Thank you so much for your concern and prayers.

The last week has been so devastating. Gunnar and I have seen so much destruction that frankly I am still in shock.

All of East County San Diego has burned and is now gone. I can't even begin to paint you a picture.

All around us in Alpine was on fire. On Sunday we watched the fires grow from the Cedar fire coming right toward us. The Viejas mountain that is right outside our front door was like a volcano going off. Then it was like an atomic boom that mushroomed. We could hear propane tanks blowing from the distance and knowing that right after the blow, the house was next to burn. At that point the fire had not crested the mountain yet. The sky was so black but the sun tried to shine through only to see a red ball of fire that in my opinion was very devilish. We had the car packed by noon on Sunday ready to go at the point the fire crested the hill.

Around 2:00pm Sunday, all of the freeways, highways and small connecting roads in and out of San Diego was closed. There was only one way out and that was East on Interstate 8 going toward Julian - Sunrise Highway.

So Sunday was a very long day and night. We would walk down Willows Road from time to time (the road we live on) to the on ramp to 8 West. Of course it was closed, but we needed to see how close the fire from Harbinson Canyon was to the South Grade road which is where Gunnar’s mom and Xavier live. It didn't look good at all. By this time, 2:00pm the electricity went out so we could not contact his Mom and they couldn't drive to us. We had spoken w/ them earlier that morning and had discussed our plans. However, at that point we were on our own.

We stayed in our home as long as we could. By 3:00am Monday morning, we got the knock on the door that it was TIME to get the heck out of here. The Viejas mountain was totally engulfed and even though the winds were blowing in our favor to blow the fire up the mountain, the fire didn't respond, it kept burning down and at a rate that couldn't be clocked. The sound of the fire was like a train that derailed hitting trees, brick walls, just anything in it way. Along with the sound, you could feel the fire coming like an earthquake. Then the heat of the fire was so strong that it would knock you back. The sound, the heat, and the feeling from this fire was so strong that we just said good-bye to the place we call home. The sad part of this, at the moment that we said good-bye, were the 11 cats that we couldn't save. We had to leave our outside babies to fight for themselves. We figured that if the fire didn't get to them, the smoke would.

We didn't have much gas as many others were in the same boat. We weren't able to fill up because of the freeway closures. We just had to go w/ what we had. For you who have not been out here, there isn't a gas station on 8 East for miles and miles and miles. So this is what we did, we got on the freeway and parked our car on the side of the freeway and watched the fire burn in hopes that it would spare our house. The smoke began to get too much so we inched our way up 500 - 1000 feet at a time. Then we saw another fire that was coming toward Willows Road from the other side. So we knew then that if the fire that was right in front of our house didn't get us the fire on the right would. We watched homes burn and more propane tanks blow. How helpless we felt.

As the sun began to rise, we made it to the only rest stop before Descanso. Here we meet 100's of people from Alpine. We also meet Fire Fighters from Virginia that have come to help. Of course I spoke w/ them and gave them all a big hug before they left. Still the fire kept coming. Then it crested the hill at the rest stop. We started yelling for everyone to start packing and get the hell out of here. As soon as it crested the mountain it was down like no time. Don't ask me why on this, but right before it crested, the Highway Patrol allowed about 100 big rigs through on 8 West going toward Alpine and the burning areas. The last big rig was greeted with the fire. The truck slammed on his brakes, backed up and turned his truck around just missing the fire as it jumped the freeway right in front of us. We just made it out before this occurred. I would say about 20 seconds. Now we had passed Descanso and went up the hill still on 8 East where many of us stopped to watch and to stay put. Then we say a regular pickup truck pass us on 8 East after we parked and his whole front bumper and grill of his truck was dripping like a candle from the heat of the fire. I couldn't believe it.

The Interstate was a true war zone. There were so many people not to mention goats, horses, donkeys, pigs, chickens, rabbits, dogs, cats, and what ever else people had in live stock on the freeway. The freeway was like Noah's Ark. We were there for quite a while before the fire started to get closed over the mountains in front of us and then we noticed that to the right of us was another fire coming from the distance. Again we were being trapped on two sides. So we moved again, this time we stopped at the Exit of Sunrise Highway.

Here we stayed watching the mountain around us burn. At this time the fire was heading toward the Pine Valley - Descanso area with no end in sight.

All day long we saw houses burn, propane tanks blow, and faces of people in total shock not knowing if they had a home or not. We meet so many people who like us had nothing but was willing to offer what they had such as food, water, blankets, or just someone to talk to. The evil that all of us were in was being over taken by the unselfishness and goodness of the people involved. This was our 911. I am not taking anything away from 911, just explaining that all of us, strangers to one another, became our new neighbors. All of us pulling together out on the freeway war zone seemed to be the rock for everyone’s sanity.

From Monday at 3:00am to sometime early Tuesday morning, we literally were running from the fire that was all around us. We did get the okay to return home even though the fires were still burning. The fires at that point was hitting hard the Pine Valley- Descanso area and you all know the rest. I know nothing in my life that has every compared to what I have seen in the last week.

On the way home in shock, we didn't know what to expect. When we left the Viejas Mountain from West Willows and East Willows, which is the same street was totally on fire with flames ranging from 200 - 400 feet up and higher. Again we didn't know what to expect. As we got closer to our exit, we saw that the trees from the freeway were still there. As we got off of the freeway and turned onto Willows, we saw our house. It was still there. We pulled up in the driveway, there were our 11 out door cats that were very happy to see us not to mention very hungry. Gunnar and I just cried and thanked God with everything that we had. It was truly unbelievable that our house did not burn.

When we returned, we had no electricity until this past Saturday. Our well is pumped by electricity so we also had no water until Saturday. So even though we were home we were unable to contact anyone by phone. The next day, we went up to the Viejas mountain and the fire stopped right at the base of the mountain. The homes up against the mountains were there. The fire just stopped. Like God blew the flames back up the mountain. We didn't get any help from the fire departments. All fire departments were sent to the Viejas Casino. Go figure. Our homes were left to burn. The sad things about that is that the reservation at Viejas burned where the fire department spent so much time.

So, here we are putting things back together, cleaning up, and trying to put our lives back to where they were a week ago. Gunnar's mom and Xavier are fine. Their house made it, thank God. We did lose a lot of homes in Alpine. Some areas are just gutted out. It is so sad to see the devastation and so many without homes.

I pray that no one ever sees what we have seen. I pray that no one ever goes through what we went through. I pray that all of you are at piece with yourself and God.

Your friend always,

Elayne and Gunnar