A few years back we had I think 3 regional fires in one year. Zaca Fire was the biggest because they let it burn itself out into the forest, and it went on for months. It was many miles away, but impacted the air quality badly. The Jesusita Fire was close -- my daughter had to evacuate the animals from her preschool, which is how I got the hens I now have. The Gap Fire was in between, and that was the one that freaked me out, because it was in the foothills straight back from the tract I live in, and when we lost our power after dark everything was illuminated by fire. I took the dog and bolted, but I needn't have, as it turned out.
I got here in1979, and the worst fire of all in my time here was 1990's Painted Cave Fire. That sucker roared out of the mountains, burned through housing tracts, jumped roads , jumped a highway, jumped US101, and was heading straight for the Pacific Ocean by the time it was brought under control. One of its edges was 3 miles from us -- much too close considering the speed it was traveling.
When the Gap Fire first started, we gathered across the street with our neighbors to watch its progress. Someone brought out the ice cream bars from their freezer to share, since they were going to melt anyway. We speculated which explosions were cell towers and which were trees. One house on our street is always rented to a bunch of college students, and I listened to these youngsters compare notes, marking the years of their lives by California fires.
So here's to you, the fire spotter, and here's to the firefighters! 
God bless you, every one!
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