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San Diego Wildfires Creating Problems Countywide
Spreading fires causing mass evacuations, power outages, and service interruptions
October 23, 2007—Wherever you live in San Diego county, it is a certainty today that you have been affected in some way by the fires that continue to burn in this region. All San Diego and Chula Vista schools are closed today, as well as most private schools and universities, and there is no word yet as to when they will officially reopen. The smoky conditions and resulting bad air quality are part of the decision by many schools to keep their doors closed today, and parents are advised to keep their children indoors as much as possible, and to instruct them to drink plenty of water and avoid vigorous physical activity.
The California ISO has declared what it terms a transmission line emergency for all of Southern California and has asked everyone to do their part to conserve energy, and to avoid any downed power, cable, and phone lines. It is estimated that some 25,000 SDG&E customers are currently without power, and citizens in Ramona are facing possible water shortage, due to fact that all possible resources are being diverted to the fire fighting efforts.
If you or someone you know is facing the potential threat of evacuation and/or power outage, there are some important steps that you can take. First of all, advises the San Diego Fire Department website, if you have been ordered to evacuate, or if you are under a voluntary evacuation or evacuation advisory, time is of the essence.
Gather all important legal documents, insurance paper work, medical records, and place them in a sturdy container. Next, gather up all necessary toiletries, including medications and pet medications, as well as any irreplaceable items, several changes of clothes, pet supplies, diapers, baby food and formula, and anything else that you feel is essential. If you have time, you should take inventory of the valuables in your home, otherwise, get out as soon as possible.
If you are facing the possibility of a power failure, make sure that you have adequate supplies of candles, matches, and batteries for portable radios available. Plenty of bottled water and non perishable food items, as well as blankets and coats for weather changes are also essential.
It is not known when these fires will be 100% contained, but until then, staying safe and making sure that you are ready for every possible eventuality is the best defense against any circumstance. If you have extra items that you would like to donate to evacuees, please gather them up and deliver them to the closest evacuation shelter, as certain types of items are among the most needed and in the shortest supply, such as toiletry items, diapers, formula, and warm blankets.
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