My own choice was to take the voluntary evacuation seriously and move north.
If you are in a home or hotel on the beach (west of I-5), you may not be evacuated at all.
Orange County probably still has some hotel availability. Check websites. As of last night, for example, the hotels around Disneyland had room. It is likely that those hotels will have cancellations because of people not wanting to go to Disneyland while it is smokey from fires. The air quality in Orange County is not great because there is a fire burning in a canyon in east Orange County, although it is not as threatening as the ones in San Diego and it is partially contained. There are also fires burning north of here in Los Angeles County, and people from there are also evacuating to Orange County.
If you are evacuating from the fire, want a hotel room, and cannot find availability, try phoning the hotel you want directly. They may let you have a room even if websites shows no availability. Due to the fires, southern California hotels will probably have a number of no-shows from people coming in from out of town, and they may let you overbook or put you on a list and call you if there is a cancellation.
For anyone who has lost a home, or who knows that their home has been badly damaged: If you are staying with friends and relatives, start checking for hotel availability for Thursday or Friday, as you will want your own space quickly. Homeowners policies will usually pay for your reasonable added costs of living for 1 year from the date of a disaster, so check your policy. Some renters' policies pay for two weeks of added living expenses. Also phone your insurance carrier, get the claim started, and expect that it will take a few days before a busy adjuster gets back to you.
Ideally, if you have lost your home, you will want a room with a kitchenette that is in the same school district or near friends who have shared losses in the same fire. Then, this week-end or next, you should look for an apartment or rental home that you can move into while your home is being rebuilt or repaired. You may eventually work out a deal to sell your property to your insurance carrier and use the money to buy a new home. But even if you do that rather than rebuild, you will want to take several months to find a new home that you really want and to buy furniture and other replacement items.
Giving yourself 6 months or so on a lease will give you the time you need to do that. Keep in mind that the apartment or rental home that you want may not be available for several weeks, so find a hotel room where you will be comfortable for that amount of time. Ask your insurance adjuster to advance living expenses for the first month or two, and the adjuster may write you out a check on the spot, advancing some living expenses.
Be careful not to sign a release until all of your losses owed under your policy, including living expenses, have been paid. Keep in mind that some insurance carriers that suffered big losses in Katrina claims may be watching their budgets more carefully than usual now, which may mean that you have to be more careful to protect your rights than may have been the case several years ago. Hopefully, all will go well, as we will not likely have nearly that many losses. If you have a problem, contact the State Insurance Commisioner's office or call your lawyer. Read what you sign.
Lastly, even if you do not regularly attend church, you may want to plan for it this week-end. It will give you a chance to be with other people who have shared a similar fire experience and who are experiencing many of the same feelings that you are feeling. There is a link in the sidebar to the Diocese of San Diego page with information about Mass times for various parishes. There is a map on that website showing San Diego County parishes by location to help you find one near wherever you may be this week-end. By Sunday, churches now evacuated should be back to a regular schedule, and the pastors will surely expect that the fire will be on people's minds.
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