Kindness And Refuge Amidst The Smoke

Thousands Of Evacuees Find A Haven Quite Unlike The Superdome At The Qualcomm Stadium

(CBS)  Qualcomm Stadium's regular tenants, the San Diego Chargers, were displacd by the wildfires in California. They're now training in Arizona.

Instead, the stadium is now home to as many as 15,000 evacuees. One woman CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric spoke to described it as Woodstock without the drugs.

Obviously, there are major concerns, but people there are making the best of it.

From afar it looks like a massive tailgate party. And inside, the mood is much the same, reports.

One site looked like a little playground

"Yes, music and coloring and some jump ropes some puzzles," one evacuee told Couric.

Tons of donated food - even ice cream bars are handed out by an army of volunteers.

“The people here have been phenomenal,” said Barbara Anderson, an evacuee.

Anderson, her two sons, two cats and Maggie the dog have been camping in the Qualcomm parking lot - a situation made bearable by the generosity of others.

"They come by every fifteen minutes, 'do you need water, do you need food ... do you need blankets?'" Anderson said. "It's not as bad as the people that went through Katrina though, and that's what goes through my mind."

During Katrina, New Orleans' attempt to shelter people in a sports stadium went terribly wrong. The Superdome turned into a small city of violence, filth and chaos.

But even with an estimated 10,000 people sleeping in Qualcomm, the stadium is getting high marks.

"We have too much food," Evelyn Caton said. “Every time we turn around, someone's offering us something to drink, offering us food.”

Even the Chargers’ practice field has been turned into a pasture for large pets - a godsend for Joanne Gilbert and her three goats, six dogs, two snakes and a rabbit.

“It makes it much easier,” she said. “I couldn't leave my animals behind.”

But the kindness of strangers only goes so far.

“Just the unknown is the hardest,” said evacuee Celeste D’Souza.

And for the D'Souza family, this is still a very tough time ... waiting and wondering if the smoke that colors the sunset - might be their house on fire.

[whispyseas]

'' ... if war rapes babies and u.s. invests more in domestic war than most countries combined invest globally, then why flaunt military of the world that blows out more virgins against their will? if making folk pay is so lucrative, why has nearly each farm been forclosed or sold to avoid forclosure? why build companys with cheap labor, abandon the cheap while starving the 3rd world, then pay to move to the 3rd world for the purpose of hiring cheap? ... ''

'' ... if the ''favorite'' government and media outlets are so tolerant and respectful and so equal opportunity, where did all the lazy naked ignorant profane promiscuous blemished kids go? ... ''

'' ... 33 sick beds per night @ 33 villages of 300 for 3.3 cents to 1.00 dollar tip per sick bed / village ... @ 1.3 billion sick beds and 6.5 billion folk, there should be 5 folk rallied around any sick bed at anytime (dancing hike naked dance dressed get well feed world porn songs and dancing hike naked dance dressed get sick tax world porn songs too) ... ''

'' ... if most folk most time see infinite lines of resolution with infinite exponents and infinitely fast refresh rates with infinitely fast exponents, then why not all folk all time? ... ''

'' ... not a flicket in oblivion or a god lording over other gods or a unwilling unwitting victim of eternal hell; but, eternal storyboards swimming drifting infinite oceans of eternal storyboards ... ''

[paulet2]

I am referring to Sunday''s interview with Valerie Plame -- was there a particular reason that there were three outfit changes or was this a pieced together interview done previously -- as I was watching this which fixing dinner, it was distracting I didn''t know if I missed something see a differnt outfit on both. I really thought it was three separate tapings.

[nsenior08]

I am a senior at chaparral high school in Temecula, CA, our school as well as Temecula Valley are shelters for those who had to evacuate from their homes in Fallbrook. Watching the news for hours and hours and not seeing anything being covered on their home is infuriating!!! People need to know what is happeneing and not everyone has access to the internet. We need to know what they are doing to the fire and not where the SD Chargers are practicing!!!! Get something about their homes on the news and help these people out.

[ericmichael1]

Airman, Airman, Airman...

I left my comment for you on the Couric & Co blog.

Eric

[marcodele]

I''m sure some folks will profit from this disaster, mostly insurance companies and contractors and builders, etc...

But I get really sick of reading these Rush Limbaugh mindset idiot neocon posts that always find some way to make the victims deserving of their fate.

[oleander8]

To: airmanc5

What are you smoking??

[mountainrose57]

Question to ask yourself. If you had to leave your animals behind. would you? Could you? Where would you take them? what if you can''t take them? With Katrina, many, too many people refused to evacuate because it meant leaving their bestest pals alone to die. Here in Calfornia,, there is a place for the animals with the people.. what a difference that seems to be making.

I went through a personal fire, about 10 years ago. You will forever be recalling the simplest things that you lost, later. I would rather lose all my "things" all over again, than lose even one pet.

Many times, what keeps a person going is knowing that others have made it through to the other side os personal tragedy.

[luvny-2009]

Scarlet...sadly I must say you may have a point there.

[scarletphd]

Many will actually get rich off of this incident.
Posted by cride1

THIS is the disgusting part of this a$$holes comments. Get rich????? Yeah, I''m sure all of those people would trade all of their possessions, memories, keepsakes, photos, and decades of family expeiences in a home for some money. Fu(k you you stupid idiot.

[pssavant]

I have been updating my blog with my own personal experience about the fires. I consider myself one of the lucky ones.
http://rickrockhill.blogspot.com/2007/10/san-diego-fires.html

[mtm70]

I am disgusted by the last post regarding the conditions of the Qualcomm Stadium being due to the wealth and ethnicity of the California residents. Those idiotic comments are exactly what perpetuates hatred and racism. To make such a devastating situation into a racist issue is appalling. The conditions in Southern California during these frightening fires are due to the incredible organization by the leaders, volunteer organizations, camradary of the community, and most importantly, the amazing work of our public service departments such as the Fire Department and Forestry departments. And to say that most of the Californians seen on t.v are white.....is a completely ignorant comment. If you are familiar with San Diego, you would know that a good majority of the residents are Hispanic who have ventured to this area from Mexico for a better life for their families. Many are financially desolute, struggling, and attempting to make a better life for themselves in California....only to have their rented home burned along with their precious belongings! Say that kind of remark to them. They WON''T get rich off this tradegy!

[cride1]

Not to be racist or suggest any note of sort. But the only reason why the Qualcomm stadium looks in better shape is that people stationed there are generally wealthier than those in the Superdome in Louisiana. Notice how most of the people are white. Also the volunteers are probably much more wealthier than those in Louisiana (well California in general is a rich state, the people and the state). I have a feeling most people in that suffered through the fire will just fine. They will complain about losing a home, etc., but they probably have good insurance and other support, they will soon put all of this like it never happened. Many will actually get rich off of this incident.

[ssm9451]

This California scene is totally different that the one in Louisana.