Being the lead reporter for C&L, I heard the screaming sirens of fire trucks and police cars in the cool night air whip past my house. I jumped in the car and drove about a mile west towards the ocean. I parked on a side street a few blocks away from the scene as the TV helicopters arrived overhead. It was amazing how fast the tall ladders of steel had been set up and water was cascading down on the flames. The fire seemed to be quickly under control in a matter of minutes. Smoke billowed upward as the flames receded. A fitting testament of how well these men in uniform performed their jobs.
By John Amato
— October 5, 2005