According to Inside the Magic, since 1/7, at least 27 people have died with over 200,000 forced to evacuate and over 12,000 structures destroyed. While several blazes have since been extinguished, some still continue to burn through the area. Yesterday morning, the Hughes Fire started and has since grown to over 10,000 acres – of which 14% is contained at the time of writing – forcing even more evacuations.
At various points over the past few weeks, the fires have forced multiple Southern California attractions to close. This has included Universal Studios Hollywood, which spent two days closed, and the likes of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, the Griffith Observatory, and the Los Angeles Zoo.
The images are from last night’s Valencia California blaze in the Santa Clarita Valley. Our family and friends were on evacuation standby most of the night, including my favorite grandson, Parker.
‘All good. No smoke this morning and firefighters seem to have this fire under control. Yesterday was crazy - too close for comfort and we were one zone from evacuation. We are to the south and the winds yesterday were to the west. Anxiety level is less today.’
Santa Clarita’ Six Flags Quietly Closes Entire Theme Park as Raging Wildfires Approached
On a personal note, my daughters and grandchildren, who live in Southern California have been more fortunate than others, and for that we are all thankful and blessed. We continue to pray for those who have lost everything.
Decades ago, our family moved from the northeast to the Southland for a job offer and they had been living there happily ever after.
As a result of my career choices, I have traveled extensively and visited places where my life was in danger. I now realize that if I died, my employer would immediately hire someone else to replace me. My family and friends may not feel the same. Jobs change, but families are irreplaceable. And so it goes.
Image: GONZO