Chris Johnson and Dale Franks, amateur photographers from Escondido, sent us pictures of the efforts by firefighters to allow residents to return to their homes in their region.

"The Fire Incident Command Center is located at one of the few places in the area with adequate space for parking and logistical support."

"The firefighters are working 24 hours on and 24 hours off, in theory. Although the '24 on' portion has often worked out to 30 to 40 hours working."

"In general, firefighters concentrate on diverting the fire from structures, or fighting the fire in a defensible area around them. Unfortunately, they aren't always successful."

"This residence in the San Deguito River valley amazingly suffered only minor damage. The fire burned straight up the hill."

"This homeowner was not lucky. A small, narrow canyon leads off the valley, straight up to this house. When fire enters a narrow valley, it becomes concentrated."

"The bottom 15 feet or so of this power pole burned completely away. Careful driving is a must in this area."

"While residents are not allowed back into the area, utility companies have begin the work of surveying the damage and commencing repairs."

"The California National Guard man additional checkpoints inside the perimeter to catch any stray people that might make it through the outer cordon."

"As the day come to a close, we visited the evacuation shelter at Escondido High School. A few are unable to find shelter in the gymnasium, so they sleep outdoors."

"Still some of the evacuees managed to bring some comforts with them." You can send your pictures to [email protected]. See terms and conditions on the right.