Fire season once again

Until I moved up to Los Angeles nearly a decade ago, I didn't really understand that there was such thing as a "fire season" in Southern Cali. I remember searching for renter's insurance circa 2002 and scoffing at the fact we couldn't get it in the area we were living in as it's a brush fire zone. It wasn't until the Barham/Griffith Park fires in 2007 that it became a reality to me as I watched it unfold in close-up. I never thought I would be one to chase down a brush fire with my camera in hand, looking to document the sheer awe that it inspires, but if I were able to do it safely, I realize that I would.

Once again, this year in California, there are several fires burning right now. Smog and ash, mixed with record temperatures, are all making the L.A. basin look like (what some of us have started referring to as) the "armpit of hell". I snapped a quick shot outside my building on the way into work @ 8:30 this morning and you can see how that nickname makes sense, despite being several miles away from the nearest fire.Here's hoping everybody stays safe.