A "Boil Water Order" has been issed by Yorba Linda Water District for Hidden Hills Estates.

[KitchenWitch]

Anyone in the area needs to boil their water before drinking it.

This was just reported by CBS2 in Los Angeles. No link as of yet.

[JVS]

1. Are these fires usually an autumn thing or is this odd?

[skorpo]

2. My SIL almost lost her home last fall...

Since I'm not from CA I'm not sure. But it sure seems so.

[KitchenWitch]

4. Which fire last fall?

[skorpo]

7. Near San Diego

Can't remember the name. It stopped in Rancho Santa Fe.

[KitchenWitch]

3. I keep hearing that they have been worse over the past ten years or so.

I think the areas are prone to fire because it is so hot and dry here almost year round.

[lapfog_1]

5. Fire season in CA runs from August to December

and, of course, it can vary from year to year.

The Oakland Hills fire in 1990 was in October.

The summer brush growth dries out sometime in late summer/fall. Couple the dry conditions with a "Santa Ana" wind (dry air blowing from the central valleys to the coast) and you have a tender box just waiting for a spark.

The valleys actually funnel the wind gusts creating near blow torch conditions.

[Bertha Venation]

8. Yep, it's fire season in CA. n/t

[Nikki Stone1]

6. Kick

Please add info when you can. These fires have been a nightmare.