Los Angeles Forest Fire - Sept 1, 2009

I took this shot coming from the Home Depot.
This is very close to our home.

It is so smoky today. Smoky, hot and miserable. It's hard to breathe and because the air quality is so bad, I constantly have a headache. Everyone is suffering from allergies. Maybe it's time to buy Benadryl stock. Of course, my air conditioner in my office decided to break down too. So just sweltering in here.

Last night, at 2am, we got a reverse 911 call to let us know we'd be hearing helicopters and possibly trucks. They were going to start clearing brush behind our neighborhood and digging trenches. Apparently all the poor fireman now have Poison Oak from digging trenches. I believe when Poison Oak burns, it releases it's noxious toxins in the air so there is no getting away from it. (It's like that Australian tree, Maleleuca that they introduced in Florida, which has taken over. If you do anything that stresses it, fire, cutting or spraying it releases more seeds. Sometimes I wish I were that resilient.) So imagine, battling this raging fire, not really being able to shower, sleeping in some camp - not in your own comfy bed and top that whole experience off by having Poison Oak.

I fell asleep but Fox hasn't slept in days. When we woke up it was snowing ashes.

Ashes on Fox's Car

As the fire made it's way to Mt Wilson, a public statement was made about the safety of Monrovia. All the statement made reference to was "their strategy." Not very confidence building, fueled later on when the bordering city, Bradbury got evacuated. But the fire does seem to have moved in another direction at the moment.