We had our first wildfire of the season in Porter Ranch, just miles away from our neighborhood on Monday, October 13, 2008. The hills surrounding the Valley are so dry and filled with brush, that it's no surprise to find multiple fires breaking out as a result of the warm Santa Ana winds that come through each fall.
The pictures didn't turn out that great, but it gives you an idea what the hillside looked like from a distance. They said this fire was most likely NOT the result of arson, but due to a power line that snapped in the wind and landed on the dry brush.
We heard a couple of families from VPC had to evacuate their homes as a result, but fortunately no one was affected.
We were even getting a little bit of ash falling around our house. They canceled schools and after school outdoor activities for Tuesday because of the poor air quality due to the smoke.
