I'm so glad your headline puts this into perspective. This fire is affecting people, not people like me but PEOPLE PEOPLE. Never mind that 500,000 have been evacuated and the air's so polluted and dry that breathing is difficult, but the important news is a celebrity had to leave their home! I'd expect nothing less from such a celebrity-obessessed country.

Martin, Los Angeles, California

Hello. I live about 2 miles from Mr Cameron and Miss Newton John who are wonderful long -time residents in my Malibu Neighborhood. I have lived here for 30 years. One of the items you should mention is the incedible coordination of the fire fighting army that is here in Malibu. Last night ,I went to sleep with a fire engine parked about 100 yards from my home. These fire fighters were not from our area. Helicopters and flying cranes loaded with water attacked our fire with an awesome precision. Large fixed-wing aircraft were unable to fly because of the fierce winds. I don't think your readers really appreciate how destructive these winds are. They are filled with burning embers and terrible, blinding, choking smoke. On Last Subday night I went up the nearby hill and my car was facing the direction of the wind and I could barely open my car door.By the way each of the 1500 fire fighters, and attendent trucks, planes and helicopters and additional police knew their misson and place.

I AM SAFE, Malibu, CA

I grew up in Granada Hills, California in the 1960's and every year around this time, there were fires in in Santa Susanna Mountains and other areas of Southern California. When I were there in 1994, I was shocked to see houses in those mountians. That is a fire zone and to be expected. Also in 1963 was the Bel AIr fire that wiped out many celebrities homes. So this to is not the first time.

Raymond Greenway, Moscow, Russia

Mr./Ms. Cartwright.....what have you been smoking today?
California has a history of wildfires going back as long as people have lived there. This is the wildfire season in Southern California. In years of normal rain, it is not a big problem. But this year, the area only got 3" of rain making the brush a perfect fire material. Add to that the low humidity and the Santa Ana winds of 60 to as high as 100 mph and you have disaster.
People now build homes where homes were never dreamed of 30 years ago, so when the fires come(and they do, every year, but huge ones about every 4 years) they are no longer burning empty hills.
This is not a conspirosy to make the UK flood, it's Mother Nature showing whose boss.

joshua, buckeye/London, US/UK

This certainly sounds outrageous but "Never say Never" is my motto and who's to say George has not outsourced rain. Right now, California would give a lot to have half of their Reserve (military) equipment back from Iraq. It is desperately needed. This according to Sen Boxer of California. It is a nightmare happening there and we wish it would rain. We pray for you, California!

Linda Kenley, Rockford, IL USA

i don't think this is manmade but not cutting down the brush around your house might have something to do with the houses burning so quickly. If people with pools could get a high pressure pump going when the fires come they could better keep there roofs from catching on fire I think. However when people continue to build in fire zones and not cut down the brush it is just a matter of time before disaster strikes.

California is know for its enviromental wako's and a lot of this is on them for not allowing more brush to be cut. After all southern california is a desert area with very little humidity most of the time and water usually at a shortage. I lived there for 8 years and for most of that time we were in a drought with very little water for the lawns or to wash your car. We suffered through eathquakes, torrential rains at times, drought most of the time and a lot of the fires in 1993 couls have been prevented. Gary Boyd

gary boyd, quincy , illinois

WILDFIRES MAN MADE
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governor of California, has declared a state of emergency but he hasn't been asked if he was compliant in the government actions that may have caused this catastrophy.
Following the disastrous hurricane seasons in recent years hitting the east coast of America has the US brought the current wildfires in California on themselves.
Throughout the summer depressions came across the Atllantic Ocean destroying the British summer with widespread flooding. Was this an attempt by the US to seed the clouds off the coast of California to blow the tropical depressions heading for the US east coast back out into the Atlantic which then reached the British coast?
And what has been the effect of sending the clouds west from California? Could it be that rainfall in California has reduced during the summer as a result creating a man made tinder box?

Terry Cartwright
www.diyaccounting.co.uk

Terry Cartwright, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear