In SD County one of the three fires is now contained.

The two which are not however are galloping. The mountain town of Julian is doing a desperate Alamo-like stand to prevent encroachment on its central zone; the pines on its outskirts are going up like Roman candles.

To the north, the mountain called Palomar, where the Observatory is (and two friends of mine live with their horses), is under assault as we speak -- this is the mountain that looks down on the Pauma Valley near route 78. The Otay fire is the one that is under control.

As mentioned above, one firefighter has lost his life and three have been seriously injured in the Julian battle.

This has been three days of hell for those doing the fighting and those whose property has been lost and loved ones harmed.

There is no threat to the regions where Banjoest is nor the area where Edain is and where I am.

A