{"id":3254,"date":"2016-07-20T15:24:22","date_gmt":"2016-07-20T23:24:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.andrewlorenzlong.com\/?p=3254"},"modified":"2019-07-13T14:32:59","modified_gmt":"2019-07-13T22:32:59","slug":"the-hills-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.andrewlorenzlong.com\/?p=3254","title":{"rendered":"The hills are alive with the sound of fire"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Around 3pm on Tuesday I felt a ping from my pocket. It was a facebook post from a neighbor:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"firefirefire\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Intriguing to say the least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time I opened a browser (I was at work) more posts from neighbors had gone up, but the most frightening one looked like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
That red roof there in the background by the fire<\/strong> is our building. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At that point, I showed my manager and headed for home. Outside the office, I could see things had gotten worse since that photo was posted. The entire Hollywood sign part of the Santa Monica Mountain range was covered in a thick brown smoke. The fire was already visible to the entire city in front and behind the mountain range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While I drove into the smoke the radio informed me that my street, Cahuenga Blvd East, was closed the entire length of the one-way portion. I still drove up to the barricades and asked if residents were allowed through, but was rebuffed. I parked on the other side of the 101 and watched as fire helicopters dropped water from the reservoir and firefighters brought hoses up the hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By that time my phone was “blowing up” as the local<\/a> (and some national) news media caught wind of the story. When the hills below the Hollywood sign are on fire it makes for an intriguing story headline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I just watched and held my breath as the fire crept down the hill towards our condo and neighbors stuck inside gave a play-by-play. It was surreal standing right there not able to do anything about it. I never really<\/em> thought about what material possession I would save in a situation like this before. Pretty sure now that it would be my first electric guitar, a gift from my parents on my 15th birthday that still sits in my living room. But deciding wouldn’t help any if the fire didn’t stop, I guess I just knew what I’d mourn the loss of the most.  (At this point, I should probably mention that Sam was miles away, safe in downtown Los Angeles) It was also odd having folks park their cars next to me to get a “good view” for a few snapshots and then leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the fire came from the south and our condo is only the third in from the southern end of the entire complex – and we’re on the ground level- our home was in very clear danger. If anything was damaged our unit would be one of the first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=pq6IPJwfPPs\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The roof in the center of this video is the roof of our building:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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