Topline:
The plume of smoke rising above the Santa Monica Mountains on Wednesday, July 26 was from the Owen Fire burning in Topanga Canyon. By 3:45 p.m. on that date, it had grown to 25 acres (revised down from the initial 50) and was not likely to spread any further, according to L.A. County Fire.
The personnel: Approximately 200 firefighters and five aircraft responded to the incident.
Fire season: We're now in the realm of near perfect fire weather with triple-digit temperatures and low relative humidity. As soon as strong winds show up, it's off to the races.
Time to prepare: Get your go bags ready and prepare for fire season by listening to The Big Burn.