FAMILIES THANK FIREFIGHTERS FOR SAVING THEIR HOMES FROM SIMI VALLEY FIRE, 2003-10-29 (photo)

Families thank firefighters who saved their homes after they evacuated from the eastern flank of the Simi Valley fire, in Stevenson Ranch, California, October 29, 2003. Seventeen fires moving across the state have blackened about 600,000 acres (242,800 hectares), an area nearly the size of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, over the course of a week and incinerated 2,000 homes, destroying entire suburban neighborhoods. Officials said that at least 18 people have died in one of the state's worst wildfire seasons and grimly predicted that more charred bodies would be uncovered when the flames were finally doused and rescue workers moved in. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson PP03100135 LN/GN