A few stay home to wait out California fires

RAMONA, California (Reuters) - Lisa Schmidt, who lives in a gated community near San Diego, has resided among an especially rarefied group this week -- she and her family shunned an evacuation order and opted to wait out raging wildfires at home.

Driving through the complex with her husband, their teenager in the back seat, she stopped to chat with firefighters resting after fighting a stubborn blaze that could destroy the neighborhood of $700,000-$800,000 homes suddenly if winds were to pick up in the wrong direction.

"We feel safe with so many firefighters here," she told the men.

Fireman and paramedic Darren McMillen was polite but none too pleased to see residents in an area closed off for days. Fires have destroyed 1,300 homes across southern California and forced half a million people from their homes this week, but killed just six people, due largely to good evacuation plans.

"Having to worry about you guys in addition to the fire just adds to the confusion," McMillen said.

Schmidt, who works in real estate, said she had just returned from a trip to Nevada on Sunday as her neighbors were evacuating and decided to stay.

A few miles away, Joseph Mitchell had also stayed behind, thinking he could best protect his home by remaining. He described his sprinkler system and said he and a few neighbors had organized shifts to keep watch for approaching flames.

"We had some sleepless nights," he said.

Almost every store had closed, but one supermarket was open to serve emergency workers.

San Diego firefighter Kevin McWalters, who said these fires were among the most powerful he had seen in a 25-year career, said one group of about 35 cars evacuating had been trapped earlier when a power line collapsed and ignited a fire. Then retreated and were eventually able to reach safety.

By Thursday, some of the hundreds of thousands who did leave were beginning to return. In Rancho Bernardo, one family went back for the first time on Wednesday evening to find their home destroyed. With little that even could be recognized, the mother wept and her son shouted in frustration.

Their neighbor was likely to feel similar anguish. The home was destroyed; a large metal safe for valuables was still standing, but smoke rising from it suggested its contents were destroyed.