Indian Families Flee California Fires

The raging fires in Southern California has forced a lot of Indian families to flee their homes. India West is reporting

Veenu Puri Vermani and her family, along with three other Indian American families, piled into the Vermani van and headed for Anaheim Oct. 22 as the Witch fire, pushed by strong Santa Ana winds, roared toward their homes in San Diego County.

The Vermanis, who live in Sabre Springs north of San Diego along with an untold number of Indian Americans who live in the nearby Rancho Bernardo, Forest Ranch, Penasquiotos and Scripps Ranch communities were forced to flee their homes

Panthic Weekly reports

The Sikh Gurdwara, at 12269 Oak Knoll Rd, Poway, San Diego was evacuated Monday morning. Five swaroops of Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Scriptures) were safely taken to the residence of Hirdyapal Singh, Carmel Valley, CA.

One Sikh family and 3 other South Asian families have lost their home in Rancho Bernado and over 50 Sikh families are reported evacuated from Poway, Rancho Barnado, 4S Ranch, Saber Springs, Scripps Ranch, Rancho Panasquitos, Carmel Valley, Escondido, Olivenhein, Rancho Santa Fee, Encinitas, Chula Vista, East Lake, Ramona.

NDTV reports

Jagjit Singh Dhesi, 56 who's been a resident of Poway, San Diego for more than 30 years now said he had to evacuate his house in the middle of the night along with his son, wife and parents.

Similarly, Dr. Harjot Singh Gill and Dr Jasbir Singh Deol, who run Animal Hospitals, had to evacuate. ''We had 5 families at our place one night. In the morning there was a mandatory evacuation in our area and we had to move out with our guests to Del Mar'' said Dr. Gill.

Inder Singh, who is the president of Global Organization for the People of Indian Origin or GOPIO and has a wide contact among the community said a large number of India-Americans have left their homes for safer places. ''I have been able to reach most of my contacts except few. We are trying to find out about their safety and whereabouts,'' he said.

Indian Americans living in posh Malibu area have shifted to hotels in safer localities. It is believed that some of the houses owned by Indian Americans were gutted in fire but details were not known immediately.

Our thoughts and prayers are with families who have lost their homes!