THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Johnny Hekker noticed a glow in the hills as he drove south from Simi Valley to Thousand Oaks on Monday night and couldn't make out what it was. He turned on the news when he got home and found out about the wildfires that had begun to affect Ventura County, then woke up the next morning and realized how quickly it was all spreading.
"I smelled the smoke, saw ash on my car when I went outside and just realized that there was something that needed to be done," Hekker said. "I'm sure there were people that were misplaced.