Religion

By PATRICK BUTLER
Religion Editor

Churches and ministries opened their doors and homes to accommodate those fleeing California’s vast fire storm, said a U.S. Marine whose family was evacuated from Camp Pendleton early Tuesday morning.

“Thousands of us were removed from our homes on-base,” said Sgt. Joshua Ortiz, who spoke to the Tyler Morning Telegraph by phone on Thursday. He spoke from San Juan Capistrano, a small beach city about 60 miles north of San Diego and 15 miles north of the Marine base. “The churches really rolled out the red carpet for us.”
Ortiz, his wife Chandler and 6-month-old daughter Eliana were awakened early Tuesday by the sound of sirens outside their duplex.

“I looked out the window and saw people running around in their pajamas,” said Mrs. Ortiz. “It was 3 a.m. Soon the M.P.’s were pounding on the door, telling everyone to get out.” Ortiz, a 25-year-old machine gun instructor from Iowa, gathered his family and then found his friends Sgt. Scott Coffin, Sgt. Jonathan Morgan and their families. Together the Marines decided against relocating at the staging area provided on-base.

“The fire was pretty close,” said Coffin, also from Iowa. “There was one road in and out and thousands of people were sleeping in the chapel, the gym, anywhere they could find. If the wind kicked up, it looked like we’d be evacuated again and we didn’t want to have to do that.

Ortiz called the Rev. Duff Rowden, whom he’d gotten to know at a local church, and asked if three families, including their pets, could stay in the Rowden’s small house.

“We said ‘sure’ of course,” said Rowden, who has ties to Gilmer through the marriage of his daughter, Cerissa, to his son-in-law, Mathias Hanson. “The conditions were frightful and we had space.”

For two and half days, Ortiz, Coffin, Morgan and their families ate, slept, played — and bonded in the Rowden home, one Marine said. Meanwhile, a battle against the flames raged around them on three sides. About an hour’s drive south, thousands of displaced people fleeing the flames were finding refuge at the home of the San Diego Chargers — Qualcomm stadium. Food from around the nation poured into Qualcomm, including 29 pallets of supplies from the East Texas Food Bank.

“In San Juan, we were sandwiched between fires to the north, south and east,” said Rowden. “I could see the fires at Camp Pendleton when I drove to the (nuclear power) plant in San Onofre where Mathias works. It was like driving through hell, like driving to Mount Doom in the ‘Lord of the Rings.’’’

Thick, choking smoke from surrounding fires blanketed the seaside towns, and the sun was “blood-red,” Rowden said.

But at the Rowden home the Marines and their families were “doing well” said Morgan, 24, a combat instructor from Oklahoma. His wife, Zulema and son, Jacob, 2, slept “anywhere” they could.

“There were four families living together in crowded conditions, but it was great,” he said. “Amazing, Joshua said he knew a minister, and they took us all in at a moments notice. These people who opened their house for us, they’re awesome.
Coffin and his wife Heather and son Jaden, 3, had a “good time” Coffin said.

“We played video games, talked, ate together. We got along great. It’s hard not to bond with people when you’re in a situation like this.”

“The Marines came early in the morning with four big dogs, three children and an X-Box,” Rowden laughed. “The wives drove the cars, while the husbands followed on motorcycles.”

At noon on Thursday, the Marines were cleared to return to base. But the effects of the fire were not over, said Rowden.

“It’s the fifth day of fires here in Southern California,” he said. “The smoke from the constant burning is now just sitting here, stagnating the air and is foul to breathe. Schools are closed today.

“My wife, Bonita, has compromised lungs from a previous illness and this isn’t helping her. I’m sure there are many people in a similar situation.”

Firefighters were aided Thursday by diminishing Santa Ana winds, the annual warm rush of air flowing across the Mojave Desert into Southern California.

An extreme drought supplied tender and ready tinder to be burned by fires whipped by previously high winds.

“Thank God the wind has died down a bit,” said Rowden. “If we still had the winds the way they were, I think all of Southern California would have burned up.”

BONDED: A Southern California minister and family took in three Marine families “at a moment’s notice” when fire forced the evacuation of sections of Camp Pendleton early Tuesday morning. From left, is Sgt. Joshua Ortiz, Eliana Ortiz (child in arms), Sgt. Jonathan Morgan, his wife, Zulema Morgan, their child, Jacob Morgan, Jadan Coffin, Heather Coffin, wife of Scott Coffin, and Sgt. Scott Coffin. “It’s hard not to bond with people when you’re in a situation like this,” said Coffin. Dogs from left, Jax, Max, Sissy, and Major.
((Courtesy Photo))