This morning my sister emailed me and said that my parents were out of town but our aunt and uncle and our cousins needed to evacuate from their home in Rancho Penasquitos, north of San Diego. Approximately 250,000 265,000 people were told to leave their homes because of the fires, which are burning thousands of acres due to high winds and dry conditions.
The response from local businesses, organizations, and individuals has been overwhelming: from people arriving at Qualcomm Stadium to horses being stabled at the Del Mar racetrack.
One of the most important issues for people outside of San Diego, like me, is keeping updated with the latest news: I've been following Sign On San Diego, which has done a good job of being responsive and updating their blog.
Keep updated with Sign On San Diego's news blog:http://fireblog.signonsandiego.com/
http://sosdfireblog.blogspot.com/
Also, KPBS is twittering:
http://www.twitter.com/kpbsnews
The Red Cross has sprung into action and added a link to the San Diego homepage: send them $10, $20, $50, or $100: they need your assistance.
http://www.sdarc.org/site/pp.asp?c=erKQL4NQE&b=3510321
To join a coordinated volunteer response:
http://volunteersandiego.org/HomePage/index.php/disaster/fire07.htm
All residents who wish to donate emergency supplies and personal necessities are advised to contact:
St. Vincent De Paul - 619-446-2100
Goodwill - 886-446-6394
Salvation Army - 619-231-6000
