Reader submitted photo to the O.C. Register. This is a shot from the Irvine area of the O.C./Santiago Canyon fire.
As of yesterday evening (Pacific time) all of the So. Cal. romance bloggers had checked in with each other. So for the moment, we're all safe, albeit worried about family and friends living in canyon country and San Diego.
The Santa Ana winds have died down some today, which is good news for our brave firefighters. Not so good for air quality, which has obviously been piss poor. All that wind was moving things around, but now the smoke is just hanging there, stagnant. My office building is terrible! I'm a healthy adult with no respiratory issues and I'm not sure I'll last the whole day. Seriously.
Where I live isn't much better. We're not only getting the smoke from the O.C. fire, but also the fires burning out near where Rosie lives. We're smack dab in the middle. The Boyfriend has pretty much been home going stir crazy. He's in sales, which means quite a bit of day traveling. Well, with the entire area burning down around us, he can't very well go out on the sales calls he planned this week. Where was he heading? San Diego. Ha! So yesterday he made it his mission to buy an air purifier. I thought he was nuts - not because I didn't think it was a good idea to get one - but because I thought for sure he wouldn't find one! It's a bit like buying new fans during a heat wave or portable heaters during a blizzard. Everyone else gets the same brilliant idea at once.
Oh me of little faith! I think we lucked out because most people already have purifiers. So he found one at his first stop, our nearby Home Depot. Best money we've ever spent! Our apartment is habitable. Not a hint of smoke. Stepping outside? Another story entirely.
The fires are better in some areas and still horrible in others. We're in for a long, hard road - and once they are out? We'll be living with the aftereffects for a long time to come. Even setting aside property damage, injuries and loss of life - who knows when the air will be fit to breathe again. And that's saying something, because it's not like the air quality is all that great under normal conditions.
The Santa Ana winds have died down some today, which is good news for our brave firefighters. Not so good for air quality, which has obviously been piss poor. All that wind was moving things around, but now the smoke is just hanging there, stagnant. My office building is terrible! I'm a healthy adult with no respiratory issues and I'm not sure I'll last the whole day. Seriously.
Where I live isn't much better. We're not only getting the smoke from the O.C. fire, but also the fires burning out near where Rosie lives. We're smack dab in the middle. The Boyfriend has pretty much been home going stir crazy. He's in sales, which means quite a bit of day traveling. Well, with the entire area burning down around us, he can't very well go out on the sales calls he planned this week. Where was he heading? San Diego. Ha! So yesterday he made it his mission to buy an air purifier. I thought he was nuts - not because I didn't think it was a good idea to get one - but because I thought for sure he wouldn't find one! It's a bit like buying new fans during a heat wave or portable heaters during a blizzard. Everyone else gets the same brilliant idea at once.
Oh me of little faith! I think we lucked out because most people already have purifiers. So he found one at his first stop, our nearby Home Depot. Best money we've ever spent! Our apartment is habitable. Not a hint of smoke. Stepping outside? Another story entirely.
The fires are better in some areas and still horrible in others. We're in for a long, hard road - and once they are out? We'll be living with the aftereffects for a long time to come. Even setting aside property damage, injuries and loss of life - who knows when the air will be fit to breathe again. And that's saying something, because it's not like the air quality is all that great under normal conditions.
7 comments:
Finding an air purifier would be like finding plywood or tapcons (big screws) the day before a hurricane! I know this from experience...glad you got the filter though! :)
Air quality deteriorated today. Fire clouds so we have a rosy hued cloudy day. Very hot and miserable. Heavy hot air to breathe at work slightly smoky. No wind so far today which may have something to do with the smoke and crappy air hanging around.
Lil' Sis: I was thinking about that time Mom Fed Ex'ed tapcons to you because you couldn't find any in Florida!
Rosie: I had to come home early from work. It was so awful! I've felt light-headed and woozy most of the day. Even with their respirators, it makes me worry about what the firefighters are breathing into their lungs....
Glad to hear you and everyone else are doing okay! The air purifier sounds so smart. I can't imagine living with all that smoke and soot with my asthma :S My thoughts are with you!
Alie: I honestly don't know how people with respiratory problems are going to cope. At this point they've been advised to stay inside - but honestly? I was inside at work and I felt awful. I worry about people living closer to the fire zones....
So glad you posted since I've been wondering about everyone. We (up here in wet Washington) have been wishing we could send you some of our rain. We have all been checking google maps and they look horrendous. I've been reading some of the personal stories on the news websites and some of them just break my heart. Hope things improve quickly.
Thoughts and prayers have been with everyone in So Cal, especially the fire fighters and our blogging friends. So glad to hear your all fine.
Post a Comment