Philipp Schneider

Over fifteen percent of San Diego County's population of 2.9 million has been evacuated from their homes due to impending threats of fast burning fires. The San Diego Charger's home field, Qualcomm Stadium, as well as local shelters and hotels are being filled up as a safe-haven for relocated San Diegans. More than 1,300 homes and businesses have been set afire by the wind propelled wildfires and containment in some areas is still zero percent.

These are some of the headlines coming through on all local TV channels, radio stations, internet sites and printed media. The wildfires have brought the county to a slow crawl. School districts have closed their doors to instruction, along with many universities including my own, SDSU. Highways are barren, as the city has asked citizens to keep them open for emergency vehicles. Businesses are closed, including the Starbucks store I work at- after the decision was made to donate all food items and coffee to locals and send employees back home with loved-ones. It is an upsetting time for many people right now but the city has shown its true colors while banding together and offering unbridled support.

I must admit I grinned when radio reports described the air support being deployed to smother fires from the sky. The local FM station charted, "We have deployed eight type 2's and six type 1's to drop water and fire retardant on the progressing fires". They were of course referring to the helicopters of varying size being deployed, and not the "pancreatically challenged" that I envisioned in my head.

Another comment struck a chord also. Some homes were evacuated with only minutes to spare, as the fire raced towards them in the middle of the night. It was reported that they were urged only to grab essentials such as prescription medications before making a get-away. I could see it now. I would be reaching to the top of the closet for my box of extras: stock-piled test strips, lancets, alcohol swabs and the like, then racing to my dresser drawer for the needle box in current use and digging insulin pens out of my travel bag in the corner. Not to forget the fridge, holding extra Lantus and Novolog pens as replacements. So long computer hard drive, adios family portraits, sayonara brand new ice skates, insulin has you beat.

Thankfully I am in no immediate danger of evacuation, even though I could see flames cresting a distant hill this morning and smoke blankets the sky in all directions. My bachelor-pad apartment is separated by too many miles of concrete and infrastructure to be compromised. My heart goes out, though, to every person who is impacted by this massive incident. Property is being lost... memories smoldering on foundations and many families are still uncertain where their disrupted lives will settle. A bright side, minimal deaths, and a county of brave men, women, and friends to rely on.