Wildfires in California-Ramblings

Late Sunday night I became aware that the wildfires in California had begun to intensify with the increasing Santa Ana Winds. I've been aware of wildfires before now, of course, but I've never had one of my children in California before.
We have occasional wildfires in Texas, and last year there was a very bad outbreak that went through areas that I have loved ones in. I have relatives all over Texas and some of them were in the danger areas. My son was in the Brownwood area and as a missional outreach, their BSM went to Cross Plains and helped in the rebuilding of that community. One of my paternal aunts lives on the family farm outside of Desdemona and was asked to evacuate as the fires were approaching her area. This was a very alarming time for our family as we awaited news. Many acres of land were burned and many families were affected, but not as many as are now being affected by the wildfires in California.
The wildfires in California are difficult for me to comprehend as I know nothing of the area. So many people living on the edges of mountains and hills, down in canyons in desert regions. We have canyons and hills and a few mountains in the western areas of our massive state, but in those areas of Texas we have space, not row upon row of homes. I don't know how many people live in the area affected by the wildfires in Texas but, I'm sure the numbers evacuated in our wildfires don't compare to the mass of humanity that we see being evacuated in California.
My son recently moved to California, the first part of September, so this is the first time I've watched the wildfires with such a personal interest. My husband has had family in California for years and at times they have had some close calls. He has an uncle and a cousin who live in the LA area. We have a nephew who is just back from Iraq as military support who has been looking at homes in the San Diego area. He and his wife and son were about to close on a home when they backed out because they didn't like the way the process was going. I'm certain that God had a hand in that situation as He is always with us. I haven't talked with them, but am reasonably certain they would have been one of the many families we see in fear for their home.
My son emailed me yesterday assuring me he wasn't "on fire", he is attending Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA, so I knew he wasn't in danger.
As I watched the news on t.v., search the internet for news, I'm struck by the way the news is reported. I wonder if we realize that there are people who have loved ones in areas that are in danger and have no idea of the geography of the area? It would help this mother if they would always show maps, with wind directions, movement of fires and universally known landmarks as they report to the population at large. Not all of us are familiar with local landmarks and find it difficult to see how close the wildfires are to our loved ones.