You'll have heard that Southern California is engulfed in brush fires. The greatest danger seems to be in San Diego County, 750 homes destroyed, 250,000 people evacuated... Many more have been told to prepare to evacuate. Pushed on by hot Santa Ana winds, the Witch Fire (it started at a place called Witch Creek) has raced westward from northeast San Diego County toward the ocean. The map below is from 14 hours ago! 
Residents of my hometown Del Mar - bottom left in the map - have been advised: "For your safety, we are strongly advising that all Del Mar residents evacuate." They are to relocate to a high school in Lake Forest, an hour north in Orange County (where my grandparents used to live). Everything nearer is, presumably, already full. My parents' bags are packed.The fires are huge, the land dry as kindling, and the Santa Ana winds predicted to continue. The situation is very grave. You can keep track of the fires at this blog, maintained by the San Diego Union (from whom I borrowed the images above). And pray.
