“We didn’t get real lucky with this lighting storm. It wasn’t predicted —

“We didn’t get real lucky with this lighting storm. It wasn’t predicted — which often happens with these storms that come in off the Pacific, there’s no history of the weather as it approaches the shore — and so we got hammered.”

Del Walters

Assistant regional chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, on a lightning storm that sparked more than 840 wildfires in that state.

“Iraq is in a much better place than it was a year ago, across the board. We’re not at the sustainable point yet; we’re not at the irreversible point yet.”

Adm. Mike Mullen

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.