the sequel

Last week it was a lightning storm, this week a firestorm. Well, sorta.

Last night while driving home along the coast behind the airport, there was an eerie orange glow lighting up the entire sky coming from the direction of the Chevron plant by where I live. I wondered if there was a fire or explosion at the plant, but it turns out they were just doing some kind of burnoff. It was pretty impressive - there was a low marine layer cloudcover, so the orange color just reflected and filled the entire sky. I drove by the plant and saw it was coming from what could have been a 50 foot plume of fire atop a tall tower. I don't know if it was planned or not - people everywhere had come out of their houses and gathered to take pictures and see the show.

The most amusing part of the night, though, came as I was done and heading home and a security guards truck drove by the opposite direction on the road. "...ou cant take pictures he..." he timidly yelled at me as he drove by. As if there is some legal expectation to privacy about a huge plume of flames hundreds of feet in the air visible from anywhere in the surrounding area far from their property?! sheesh.