Mark Craig: Chargers were hot in homecoming

SAN DIEGO - It was just another normal day in San Diego.

Finally.

One week after the San Diego County wildfires started to destroy more than 1,800 homes, scorch 360,000 acres and play a role in the deaths of 14 people, the Chargers played like an AFC powerhouse, crushing the Houston Texans 35-10 in front of 60,439 fans on a clear, sunny afternoon at Qualcomm Stadium.

"What a great day," said cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who scored two of the Chargers' five touchdowns. "It felt like Christmas out there for all of us today. The fans, the team, the city ... everybody."

Much like the Chargers, who are only 4-3 in a conference that includes the unbeaten Patriots (8-0) and Colts (7-0), San Diego County hasn't healed completely. Five of the seven original fires still were burning Saturday night. However, just as the Chargers have climbed back into a first-place tie in the AFC West, San Diego County is in better shape with those gentle ocean breezes having replaced the dry, howling Santa Ana winds that spread the wildfires like, well, wildfire.

"All of us out here have been through so much," said tight end Antonio Gates, who also scored two touchdowns. "As players, you just felt the energy from the fans who lost houses and had to evacuate. It was kind of like a win for the San Diego Chargers, but at the same time, it was a win for San Diego."

We all wondered how the Chargers would react Sunday. They canceled practice Monday, as 47 members of the organization found themselves among more than 500,000 evacuees. Then they flew to Phoenix, where they practiced Wednesday through Friday at the Arizona Cardinals' facility.

It wasn't until Thursday that many of those 47 evacuees learned that their homes weren't destroyed. And it wasn't until Friday that they knew the game would be played at Qualcomm.

It didn't take long for the Chargers to prove they weren't distracted. In less than 21 minutes of game time, they had scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams, to take a 28-3 lead. Receiver Chris Chambers, in his first game since being traded from Miami, added his first touchdown as a Charger to make it 35-3 at halftime.

Game over. Next up: The 2-5 Vikings at the Metrodome.

The Chargers will return to their normal routine this week. But Sunday evening was a time to look back on a week they'll never forget.

Former Vikings center Cory Withrow, who made his first start in two years because Pro Bowler Nick Hardwick is injured, had to evacuate. He gathered the family -- wife Kiersten, twins Makenzie and Maguire and daughter Mara -- and left in the orange glow of night.

"It was surreal," Withrow said. "At one point, as we're getting everything together, I looked at my wife and said, 'Is this really happening?'"

Gates was sleeping last Monday when he heard someone pounding on his door at 3:30 a.m.

"It really was a community effort getting people out of their houses," Gates said. "I never would have heard the fire. I don't even know who knocked on my door. He knocked and was gone. And then I just left with what I had on my back."

The Chargers and their fans used Sunday as a way to celebrate the local firefighters.

The Spanos family, which owns the Chargers, donated $1 million to the fire relief fund. The NFL chipped in $250,000, and fans entering the stadium Sunday pitched in more than $50,000.

About 700 season-ticket holders donated their seats to families of the firefighters. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers gave them his luxury suite for the day.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was on hand for the coin flip -- the Texans called tails and the Terminator threw 'em heads -- and to speak to the crowd briefly before kickoff. The guess here is that no one will remember anything Arnold said, except for his last three words:

"Go, Chargers, Go!"

For Houston, it was all downhill from there.

Mark Craig • mcraig@startribune.com