Fire is incapable of mercy. You just have to beat it back or wait for Mother Nature to step in. So far, neither is happening with the wildfire raging here in Los Angeles. It could double in size again today. The center is north of Pasadena in the Angeles National Forest. But here's what it looked like from my apartment, at least 12 miles away:

Someone braver than I took this photo from ground zero:

The fire is taking a toll in many ways. Two firefighters were killed yesterday when they drove off a dangerous road. And entire neighborhoods are in danger of being swallowed. The latest from the LA Times:

More than 12,500 homes were threatened and 6,600 were under mandatory evacuation orders Sunday night. Eighteen residences have been destroyed, fire officials said, mostly in the Big Tujunga Canyon area.

The fire was 5% contained, officials said, and at least temporarily had eased off in foothill communities from La Cañada Flintridge to Altadena...

"In this rugged, steep terrain, with this brush as thick as it is, we are having difficulties establishing containment lines where we can make a stand," said Capt. Mark Savage, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. "This fire is still very much out of control."

It's supposed to cool down later in the week. Mother Nature, if you'd like to show up sooner, we sure would appreciate it.