“The blaze began Friday in foothills above expensive homes but none of the homes had burned and none was in immediate danger, fire officials said.” [Link]

I really wish the media would stop this, referring to homes as “expensive” when they’re threatened or destroyed. First of all, there’s no such thing as cheap real estate in California; everything here is expensive. And this isn’t the only place where that’s true. Those aren’t mansions in Ventura, they’re just houses that happen to be in a fire zone. Secondly, my home is no more important to me because it’s expensive than yours is to you, if you live somewhere less expensive. A home is somebody’s home, where somebody lives. It’s their biggest investment and the center of their life, whether it cost fifty grand or fifty million. The fire doesn’t care what it’s worth, and neither should we.