Stephen Murray was the maintenance man at the 281 resident trailer park in Paradise, California. On the morning of Thursday, November 8, he could see the fire coming. Before any orders to evacuate were sent out, he drove around the park honking his horn and alerting the residents.

The California fires are causing untold, unfathomable amounts of suffering, hardship, and loss. They're also revealing some stark truths that people - be they customers, business owners, government officials, or average citizens - must confront, assess, and respond to.

When businesses try to increase efficiency, save money, reduce headcount & overhead, they can often lose their "soul" - stripping out humanity can do that to any organization, to any group, to any gathering.