This week we are beginning the eighth year of Wildfire Today. It is a good time to remind our readers that we greatly appreciate them and especially their comments, interactions, and news tips. We are also very thankful for the support from BFX Fire Apparatus, Coulson, Coaxsher, and Astronics.

Our actual birthday was Tuesday, January 6, but at that time we were in south Florida where we watched Mississippi State play in the Orange Bowl, and then spent a few extra days to take advantage of the weather that was 80 degrees warmer than the day we left South Dakota. We also used the time to visit and write about the fire and aviation programs at Miami-Dade County and Everglades National Park.

In the 2014 calendar year the three most-read articles on Wildfire Today were about fires in California — in descending order: the King Fire near Pollock Pines in September, the Sand Fire south of Placerville in July, and the Cocos fire west of Escondido in May.