Best wishes to everyone for happy and safe Fourth of July.

Unfortunately, here in California we have plenty o’ natural fireworks going off – though not all naturally caused – with 1,781 fires and 505,872 acres burned since June 20, 2008. Here’s hoping that the services of the 20,254 committed personnel, 1,503 fire engines, 571 hand crews, 340 bulldozers, 482 water tenders and 119 helicopters soon won’t be needed!