Flames overtake Lomas Seranas, Escondido

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Flames jumped I-15, raced up a hill and overtook the Lomas Seranas neighborhood of Escondido.

About 70 cars, many SUVs packed to the brim with belongings and animals, were parked on an overpass above the freeway as people gathered to watch their million-dollar homes burn.

Cindi Stetson, 44, who lives in the Montclair neighborhood, said, ‘You have to keep a balance between fear and calm.’

She had her kids, Kelly, 10, and Jackson, 6, in the backseat, as well as the family cat, Max. Her husband, Bill, is a San Diego cop.

‘We had the same fear four years ago and we packed better this time,’ she said.

Bill called during the interview: ‘Honey, I think our house is going,’ he said on the cellphone.

-- Dave McKibben