The Thomas Fire.

3rd largest in California, making its way to 1st largest.

I watch the burning via my computer, 70-ish miles south of family who live in Santa Barbara, Summerland, Carpinteria. My family evacuate, return, evacuate again due to cold/high pressure systems (meaning destructive weather occurrences stuck on replay?).

Sundowners. Santa Anas. I grew up with both. But not like this.

My advice to news stations: Keep up the aerial views. Pan out. And thank you.

As for us valley dwellers? We turn on our heat in the morning, the A/C around 2p.m. We watch the news, although sometimes we just can’t. We send money to fire victims. We pray for rain.

This is not the new normal. This is insanity.