| Wednesday, October 24, 2007 4:08 PM CDT |
Former Clinton woman has luggage packed, lives near wildfires
CLINTON — A former Clinton woman is among the thousands of San Diego County residents with packed bags and an eye on the television for news of raging wildfires that could mean an evacuation from the home she shares with her fiance.
Penny Rich, a registered nurse who lives in the community of El Cajon, Calif., said Tuesday that her household is prepared for evacuation.
“So many people weren’t prepared when the fires went through four years ago. These fires are everywhere and very sporadic,” Rich said.
So far, El Cajon has escaped the fires, she said.
“We barely smell smoke. The problem with this fire is you have the Santa Ana winds that pick up embers and drop them down,” Rich said.
On Sunday night and Monday, those winds peaked at 85 mph and carried embers across several communities in the county, Rich said.
The parents of Rich’s fiance joined the household during an evacuation from their home Monday. The parents got to go home on Tuesday, but they left behind a cockatiel that will be evacuated with Rich’s cat if fires come close.
Rich’s mother in Clinton said she talked to her daughter several times Monday for updates on the fires.
“You don’t know what direction the fire is going to move,” Norma Rich said. “They’re safe right now. but you can’t ever tell what the wind is going to do. We have no idea what it’s like.”
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