Timeshares and Timeshare Resorts Impacted by California Fires
Friday, October 26, 2007
I think the whole world is watching the fires in California, sharing the heartbreak, and trying to imagine the mixture of fear, frustration, and desperation that everyone affected by the fires must be feeling.
Fires of this magnitude are hard to understand. Walls of flame; intense furnace blasts of heat; and winds blowing the monster toward you with hurricane force. Miles and miles from the actual flames, your eyes burn and the thick, acrid air catches in your throat, turning each breath into an effort. The smell and taste of the smoke permeates your home and your car; you can’t seem to get away from it. Even if you are outside the zone of imminent danger, travel screeches to a halt as the smoke swallows on-coming traffic and makes driving impossible.
I am sure all of us have wondered this week what we would reach for if the mandate came down, “You have five minutes to evacuate your home.”
Considering that the number of California timeshare resorts is second in the US only to Florida timeshares, it is hard to imagine that some timeshare properties have not been damaged or destroyed by the fires. It is also hard for me to keep you updated on the conditions at each resort with the fire moving so rapidly and unpredictably.
In a few areas, timeshare units have been used to house emergency workers and firefighters. Winner’s Circle Beach and Tennis Resort in Solano Beach, is one resort in a voluntary evacuation area, where timeshare units have been made available to firefighters. I also know that San Clemente Inn Timeshare Resort has a waiting list of evacuees who want to stay there. And on Tuesday, a TUG member posted an update on TUG’s website saying that at that time, there were no fires near the Marriott Newport Villas but smoke was blanketing the area.
Your best source of information about the condition of your California timeshare is to call your resort itself. For general updates, here are some other resources you may find helpful:
SignOnSanDiego, courtesy of the Times Union newspaper, is maintaining a map they update frequently with the locations of fires, as well as the locations of emergency centers.
Channel 8 in San Diego is also providing good updates and coverage, including a sad list of homes, identified by address, that have been destroyed. I can’t imagine how it must feel to log on to the internet, checking to see if your home is on the list.
Here’s one of many YouTube videos that looks at the fires. This one includes the reminder that we should all include the people of southern California in our prayers.
