Maybe we are done. I hope. Our biggest challenge is the smoke, which has – among other things – canceled our family’s weekend pastime: soccer!

I pray this is the last “Firewatch” post. The copters have returned this afternoon. And there’s a plume of white smoke up a few hills. Hopefully, just a rogue hot spot. If this is indeed an end to “Firewatch,” I leave you with a “Thank You” for following along and your good wishes. More so, a hearty “Well done!” and “Be safe!” to all the safety personnel who’ve kept this fire monster at bay. Please, catch the moron who started this.

And the proposed final word? Well, as I take a brief break and go see the Ducks play (and this forum returns to debating house prices,) it goes to the little people: My kids!

Fourth-grader Jakey, 9 … I thought this fire was scary, at first, because I never had come in contact with a fire near my home before. I then found out that there was nothing to worry about.
Then the fire got closer to my home and I got worried. Now, it is raining ash and stinky. But I’m happy that the fire is now under control.
The coolest thing about the fire was watching the planes over my house. And missing school.

Eighth-grader Rachel, 13, was a little more eloquent … About four or five days ago, everything was OK. But then, I turn on the TV and I start hearing about these fires in California. I thought it was nothing, but was I wrong.
Monday, as I woke up to get ready for school, it just wasn’t the same. The air had a smoky smell. I knew it wasn’t always like that. So, I carried on with my life. At school, I start to hear about Foothill Ranch and how it was being affected by the fire. People were being evacuating. This put us on the map. During school, the principal would come on the news in the middle of the day and tell us about the fires. Everyone that lived in that area immediately called their parents. Many had to leave to go home and pack.

The next thing I knew, it was coming our way. Tuesday, waiting for my carpool, it was very smoky. I had to put my mouth under my shirt so I could breath. My brother didn’t have to go to school that day, for the fire too close. I remember coming home from school and being told to pack. Just in case we’d have to leave in a moment’s notice.

I could see smoke coming from the hills during the day and bright orange glows during the night. I was practically in tears when I was packing I was so afraid that if we did have to leave … would our house still be here when we got back? But my mother comforted me. I felt much better. And, it turns out, we never had to leave. The firefighters got it.

Right now, the fire is growing, but away from us. I’m still worried. And I will remain scared and worried until the fire is completely put out. And the arsonist is found.

PS: Check out THIS PAGE from state health officials on dealing with disasters and children.

Temperature, 86 degrees. Humidity, a relatively tropical 22%. Breeze? What breeze!

Copters were here maybe two hours this AM. A good sign, I figure. So let me put this all in perspective for you with this map (Thank You, Google) of our community. My house is where the yellow thingie in the middle is. The large orange shape is my guess at where the fire’s burned so far. As you can see, it’s been a charming half circle of fire this week. See these icons …

• Oakley HQ is green thumbtack. Fire on Tuesday was across the street from the sunglass factory.
• Red fire marks show various places where fire got all-too-close to residences. The fire largely moved east, left to right on this map.
• The green arrow points to some vista we’d watch the flames from.
• Helicopter is over Oso Reservoir, where our air pals got their fire-fighting juice.
• … and the blue question mark is where 200 or so Saddleback Meadows homes may be built. Would have served as a firebreak for us.

So, you can see how we felted trapped. (To see even more detail, click on the map and you’ll be directed to Goggle Maps where I’ve added even more icons.)

As the fire progressed east, we lost our biggest “fire breaks” of other densely built neighborhoods. Once the fire was past Cook’s Corner (drink/burger icon) we were vulnerable to big winds from the north and/or east. It was just grassy hills between us and flames. Several steep ridges, as you can see in this map, would have slowed any advance by the fire, for sure. That’s not a bet, though, I wanted to place.

PS: Don’t miss a grand map of the entire inferno by The Register’s Cindy O’Dell by CLICKING HERE!

Day #3 of watching the Santiago Fire. Temperature 60 degrees, humidity 50%. Wind? Gosh, in some way, I wish it was here to help with the smoke …

The clouds and/or marine layers melded with the smoke to make one big smelly, gray mess. See this picture? Last night, you could clearly see flames well above. Now you can’t even see the second ridgeline, no less anywhere near where fire looms.

The sun rises as a strange orange ball. But we can’t see any immediate danger, like the next hill on fire. So we’ll have to assume we’re OK and that this sky soup isn’t too thick for today’s air show of fire-fighting support. Life might even be somewhat normal. Even the garbage truck was on time! We just have to figure out how to live with stinky air and two kids out of school today …