The big brush fire missed us, and is completely out around here, but continues to be blown South toward Malibu. We were lucky. We were evacuated this morning while helicopters buzzed overhead dumping their loads of water over the flames. The firefighters stopped the flames literally on the edge of the neighborhood, within feet of the houses beside the National Forest lands. My kids are safe at their Godmother’s house for the evening anyway, just in case of flare-ups restarting the fire. There’s still a strong wind blowing, so it’s best to be cautious.
I’ll head up to the ridge this evening or tomorrow to shoot pictures, because the mountains are so blackened and dramatic, and also because the fires sometimes reveal features in the landscape that are usually covered in brush. My hike into the mountains was completely burned up, so it will be a  very different place for a while. I’ll gather some ashes.
Â
