California Fires Rage On

If you follow the news, you know that Santa Ana winds are driving 16 wildfires across Southern  California.

Updated 4 p.m. 10.24.07: The fires have destroyed nearly 1,500 homes and forced the largest evacuation in the state's history. The fires have burned about 426,000 acres, or about 665 square miles, causing at least $1 billion in damage.

Now is the time to reach out to our virtual and personal friends and to any family we have who may be threatened by this terrible disaster. I contacted Becky Carroll today (Customers Rock!), and she returned to her home Monday, which survived falling embers. Here is a piece of her e-mail:

"We were evacuated on Monday. We were allowed to come back last night, thank goodness. The winds have shifted here, and it is not raining down ashes anymore in our area. The main thing is, we are all safe. Parts of Camp Pendleton are now burning, and the military is being evacuated there."

I ask you to pray in your own way for the safety of all those caught in the fires. Feel free to leave your prayers here in the comments and if you live in the fire zone please update us on your well-being and on the fires by leaving a comment.