On Saturday afternoon Sandra Younger was waiting for her Internetto be connected in her rental house. She was making lists. She wasfilling out paperwork. She is a busy woman.

Younger is the publications editor for University Advancement atSan Diego State, which involves being the editor of 360: The Magazineof San Diego State University. However, the reason she is busy latelyis because her home, along with 20 other faculty member’s homes, waslost in the recent San Diego fires.

“We almost didn’t make it out,” she said about her home in WildcatCanyon, which is north of Lakeside. “We were in the first fire, webarely escaped.”

Younger and her husband were awoken by the smell of smoke at 1a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26.

“We got online, but there was no news,” she said. “We called theBarona Fire Station and we asked if we should be concerned. We weretold that the fire was moving westward and that we were safe.”

They looked out the window and saw a glow from a distance. Itseemed far away and since they were told they were safe, they wentback to sleep.

“No one knew how fast the first fire would move,” she said.

Younger’s husband woke up two hours later and realized the firewas on their side of the canyon. Sandra Younger took a laundry basketfrom her room and grabbed a few precious items.

“We didn’t take much,” she said. “Some pictures of our daughters,baby pictures and family pictures that were on the dresser and on thewall.”

Younger’s husband is a photographer and took one camera with him.They took their cockatiel and two dogs, then ran out the door. Theflames were in the front yard as they headed toward the car.

“We had to drive out through fire that had burnt almost all theway around us,” she said.

Getting out to the main road was no easy task. Younger could notsee ahead of her and was afraid of driving off the road.

Just then, a bobcat jumped in front of the car and proceeded toescape the fire, as well, she said. The cat was a reassurement to theYoungers.

“I knew he was on the road,” she said. “We had seen him herebefore. He disappeared in the smoke, but he triggered my memory. Weknew we were on the road.”

The Youngers reached the main road and the first place they wentwas the Circle K to buy water. They checked into a hotel and decidedto stay put until further notice.

The next afternoon they were told their house had not made itthrough the night.

“We’d only been there for seven months,” Younger said. “It was ourdream house. We lived in the suburbs. After our youngest daughtergraduated from college, we found a beautiful house in the country.”

According to Younger, although the loss of their home was tragic,the response from friends and the community was more powerful.

“We’ve cried more over the generosity of people than over whatwe’ve lost,” she said.

Friends have given the Youngers everything from pots to clothes tofurniture.

They have also received support from other people in San DiegoCounty who’v lost their homes. Younger has met people at meetings forfire victims.

One meeting in particular was held in Lakeside. The meetingprovided people with crisis center information, such as paper workprocedure and property taxes. But according to Younger, the meetinggrew tense.

“People wanted to air concerns,” she said. “The real issue ispeople didn’t get warnings. People died. They didn’t make it.”

Officials told those in attendance they would try to answer manyof the questions as soon as possible.

While they wait for answers and for their home to be rebuilt onthe same lot, the Youngers feel lucky to be alive. They are nowrenting a house from friends, and Sandra Younger will return to workat SDSU after she recuperates and gets some business taken care of.

“I think we are doing very well,” she said. “That’s because ofpeople’s concerns and prayers. We’re so happy to be alive and to haveour animals. It makes the loss of our home less significant.”

Younger said she and her family have found some humor in thesituation.

“Whatever we get for Christmas, it’s all good,” she said.

As for the other families that have lost their homes, Younger saidher heart goes out to them, but has an optimistic message for them.

“The rest of us are fire survivors,” she said. “We move ahead.Don’t call us victims, but survivors. We will get through this.”