Growing up in Oak Park, a small town outside Malibu, changed my views on the fires. I remember when my family and I were evacuated and instead of packing our most precious belongings and pictures, my mother and I grabbed lounge chairs and sat in the middle of street watching the fires burn down the mountains.

Most LA residents hear the term fire so much that when their house is being evacuated they don’t leave. Residents are posting in and outside their houses thinking that the fires will be put out before their homes are torched.

All over southern California there are over 13 fires destroying lives, houses, mountains, and more. Luckily today the Santa Ana winds, which were fueling the fire, calmed down and firemen were able to control one near Griffith Park.

The associated Press reported that the Los Angeles Zoo put most of its 1,200 animals inside holding quarters. But, what is happening to all the wildlife?

My dad called me a few days ago said, “When I was leaving for work the other day I saw a pack of coyotes running into the suburbs form the mountains. And the rats have been flooding the city with no where to go.”

Many high schools throughout the southern California are opening their doors and transforming into rescue centers for the families that have lost their homes. Neighbors and other people of the communities have opened up their homes as well.

One major problem that has risen is the threat on the Southern California power grid line, which cut power for 335,000 customers on Sunday and over 37,000 customers on Monday. The power company and state officials stated that the power line reached all the way to Arizona but the region was still able to serve 99% of their customers.

Investigators are questioning if the fires were started because of arson. The man who is the suspect was cited for smoking in a non-smoking area and was later recovering from burn injuries.

» E-mail Lindsay Rasten @ lrasten@sfsu.edu