Chatsworth Fire: 27 October 2003

I was horribly curious. I used to live in Chatsworth, and I knew it pretty well. I had to see the fire. I just had to. And in seeing it, of course, I had to bring back pictures and video to share.

Some people would say that I shouldn't have gone there, that I was visiting a spectacle off people's ruined lives. In my defense, I would not have un-ruined one life or saved one house or tree from burning if I had not been there.

I gave all emergency vehicles a wide berth and didn't even get vaguely close to the action. But I still saw the terrifying grandeur of the fire, and it is this that I can share with you in my video.

If your house was damaged or destroyed, I feel bad for you. I considered moving to Box Canyon; if things had gone just a little differently, it might have been my house destroyed.

The video was taken between about 9:00 and 9:30 pm, 27 October 2003. By around 9:30, the fire was starting to fade. It was licking less seriously at its surroundings, and disappeared entirely for long periods. So it looks like the firemen are finally getting the best of it, after what appears to have been a very tough containment.

Play the video (about one minute, QuickTime required).

If the video does not play, Download & Install QuickTime for your computer.