California natives cope with fires away from home

Wildfires have scorched over 400,000 acres in Southern California in the past four days, a place where some IU students call home. \nThe first of the 15 or so fires started around midnight Saturday. By Sunday afternoon, fires were raging in Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange counties. Though wildfires aren’t uncommon in Southern California, 1,800 houses have been destroyed in the San Diego blaze, according to officials.\nIU junior Jordan Arnold said the fires are burning less than five miles from her home. \n“A lot of my best friends’ houses have been burned down,” Arnold said. “Everyone is okay though, and that is the most important thing.” \nArnold, who had a house burned down from a wildfire when she was younger, said fires aren’t that \nuncommon in her area. \n“I think everyone will rebuild their houses,” Arnold said. “We have a really tight knit community, so we will all be fine” \nIan Bell, a freshman from Pasadena, Cal., said everyone in the surrounding areas knows someone who has been affected by the fires. \n“We have family friends in San Diego whose house burnt down,” Bell said. “They’ve moved to a condo, and their insurance is going to help out enough to build a new house, but most of the concern is for the people in San Diego.” \nJeffrey Biggs, public affairs representative the American Red Cross, said they are doing everything they can to help the victims in Southern California. More than 50 mobile seating trucks, 3,000 workers from all 50 states, 40 truck loads of shelter and hundreds of workers have already been sent out to assist the people in need, Biggs said. \n“Wildfires are constantly evolving in Southern California,” Biggs said. “The winds are finally dying down though, which will hopefully enable the Red Cross and fire crews to work better and get on the ground. Our local chapters are doing a great job to make those affected as comfortable as possible.” \nKatie Honig, a senior at Point Nazarene Loma University in San Diego, said all classes on campus have been closed due to the evacuation of 150 faculty and staff from their homes in San Diego County.\n“Students’ and teachers’ houses have been burnt down, and many of my friends have had to evacuate their homes,” Honig said. “Considering what has happened so far, people have been very optimistic and thankful for the help they have received.” \nThe Santa Ana winds that had fueled the flames were all but gone by Thursday, but San Diego County remained a tinderbox. Firefighters cut fire lines around sections of the major blazes, but none of the four fires was more than 40 percent contained. More than 8,500 homes were still threatened.\nThe fires remained out of control Thursday but were being bombarded by aerial tankers and helicopters.\n-The Associated Press contributed to this report.