The Witch Creek fire, one of 15 that have blazed across southern California, moved quickly through San Pasqual Valley in Escondido. The flames charged up Highland Valley Road in the wee hours of the night last Monday, traveling too fast for school teacher Victoria Katherine Fox, 55, and her husband, John Christopher Bain, 58.

Friends of the couple said the two were packing up and planning to leave, but they called the police when nobody had heard from them in three days. Thursday morning, their bodies were found in their charred home in Escondido, among a half dozen or so houses that burned along the same ridge. Using dental records, officials identified the victims as Fox and Bain. Fox taught humanities at Rincon Middle School in Escondido. Her husband was a real estate broker and the owner of Certified Property Investments.
Jennifer Walters, superintendent of the Escondido Unified School District, described Fox as "a teacher who believed that all students could reach a higher level if given the right opportunities," reports the Los Angeles Times.

Jon Centofranchi, Fox's principal at Rincon Middle School,said she organized spelling bees and dramatic productions for the students. "She was very warm and caring, very mother-like to a lot of students," he told the LA Times. "They really felt comforted in her class."

Calming Santa Ana winds helped firefighters gain control of the blazes raging across southern California, but not before the fires engulfed more than 1,500 homes, burned more than 500,000 acres, and claimed the lives of at least seven people.

Retired journalism teacher Suzanne Emery counts herself as one of the very fortunate. She and her husband were able to return to their home in Poway on Thursday. Fire had approached their home from two sides -- with only about four houses between them and the flames. The sheriff ordered their evacuation on Monday.

"Having survived two fires, one aspect stands out," Emery says. "It is the eerie silence in
the smoke-filled morning, without the call of birds, with no local motor traffic, and only time on your hands to wait. Life is suspended and you are alone with memories as you fill the car with albums and mementos and an overnight bag. Praying that it will be only overnight."

Emery and her husband stayed in their motor home and served meals at the community's local shelter, where "about 500 people were sleeping in our community auditorium, showering at the swimming pool, and staking their horses where they could; all without knowing about their homes," Emery says. "For well over a thousand burned out county families, now begin the tears, anger and resolve to rebuild. They need our prayers and our bucks, and our assistance to make whatever changes are necessary based on the lessons learned from this tragedy."

The California Teachers Association's (CTA) Disaster Relief Fund provides financial assistance to CTA members who have experienced significant losses in disasters in California. Make a contribution and find more information by visiting CTA's Disaster
Relief Resources page.

--Cindy Long

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