California wildfires forced figure skaters to evacuate their homes (and pets)

[Sylvia]

SKATE AMERICA CHAMPS EVACUATE THEIR HOMES AS FIRE TEMPORARILY CLOSES CALIFORNIA RINK by Lynn Rutherford (Oct. 29, 2020): https://www.teamusa.org/News/2020/O...es-As-Fire-Temporarily-Closes-California-Rink
Excerpts:

“Mariah (Bell) and my apartments have been evacuated due to fire,” Nathan Chen relayed to TeamUSA.org via text on Wednesday. “We are currently in San Diego staying with friends.”
Chen and Bell’s training facility in Irvine, Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena, closed on Monday and re-opened on Wednesday afternoon.
“We’re waiting for the OK to return to our apartments. The rink is back up and running, so we hope to return very soon,” Chen texted.

[Nate] Bartholomay and his pairs partner, Katie McBeath, arrived at the Knierims’ house to take dogs Diesel and Cami — St. Bernard/Bernese Mountain mixes weighing in at 135 and 105 pounds, respectively — to skater Brian Johnson’s home in Rancho Santa Margarita. A roommate of the Knierims took charge of cats Scarlett and Muffy.
...
Eventually, all of the skaters and animals ended up at Johnson’s home, including Alexa Knierim and [Brandon] Frazier, who drove home from Las Vegas and arrived early Tuesday morning.

Other skaters training in Irvine, including European medalist Michal Březina of the Czech Republic, and U.S. competitor Sean Rabbitt, who teaches in Irvine and Yorba Linda, were also evacuated.

Michal Brezina shared this clip 2 days ago: https://www.instagram.com/p/CG0R3aepdob/
Sean Rabbitt shared 5 photos after he returned home: https://www.instagram.com/p/CG5zec6r_Jl/

 

[AxelAnnie]

As did many of us! Good times, good times.

 

[Yuri]

It was very scary in Orange County! I was visiting for a long weekend and my hotel up in Laguna Hills was full of evacuees but we still had plenty of smoke and ashes. I flew home Tuesday from John Wayne Airport in Irvine, very close to the Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena, and luckily had no traffic issues driving.

So now I am 2-for-2 in having the Irvine rink close on me when I've flown to the OC this year--this past weekend and back in March when C-19 initially closed it. Guess California is sending me a message to stay away.