Kudos to the brave men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department.  The most recent demonstration of their bravery was last Thursday morning around 1:00AM, when a brush fire erupted in the hills just south of the plush Mountaingate hilltop community and north of the Getty Center.  Not only did the fire burn very close to the 405 Freeway (southbound lane), it closed it in both directions for the better part of the day.  It took more than 400 firefighters seven hours and forty-five minutes to put the fire out and they achieved that feat with no injuries or damage to homes. 

Westside locals know there's a long history of LAFD heroism.  As a young boy of 12 (OK, now I'm dated), I can still recall the terrifying vision of a massive wall of flames from the November 1961 Bel Air fire marching westward down the east wall of Mandeville Canyon.  It was on my street in the Westridge Hills where they made a concerted effort to contain a large section of the fire and miracles truly happened that day.

How many times can we say 'thank you'?  Never enough . . . .