Salute The Fighters -- We Are All Together: The Del Mar FiarGround Evacuation Center

2007.10.23

The wildfires have lasted in San Diego for 3 days, since last Sunday. About 513,000 in San Diego county have been ordered or suggested to leave.

Google Map of Fire Incidents

UCSD campus will be closed for the rest of the week. We, living near UCSD, are safe for now. Many of us students have been carefully watching TV, listening to radio, doing simple packing, and getting prepared for any possible immediate evacuation order in future. Some of the friends I know have evacuated, who live in Carmel Valley, 6 miles north of our home.

This afternoon, we decided to do something more active to get more involved and see what we can do for the people who are suffering.

Google Map of my home and the Shelter

We set out from home @ UCSD Mesa Housing (map link) at 3:00pm, heading for the evacuation center nearest to UCSD –Del Mar Fairgrounds Shelter, where families and pets are welcome.

With the concern in traffic on I-5 in mind, we had decided to drive on roads, but then drove to I-5 unconsciously. We were a bit surprised to notice the few traffic on the highway, about 1/6 traffic level as usual at the same time.

As we drove north, we saw some smokes in not very near far's montains.

We arrived at the Del Mar FairGrounds at 3:15pm.

There are two evacuation shelter in Del Mar FairGrounds, one specifically for horses, the other for people. We were directed to the latter by some soldier. There is a huge parking lot there with sparse cars there, which we took as a good sign. Since early today, the Authorities noticed that Del Mar Heights is safe and people with their homes there can return safely. A women, who evacuated here from her home, drove her large ??, with about 5 cats in carriage and 3 dogs lensend. She is taking care of these pets with mask on. She directed us to the inner part of the shelter center. We drove inside, and there are many cars. Ambulance, Emergency….

Volunteers are helping everywhere, directing cars in, helping with the patients, helping donators moving food/water and distributing them to the sufferers.

There are two main locations for evacuators. One for elderly patients, the other for others.

In the hall for elderly patients, medical people and nurses, and qualified volunteers are helping to facilitate elders moving to other safe hospitals for care and treatment. . Some elder person are receiving diagnosing from doctors just inside ambulance.

Another hall is full of piles of water/food/blanket/clothes outside, which are donated by people around San Diego. For a short period of 5 minutes, there are about 10 vehicles coming for donation.

Inside the hall, there are refugees. Tables, tent beds, blankets, sleep bags are seen everywhere. The whole place was not a mess at all, but rather organized and regulated. Elderly people sit around, chatting with each other, or taking care of their pets. Young people are apparently digging more funs. Some are napping on the tent beds. People showed great comfort and peace in their face, which are highly wished also on their mind.

A male elder stayed in the evacuation center is 2 days. He has some burns in his left elbow, on a tent bed and watching the TV broadcasting the CA Governor Schwarzenegger’s speech. The elder said that the food/water supply is ample.

A female elder came to the shelter by her own, having had expecteded only to stay for 2 hours, She had a cat with her and fed the cat with water. A family of four people from Carmel Valley arrived at the evacuation center yesterday, and the guy is working on his laptop.

Some national and local TV stations came to Del Mar Fairgrounds, including the Weather Channel, ABC 7, ABC 18 and so on (I had wished to see CNN, especially 360 J , but not there. I believe you guys are in more dangerous places now. So Take the very best care of all yourselves!!) The Weather Channel photographer said that they flew to Los Angeles on 10/22 and then drove to San Diego through I-5, with the traffic perceived "so-so".

During our visit and voluntary help there, we saw the peace in eveybody's face. We also saw the care and faith in everybody's face. We believe we will get through this event and we will all be safe.

Salute the firefighters who are working directly against the fire, for their sacrifice and courage!
Salute the news reporters, for their professional coverage and courage!
Bless the evacuators, for their obeying the order and courage!
Bless everybody safe, peaceful everyday!