Well, it’s that time of the year again — late fire season.

Just as the air starts to cool and the days get shorter, and everyone’s looking forward to a healthy rainy season, the fires pop up again. Just one week from today last year, a series of wildfires sparked up all over southern California, eventually torching over 500,000 acres of land.

Over the weekend, two fires started near the west end of the Angeles National Forest, close enough to civilization to cause some serious property damage. The LAist has Google Maps enabled minipages on the Marek / Little Tujunga and Sesnon Fires, which have both increased in size and unpredictability thanks to the Santa Ana Winds.

I was hiking on Sunday near San Gabriel Peak, and while the smoke wasn’t near me, the air all over L.A. was noticeably hazier than the day before. Air quality will surely worsen before the firefighters get the blazes under control, so if you’re sensitive, try to limit outdoor activities for a bit — and of course, if you’re planning on hiking in the affected areas … don’t.

Image by firelookout.

Tags: Angeles National Forest, California wildfire, fire season 2008, little tujnga fire, marek fire