Big Bear has not burned. The fire is headed that way and close. They did evacuate yesterday. My daughter and grandson live there and we were on the phone all day. They were packing up, loading the car, video taping the contents of the house, moving the 2 1/2 cords of split firewood away from the house and hosing it down. Hosing down the house. They were instructed to leave the hose attached and stretched down the driveway to the street, leave a ladder beside the front of the house going to the roof and leave the lights on. They left before 2 pm and got into LA at 8 pm. They were headed to a friends house off the 210. She drives that route every other week and nothing looked familiar, the sky was so black, so much ash that lights she was used to seeing weren't visible. My son and his wife kept calling and telling her just to come on to Santa Barbara. As she got to her turnoff in LA she was concerned about the air quality, both she and her son are susceptible to Asthma. And she did not want to be trapped in LA if they were to close the 5 (the route to Mom's). So she did continue on into Santa Barbara. My son called and said he is so relieved because they can take care of them and not worry about them. My phone has rang constantly all day yesterday and today, her mother-in-law on the East coast, relatives and friends from all over the US and Calif. calling to check on their safety and whereabouts. I have another daughter in San Clemente also susceptible to Asthma. She lives just 2 blocks off the ocean and is fine. This has been very traumatic for the daughter who had to evacuate her home. She loves her home, has built quite a nice life for them in Big Bear. She is still concerned they may lose their home and life as they know it. It was very stressful hurrying and trying to pack the things that were important. She said she found herself getting their ski passes and ski equipment out when she realized if the house burned they wouldn't be coming back to ski and wouldn't need them, if it didn't burn they would be there when they got to come home. Watching the news is stressful as she recognizes other mountain neighborhoods, some homes etc. Needless to say we are praying the fires stop and no one else loses their lives or homes. Carolyn in Los Gatos, northern CA