Tough Day for Firefighters

The emergency services in Orange County are working well on what is probably their busiest day for some time with numerous mudslides, rescues of various sorts, and general havoc caused by the days of heavy rain.  In Chicago they've also had a very tough day:

Two firefighters were killed and 14 others were injured -- six critically -- after being trapped in a vacant burning building on Chicago's South Side on Wednesday.

Ten firefighters are listed in in stable condition following the blaze at an abandoned dry cleaners, where a wall collapsed as crews fought the fire at the one-story building, MyFoxChicago.com reports.

Dozens of firefighters sifted through the rubble to find their comrades, and then rushed them to nearby hospitals.

The fire started at about 7 a.m. local time and a "mayday" call went out when the wall collapsed. Ten ambulances rushed to the scene.

The blaze occurred on the 100th anniversary of the Union Stockyards fire that claimed the lives of 21 Chicago firefighters in 1910. In all, 24 men in that fire in the meatpacking operation at a Morris & Co. plant.

God bless all those who are out trying to keep us safe today. And God bless those families that will be missing loved ones this Christmas Day.