In the north state, living close to nature is a daily blessing and an occasional curse. This week, there's no question which it is.
Last weekend's freak lightning storm has sparked nearly 1,000 separate fires around Northern California. And they're burning through a landscape already parched by drought. Firefighters say vegetation this June is already as dry as in a typical August.
A few weeks -- if we're lucky. More lightning is in the forecast for the weekend, though this time it might bring some badly needed rain.
Forecasters say we're likely on our way to a record-breaking California fire season. Whatever the next weeks and months bring, it's worth remembering the safety tips that firefighters and public health nurses repeat every summer.
Be ready to hit the road with the pets, the pills and the paperwork. When an evacuation order comes, listen to the firefighters and clear out of their way -- fight the temptation to be a Looky Lou. With the smoke hazardously thick not just for the asthmatic and the elderly, but for everyone, don't waste any time outdoors.
Like all common-sense advice, it can fade into the background until it's too late.
There are no secrets to safety; we just have to pay attention. The summer of 2008 has quickly become an overwhelming fire season that leaves little margin for carelessness or risk-taking.
16.2% 
60.5% 
