On Thursday evening this fire, which had been burning since Monday got VERY close to me. I left a meeting at church at 7:30 PM and as I hit Hwy 44 I realized how beautiful the smoke was in the western sky... I wanted to take a photo, but did not think it kosher to stop on the freeway, attempted a shot on the freeway overpass which was not successful, I decided to pop over to Hilltop where I knew there was a good vantage point... but when I turned onto Hilltop the smoke was now to the north not the west... I turned around and went back to a vantage point I had noted a moment before, while hearing on the radio 2 main roads had been closed and noticing how heavy the traffic had gotten. I took a few shots and videos and headed home, Calling my neighbor Teana on the way. Brian said she had already left! I sent the video to the kids, and immediately was involved in a 3 way conference call with them, while seeing the neighbors on the other side also evacuating... Then Tammy came to the door and said Hilltop was begin evacuated! that was where I had taken the video only a few minutes before... The kids by now were finding LOTS of horror stories on the internet and were ordering me to get out too! I knew it wasnt that close, but when I learned later what they had been seeing on the internet of the other side of town and the mass hysteria there, as people tried to leave I understood where they were coming from.. I was able to pack the car with as many albums as it would hold, plus all the cat things, and the computer CPU. Also meds, money and baby books and grabbed a few framed photos off the wall on the way out the door!... Went to Janices house about 5 miles further out... Then went back for a 2nd load... 4 days later I woke up early realizing I had NOT taken several items stored in other locations around the house that were totally irreplaceable... Yikes!


I had already been attempting to purge, but this revelation has given new meaning to getting things in order.. I have been clearing bookshelves and re arranging things all week long.. All my albums WILL be in one location.. sort of! and I will be doing a LOT of scanning of the old years and documenting on the computer, because next time I may not be so lucky! It took me 2 hours this time, + a 2nd trip!....


I just heard some stories of just how fast the fire had roared in, maybe 5-6 miles from me... Lady Dentist had just gotten home from work... knew there was a fire, only 1 fire engine and all off in the distance, she was not concerned... Went to get a camera and realized, the homes right down the street were on fire... finding their electricity was off, she and her husband jumped into the car to evacuate, but could not get out the electric gate! turning around there were flames everywhere, they started running, then found some one with an SUV who rammed the gate...but quickly left it also and just ran, straight through the woods in the direction the wildlife was running... slipping and sliding all the time in her bedroom slippers! Eventually she ended up at the feet of police who were directing traffic... it was another 5 minutes before her husband caught up with her at the same place. The police told them they had ran at least 4 miles. Barely escaping the flames...They walked from here to her office which was nearby, in downtown Redding with a woman who had run out of gas. Almost 40,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders...


Over a thousand families lost their homes, with at least 8 of them from my church.. Everyone knows someone who lost a house! 4 people who could not get out and 4 Fire support people lost their lives.It is still burning in the mountains to the west... only about 50% contained. (August 13, 2018) The photo bottom right was one taken that night on Hilltop. The background image was taken earlier that day, showing the sun obscured by the clouds of smoke (the orange is actually what color the sky was)... The top photo was taken in my front yard as I arrived home from Hilltop. On the far right is a small image of my house.


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Here is a link to the video showing the lady Dentist's story....


https://www.facebook.com/KRCR7/videos/1862474213807511/UzpfSTE4MTQ3OTgwNTI6MTAyMTAwNDM5MzM0MTQyNzc/