My fingers are definitely crossed. I still remember the Freeway Complex Fire back in 2008 that struck Orange County. I hadn't even been living hear for a full year yet, and I'm thinking "Oh geez...is this what I have to look forward to for the next few years..."

The Brea Fire was sparked because of the fire that started in Corona. The fire snaked along the 91 Freeway all the way from Corona (which is in the Inland Empire) all the way up to Orange County, as far as Anaheim Hills. The Brea Fire was literally 2 miles from where I live. There was so much smoke, and so much ash falling from the sky, you could barely breathe. My girlfriend and I happened to be ON THE 91 FREEWAY as they were closing it, and we drove through a patch of smoke and fire that had me convinced we'd taken a wrong turn right into the mouth of Hell. You couldn't see anything because of the smoke, there were almost NO other cars on the road, and the flames were shooting up everywhere. It was quite literally the most terrifying experience of my life. Thankfully I had a 12-pack of Heineken and a fifth of Crown Royal waiting for me when I got home!