Deidre Crawford

As you drive up the hill towards the Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, you can still smell the scent of smoldering embers and burnt smoke in the air.  Located near the heart of Sylmar, less than a mile from where the Sayre fire started, the hospital found itself surrounded by raging fires on November 15th, the night they began.

Despite more than 500 homes being lost in the fire that raged over five days, unbelievably, no one was killed and there were almost no injuries. 

Charles Cole was on duty that night, working as the hospital's night nurse manager as fire surrounded the hospital and smoke rolled down the hill. 

"The smoke was so thick, you couldn't even see one foot in front of you," remembers Jones.  "I wasn't scared - I mean you're scared at first, but then you realize you're at work and they need you.  I needed to be in charge."

The fire reportedly began just north of the 210 Freeway near Veterans Memorial County Park in Sylmar around 10:30 p.m. Friday night.  The Santa Ana winds quickly spread the fire throughout San Fernando Valley, even causing it to jump across the I-5 freeway. 

It spread rapidly as it was fanned by gusts of wind with near hurricane-force, making it nearly impossible for firefighters to contain it.  

"The biggest problem was it just happened so fast," explained Cole.  "I mean it was a matter of minutes. You could see the fire and flames over there and they just took over," said Cole while gesturing towards the hill behind the hospital.

According to Cole, the hospital was warm, but not due to the fires - the hospital lost its power and air conditioning when its generator was damaged by the fire.  The weather had been unseasonably warm, and the recent heat wave was considered partly to blame for the fires. 

Temperatures that night ranged in the 70's, and with the heat, the loss of electricity, smoke seeping into the hospital, and the threat of fire, 26 patients were taken by ambulance to other hospitals in the area.  The 26 evacuees consisted of all of the neo-natal intensive care infants, a few intensive care unit patients and certain "step down" patients - patients who are a "step down" from intensive care.

"We were all wearing the little masks.  There were particles in the air from burnt homes, burnt trees, really bad stuff, and these huge embers floating through the air," Cole explained while making a quarter-sized circle with his fingers.

Surprisingly, the hospital has not seen any increase in patients, or in patients with respitory problems since the fire began.  Olive View is a county hospital, which serves the indigent and low-income population, yet it has not seen any increase in displaced people since the fire. 

It houses roughly 200 patients and 200 staff, and fortunately, only one employee lost their home.  Hospital employees have been providing donations of food and clothing for those who lost their homes in the fire.

Cole stayed past his usual 11 p.m. shift end and worked all the way through until 9 a.m., helping maintain control at the hospital and making sure everything was running smoothly.  He praised the administration and their decision to not evacuate everyone, and says the night was handled very well.  "I felt much safer in the building then out there - it made sense for us to stay inside."

Standing in the hospital almost exactly a week after the fire began, one would never know a fire had been raging around the building just days earlier.  The hospital was quiet, the corridors were nearly empty, and the lobby contained only a handful of patients waiting to be seen. 

Even Cole seems nonchalant about the events that occurred and is humble about the part he played that night.  "The firefighters were the true heroes that night, they really deserve the credit," smiled Cole.

Originally published October 13, 2008

Several high-profile law enforcement officials spoke out against Proposition 5, the Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act, on Thursday.  California Attorney General Jerry Brown, Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley and Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca voiced their opposition against the proposition, claiming it is dangerous and will serve as a free pass from jail for criminals.

California's Proposition 8, a ban against same-sex marriage, narrowly passed in Tuesday's election.  Since then, numerous protests have taken place in the streets of California, with demonstrators numbering in the thousands.

On Election Day, opponents of the bill were still hopeful the act could be defeated. Reverend David Daniels, a member of the "No on Proposition 8" campaign, was stationed near a West Hollywood polling spot to lend support to opponents of the proposition and answer questions for any confused voters.

Opponents of the ban were concerned voters could be confused on the language and think a "yes" vote meant yes to same sex marriages.  At least one voter at the West Hollywood polling station was confused and asked Daniels for clarification.  Daniels hoped his being there that day would help inform enough voters to defeat the proposition.

Currently, gay rights advocates across the state have filed legal challenges to Proposition 8 and hope to have the ban reversed on claims the ban is unconstitutional. 

To see Reverend David Daniels in West Hollywood on Election Day, click on the arrow below:

Despite the election being less than a month away, voters are still trying to decipher the candidates' smokescreens to obtain real information in time to make an informed decision for this year's Presidential election.  This week's debate was no exception.  

According to the press, never has a Presidential debate been more widely anticipated than this year's first televised debate between Senators McCain and Obama.  First, there was the question of whether or not it would take place, then there was the question of if McCain was up to his old tricks by pulling out of something at the last minute, and finally, once the issue of whether or not McCain would attend was settled, promotions to tune in to Friday night's debate were popping up everywhere from facebook to CNN.