Allan Peterson, Curator at Wells Fargo's History Museum in Old Town San Diego, was evacuated from his home during the fires that raged there in 2003. (CR)

After watching my city almost burn to the ground in 2003 , whenever I hear about a huge, threatening Southern California fire I can’t help but focus on it. Right now there is a fierce, huge fire burning largely out of control on the outskirts of the Coachella Valley . Actually it's two fires, which are very close to becoming one, and right now the temperature there is in triple digit territory.

Not good.

Banning, California, calls itself "Stagecoach Town USA."  I didn’t know that until I called the Wells Fargo store manager there and asked her about the situation. Debbie Mason was kind enough to listen to my questions, and she volunteered that she has been trying to get in touch with a customer who lives in Pioneertown. As of this morning she had been unsuccessful, and I could tell she was a bit worried. I took her cell phone number down as she said the power has been going off and on. She’s not near the fire, and from her location she can’t see smoke or flames, but we all know the wind can shift.