Pardon this aside from orchids but......

[james mickelso]

Just wanted to show you all the devastation from the fire that almost got me last week. This fire spread so fast it almost caught me at work and I barely made it out the driveway before it closed off my only escape. This burned on Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base here in California where I am a supervisor. From ignition a couple hundred yds from this facility to almost torching me took 5 mins. It burned for two days and swept across 5 miles by 3 miles. Stands of old 200 yr old oak are gone. It spread so fast that the vultures are feasting on deer that couldn't escape. I just wanted you all to see this tragedy. In the last shot you are looking 5 miles to the horizon. Careless stupid people. This was an arson fire.

[RosieC]

Oh no!

So lucky you got out in time. What devastation. Even worse that it was arson. Stupid people is an understatement.

(I've moved this to the off topic area)

[Leafmite]

I am very sorry to see all the devastation. It is even sadder that someone did this on purpose or through carelessness. Once, a few years ago, I saw a brush fire along the road...started by someone carelessly flicking a cigarette out the window. Thankfully, 'dry' here is nothing like dry there and the fire was put out very quickly. What waste has been left behind!

[bellini girl]

What a waste. There's no fixing ignorant, lawless people.

[Dave S.]

Wow, I am glad you made it out safely.

Deer are pretty quick to get caught in fire, so certainly it was a rapid spread.

I hope the marines catch those who were responsible for such destruction.

[AnonYMouse]

Catch and throw the book at the malicious idiot responsible. Fire in California is always bad, exceptionally so in draught years.

So very glad you got out!

[tarev]

That is really sad to see!

Glad you escaped in time!