Free Republic

Jesus Pasos took one look around the grounds at Shomrei Torah Synagogue in West Hills on Sunday afternoon, and summed up in one word what everyone was thinking. "Wow!" the young Los Angeles city firefighter said. Yeah, wow. Pasos and his fellow firefighters were standing in the middle of the biggest community hug any of them had ever seen. More than 400 residents came to a barbecue at the synagogue to thank local firefighters for saving their homes from the Topanga Fire, which scorched more than 24,000 acres and destroyed three homes before it was put out earlier this month....