Yesterday and today, my hometown of Santa Clarita, Southern California made the news because of the huge fire we have going on: multiple fires sprung up from almost nothing and the strong Santa Ana wind, with gusts of up to 70 mph and even higher, whipped up the fire.

The first large fire was in Malibu yesterday, and as I watched the TV coverage, the hills near our friends and family's houses caught on fire! Needless to say it was a tense time for all of us (our home which is a bit far from the fire became an impromptu refugee center). As of today, however, it seems that the danger here has passed (but everything still smells like smoke).

Right now, raging wildfire is going on in San Diego - with about 250,000 people being evacuated. My condolences to those who've lost homes, properties, and even loved ones to the fire (thankfully, the number of fatality is low because of the awesome firefighters who worked well into the night).

For the rest of us lucky ones, let me pose this question: are you ready for an emergency? Do you know what to take if you have to leave your home unexpectedly in the next few minutes? Do you have a supply bag packed? How about copies of important documents and precious photos?

These are the things I didn't think about until today. I'm definitely going to make a list of things to take and copies of important documents stored elsewhere just in case.

Coverage of the fire: ABC News | CNN | Santa Clarita's The Signal | LA Times | Image: Fire From Above (ABC News)