Donna and I had a not very pleasant surprise yesterday. As we were returning home from my doctor's appointment (with the doctor for whom she works) we spotted several helicopters, with what appeared to be hoses attached to the undercarriage. They seemed to be heading into the arroyo and returning frequently, which indicated some emergency situation.

When we go to the bridge over the arroyo, which connects Mission Viejo to the town of Ladera Ranch, we had our worst fears confirmed. Directly behind the complex the trees and shrubs were burning. Because of the firefighting apparatus we couldn't get to the back of the building, but we were able to get to our apartment. It was pretty scary for the next couple of hours as dozens of firefighters and the two copters poured water and chemicals on several fires spread over a dozen acres.

Talking to our neighbors we found that the fires were reported at around 2:30pm, which meant that they had been going for three hours by the time we arrived. It was several more hours before the majority of the equipment and personnel departed. At least three trucks remained in the area overnight, and you could see the flashlights or helmet lights going back & forth until early this morning. When I left for work at 8:00am two trucks were still there.

This is the second time that the fires have threatened the complex since we've been here. It's almost funny that it was earthquakes I feared prior to our move. Now I have two things to worry about!