This past week Griffith Park in Los Angeles caught on fire (was it arson?) and over 600 acres burned. I live very close to Griffith Park, maybe a quarter mile away.
As I drove home from work I could see the flames engulfing the park. By the time I got home the winds had shifted and the blaze was heading towards Los Feliz, the area where I live.
Friends and neighbors stood in awe and watched the fire as it lit up the night sky. It was powerful, threatening, and frightening.
By 10 PM it was getting too close for comfort and the LAPD declared a mandatory evacuation. I had a few minutes to pack a bag and leave. What would I pack? I threw together my checkbook, computer files, some clothes, and some family photos. It was then that reality hit. What if the fire came down the hill and I lost everything? I couldn't imagine losing a lifetime of personal treasures. I packed what I could and off I went.
Luckily the winds and fire shifted and our area was spared. Thank goodness.
The Los Angeles Fire and Police Departments should be commended for their incredible response to this terrible fire.
Yesterday a friend and I drove towards to the park to see the damage. All I could think of were the animals that must have been trapped with no way out, the coyotes, birds, deer, squirrels, snakes, etc. It's devastating.
With little to no rainfall this year there's danger for other fires as the summer approaches.
Let's all hope that the only other fires we see this season are in the barbecue.
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