Update on the Fire

I was writing a note to family about the fires in Southern California, and I thought I'd post it here as well:

The nearest fire (a small one; 160 acres burned) was about 25 miles to the East. It is now 100% contained. The larger ones in San Diego with all the evacuations are about 80 miles to the South. There are also some large fires 50 miles to the Northwest, and still more to the Northeast. It looks like a lot of progress was made towards containment on these today. We are not currently in any danger from the fires or evacuations. (At home, work, or school.) We've smelled a lot of smoke in the air (at one point it was quite powerful) and there is snow-like ash floating everywhere, but we are quite safe. Considering all the flooding that plagued our homeland (Wisconsin & Minnesota), it's been an ironic and foreboding reminder of how fragile our world is, wherever that world may be.

The LA Times has been covering this very well, you can see it online at: http://www.latimes.com

A nice graphic from the LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-102407-me-fire-g,0,1346215.graphic?coll=la-home-center

Google Map of the Fires (We live in La Mirada, a few blocks from Biola University if you want to compare our location to that of the fires.)

Fire!

The news has been faithful to report that large portions of Southern California are aflame. The odor currently infultrating our apartment and overiding our senses is akin to that of a campfire that some bozo threw a bunch of styrofoam plates upon. Smokey, and chemicalish. The city I would say is anxious, but experienced. We're not that worried, though it is a shame to lose so much forest.