Thoughts on the Fires Near Los Angeles

Less than two weeks ago, I took a couple of days of vacation time so that my wife and I could get some much needed rest.  As part of that effort, we took a drive up into the Los Angeles National Forest north of Azusa.  While there, we enjoyed the scenery, and stopped to look at Morris Dam.  My wife commented on how dry all the brush was.

About three days later, we received word of a forest fire in that area.

As of the time I'm writing this, that fire is now 95% contained.  But another fire, now commonly referred to as "the Station Fire," started about a day or two after that one, and is still raging out of control.  While my wife and I were driving back home on Sunday from an anniversary dinner at Disneyland's Blue Bayou, we could see the flames poking out of the darkness.  In the dozen years I've lived in Southern California, I've seen quite a few wildfires happen in the nearby mountains, but none have ever been so close as these, let alone so large.  It's quite eerie.

Outside of having to deal with all the smoke in the air, my wife and I are in no real danger, but we do have a number of friends and colleagues in the suburbs at the southern edge of the fire.  Over at Google Maps, you can see a current map of the flames, with highlights of what's happening.  Prayers are appreciated.