...northwest side of Pasadena.

The winds are real bad.

Damn... this is bad. I hope all the fire engines aren't over in Pac. palisades.

...and this is a first-time event for me here.

Hopefully it'll be the last.

Update on the update:
As I was typing this reply, the power went off.

(An hour or two later.)

Back on now, so:

I am inside my converted Victorian-era garage/office space/art gallery and the smoke from the fire up in the mountain north of me is penetrating into the space through the door cracks.

I am about to try to displace that smoke with some other kind of smoke I got from the local dispensary.*

Thanks to all, I really appreciate it!

*It didn't work, but it was worth a try!

Had engines spotted all over the area (he was referring to the pacific palisades fire)... but yes they prepare as much as they can. They are on the lookout for these fires. The coordination is pretty remarkable.... fire, police, nurses, animal evacuation, etc.

But with no rainfall for the last 6 months, the waterfall is probably just a trickle and the vegetation must be very dry.