By Mary O’KEEFE

When we started CVW it was September 2009 and we were knee-deep in the Station Fire. I had covered fire and law enforcement when I was with the Valley Sun and LA Times Community News but the Station Fire was something else. I remember getting a call that there was a small fire in the Angeles National Forest that was probably going to be contained “soon” … but it wasn’t. My son Charly (who also writes for the CV Weekly) and I spent a lot of time in the field those next few days as the fire continued to spread, incident command centers moved and we all watched as the fire just didn’t seem to end. The next year we faced the floods and then in 2011 the winds arrived that had many of us lose power for days … and days. 

So you would think I would be prepared for the Eaton Canyon Fire that was heading our way on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning; but this was a different experience. It was the intense winds of 2011 plus the fire of 2009, but these winds were strong and a force to be reckoned with. 

I went to take a photo from the top parking lot of the YMCA of the Foothills. I got out of my car expecting a normal Santa Ana wind but this one punched me. It honestly felt like I had been hit in the arm as I was knocked into my car. I understood the meaning of the term “Mountain Wave” used by NOAA and other weather sources. One of the many weather specialists I was listening to on Tuesday and Wednesday described “Mountain Wave” as winds that come over the top of the mountain and pick up speed as they continue down the hill into the valley.

The smoke from the fire moved at a quick pace – as did the fire itself. The sky went from pink to black smoke in a matter of seconds. I, like I assume most Southern Californians, watched as the firefighters battled the fires at Pacific Palisades, Eaton Canyon and Sylmar. News reporters followed the Eaton Canyon Fire, sharing how quickly the fire was moving. 

Almost all of them stated, “I’ve never seen anything like this before.” In our area the closet blaze was Eaton Canyon in Altadena. We saw the fire as a distant glow until later Tuesday evening when we began to see spot fires trickle down the mountain near La Cañada Flintridge. The street lamps and signal lights were all out along Foothill Boulevard giving it a haunted feel as only a few car lights could be seen through the light smoke that drifted down the boulevard. The wind was forcing my car out of its lane and the early morning sky held a strange kind of darkness. 

Then came the evacuation warnings and orders. Even though there were not mandatory evacuation orders for areas of La Crescenta I started seeing a line of cars moving down from Briggs Terrace and the top of Rosemont Avenue. This line of cars emphasized how serious this fire was and how fast it was moving. As we were getting notice of evacuation warnings for La Crescenta and Montrose, I grabbed my “go” bag and made sure I had everything I needed. 

It made me realize how important it is for us to be ready, set, go – as LA County Fire would advise. I had my battery-operated lanterns, my flashlight, emergency vest and medication. I also made sure I had my external hard drive, which holds of all my important paperwork, and my laptop. What I didn’t realize was that my portable charger for my phone and computer were not charged. I remember specifically when I had planned to charge it, but I just put it off and then the power went out.

In my world, every mistake is a learning moment so here is what I learned from this latest fire storm: no matter how prepared I think I am … I am not as prepared as I thought I was. 

Take this time to review the Ready. Set. Go. program from LA County Fire and make a list of all of the things you should take and all the things you should do to be prepared to leave. Make sure you have all of your medications and important papers, remember to fill or charge your car, take chargers for tech items and anything else you might need. 

Make sure to add something that is a comfort item for you. When my kids were small and we had our earthquake kits at schools we also added photos of the family and a toy that would remind them of home. Just because we are older that doesn’t mean in trying times we may not need a little comfort.

Stay safe, be aware and be prepared. Go to https://fire.lacounty.gov/rsg/ for more information. 

The future is still a little windy but, according to NOAA, not anything like what we just went through. There will be a Red Flag Warning until today, Jan. 9, at 6 p.m. then there will be a Fire Weather Watch from today to Friday at 5 p.m. 

There will be some winds in the forecast but more of “typical” Santa Ana winds with gusts up to 10 mph and up to 20 mph in the foothills above 2,000 feet, according to Mike Wofford, NOAA meteorologist.