A few of you roadies probably know that David Knudson, executive director of the National Historic Route 66 Federation, and his wife Mary Lou are based in Lake Arrowhead, Calif., in the mountains above Los Angeles.
Hearing about the grave conditions caused by wildfires in Southern California, including Lake Arrowhead, I called David on Tuesday to check his well-being. His answering machine picked up, and I left a message.
On Wednesday evening, David called. He and his dog are staying in a modest motel room away from Lake Arrowhead because the entire region has been evacuated. His house is still intact. At last report, he said, the closest wildfire to his home was 10 miles away.
His wife, Mary Lou, was admitted to a hospital several days before for a nonfire-related ailment.
David said the fire conditions obviously are unpredictable. But the winds appear to be dying down, and he’s optimistic he can return home by the weekend.