Oh fire season… it has begun and I really have to say that I don’t miss it each year. The Station Fire is getting bigger and bigger by the minute and it has been very scary. Thank goodness for all of those wonderful firefighters out there. They do an amazing job and risk so much.

I took this picture on our way to Disneyland for the evening. You will get to hear more about that later! But this was from the Reseda on ramp to the 118. Pretty impressive but scary. I don’t think this is a sight I will ever get used to. What was even worse about it is that we could see the flames from this fire from the parking structure at Disneyland! Not good.

The fires still burn but it seems the weather is making its change from very dry, windy and hot to cool with humidity in the air. The Monecito fire is under containment and even though it takes weeks to put fires like these out completely, it no longer poses a threat. The fire out in Sylmar continues on but with 30% containment and the fires out in Orange County still rage but 15% containment is better then nothing.

The police department began its search today with its K-9 unit in the mobile home park where over 500 homes were burnt to the ground. It was feared that some residents of the mobile home community may have perished in the fires, but today’s search came up with nothing. Our prayers are being answered and I hope the continued days of searching come up with nothing as well. It would be such a bright spot in all of this destruction to have not a single fatality to speak of. We continue to pray and hope that this is the case.

Its disheartening to think, however, that all of these fires over the last few days are under investigation as being intentionally set. What in the world causes a person to start a fire that could take so much from so many people and displace thousands of others temporarily?? I am a smart person and know the realistic answer to this, but its scary to think there are people out there like this. A man was arrested today for attempting to set a fire near Malibu Creek State Park, which had that fire spread it would have destroyed hundreds of homes and potentially harmed a lot of families out camping in the warm Southern California weather. It is entirely possible that this man is responsible for one if not all of the fires set over the last week.

I hope everyone sends their thoughts and prayers to the firefighters who have gone days without sleep, rest, and seeing their families to protect so many and to those people who have lost their homes or have been evacuated. Many of those firefighters who work so hard to fight these fires, have lost their homes as well. If you can, even if its only a dollar or a bag of t-shirts, please donate to the Red Cross and other foundations that will help many get back on their feet again.

Hopefully tomorrow will bring even better weather and give everyone a bit of a break and some peace of mind.

I am sure many people across our great nation have their eyes fixed on Southern California and the devastation that it we have seen over the past 3 days. Every year we seem to have brush fire after brush fire but never have I seen so much damage and destruction. The fires in Montecito (near Santa Barbara) have destroyed plenty of acres of land, but more importantly have claimed more then 100 homes. The fires in Sylmar claimed more then 500 mobile homes in just one mobile home park and over 165 homes. The fires in Orange County (Yorba Linda, Corona, Anaheim Hills, Chino Hills, etc.) have claimed homes as well. Never in my life have I seen so much destroyed in such a small amount of time by fire.

It hurts so much to think of what so many have lost, their homes, their livelihoods and all of their irreplaceable precious memories. I know that a home just holds stuff, but its amazing what stuff can mean, especially the smallest and most trivial things. My heart goes out to those who have lost everything in an instant. My thoughts and prayers are with them and their families as they begin the journey of healing and picking up the pieces of what they have lost. I wish them strength and courage and the hope that each day brings new beginnings.

I also pray that with all the devastation and destruction lives have not been lost as many fear. I hope that everyone was able to leave their home safely, even if it was with heavy hearts. My thoughts are also with the brave men and women that work for our fire, police and medical response units from many counties around Southern California. I hope they stay safe as they work to protect homes and put out these destructive fires and help those who have been injured.

I can only hope that the morning brings better news for many.

The fires continue on but the winds seem to be letting up and allowing some containment. Zoe is now back at home and the mandatory evacuation for Porter Ranch has been lifted. Unfortunately the fire grew larger than expected and many homes have been destroyed. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families that have lost their homes and to the families of our hard working firefighters. They have all worked so hard to keep everyone safe and to stop what could be an even bigger disaster.

Shaun and I have kept a watchful eye out, as the fire and several hot spots are making their way into Simi Valley. Our apartment is up against the hills, but it looks as though the fire is still a distance away and should not pose a threat. I guess only time will tell and hopefully the winds tonight will give our wonderful firefighters some time to regroup and rest. We will keep everyone posted!

Well its definitely October in Los Angeles! I guess this is a welcome back reminder for Shaun and myself! The Santa Ana winds kicked up and like clockwork, the hills are now on fire. Unfortunatly the fires were a little too close to home, for both Shaun and I and even more so for Zoe. The fire started up by Porter Ranch in the hills above Zoe’s neighborhood. Around 1pm, the community was under mandatory evecuation, which has left her at a friends house for what is hopefully just for tonight. Jack, who was staying at Grandma Zoe’s until I fully recovered from the C-Section, is now at home with us and learning to live with a new little creature in the house. As you can see from the pictures, the fire was pretty darn big and created a lot of havoc for a lot of people. People were forced from their homes, the 118, 210 and several other freeways are still shut down and I know everyones allergies are raging. Hopefully it will be contained soon and Zoe can return to her home, safe and sound. We shall see what tomorrow brings.