Nov. 14 – About 4,500 residents of the celebrity enclave of Montecito, California, are fleeing a fire whipped by high winds that has burned more than 1,500 acres and destroyed or damaged at least 60 homes.

The blaze began at 5:50 p.m. Los Angeles time yesterday in the Los Padres National Forest, and more than 1,100 firefighters have been deployed, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as Cal Fire. About 1,500 homes are threatened.

“This continues to be a dangerous fire and residents should remain aware of local conditions and be prepared to respond to any warnings,” the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said in a statement.

Montecito is southeast of Santa Barbara and about 73 miles (118 kilometers) up the coast from Los Angeles. Actors including Michael Douglas own property there. In addition to those who fled the area, officials have urged another 4,500 to consider leaving, Cal Fire said in a statement.

The area is under a red-flag warning until tomorrow from the National Weather Service in Oxnard, meaning conditions exist that will create explosive fire-weather conditions. (Read More Here)

This is just tragic. These people weren’t expecting this or anything like this. I have to ask…..”How many were prepared?” Did they have their Grab & Go kits packed and ready to go. Did they know where all their important documents were? Did they have a rendezvous plan?

I hope so. Check out my Grab & Go page and get prepared.