Yesterday, I was assuring friends and family that I was far from the fires burning in Southern California. Now there are two more fires, one of which can be seen from our neighborhood.
We’re in the middle of a heat wave and the heat makes conditions ripe for wildfires. Yesterday, the Long Beach Airport reported a high of 103, which breaks a record set in 1981. The thermometer on our balcony read 99 around 2 p.m. and was showing 93 at 7:30 p.m. Downtown L.A. was 101, according to the Weather Service.
There are fires burning north of Azusa near Morris Dam and in the San Bernardino National Forest. These fires, while very large, are not threatening homes. The fires burning just north of La Canada Flintridge and on the Palos Verdes Peninsula have prompted evacuations and threaten many homes and businesses.
The Palos Verdes Peninsula is just west of Long Beach and we often have great views of the peninsula from our neighborhood. It’s one of few places in L.A. where you can see grass and trees; there’s still farming done there. There’s a Trump (as in The Donald) golf course over there, and it’s also a great place to go whale watching if you’re too cheap or too chicken to get on a boat.
The fire is spreading quickly because there is so much dry, dense vegetation and 80 acres have burned so far. Another thing working against the firefighters: Roads on the peninsula are steep and curvy, not ideal circumstances for navigating a firetruck.
The fire crews are stretched thin and tomorrow is supposed to be another very hot day. It's going to be an interesting weekend.
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