Read
an Associated Press article, click
here; for pictures, click
here.
Update
on Thursday.
I
took my son, Sean, up on Strawberry
Peak, where "it hit home." I
will let the pictures tell the
rest
of
the
story. We
personally thanked the firefighters
that were stationed up there.
Click on the Twin Peaks button
in the menu above.
The
story behind the pictures.
During Saturday's tour, I must share with you how astounded I was. I say this with respect to the devastation and places where structures were saved on the most remote roads that most of you did not know of until this disaster.
The six most devastated places I
witnessed were: Saturn Way in Crestline,
Oceanview in Crestline, the Sand Hill section of Mazundar in Crestline
(I did not see Sawpit Canyon),
Cedar Glen (after the business district),
Waterman Canyon, and the Forest Lawn Boy Scout Camp. There are other
places where structures
burned but in spots or small groups.
Over and over, we just saw that what
the fire missed, it was perfect;
but where the fire hit, it disintegrated
everything in its path.
Now, the number of personnel fighting
this fire is around 1600 professionals,
which were stretched past Pilot Rock,
Silverwood, Squints Ranch, Devore,
East Highland, Hesperia, San Bernardino, way past Green Valley
Lake, going into Big Bear. That number
is the same as the population of
Rim High School on any given day.
Looking at the trees that are still
dead and standing in groups (just
look across the ALA office on 173),
you get an overwhelming feeling that
the mountain WAS spared (in terms of a majority of residents returning
home with no deaths from the fire).
I cannot
put in words how overwhelmed
I was seeing the remnants of battles all over the place, whether
they
saved structures or not. They found,
and probably created, roads to try
to save as much as they could. Some
saved houses have burnt brush, trees,
and wires all around their place,
and you wonder... "how was
that possible?"
Sadly to say, some areas were completely
wiped out without prejudice by
the fire. In Cedar Glen, nothing
was left in its path, except maybe
a swingset (untouched) and a small
playhouse.
Know this, the efforts of ALL
the agencies are truly awe-inspiring
and they give every possible
effort; regardless of any politics
or agendas. They do things that seem not
only improbable, but impossible.
Realize that when they finish this fire,
they will be called to fight
other fires. Untiring effort comes from untiring hearts. When
they
finish, and we are back on the
mountain restarting
our lives, for those of us that
have to, let's get those dead
trees down and give your untiring
support to all the agencies that saved
our mountain.
One last request (and I know
some are already doing this)...
can the real estate companies on
the mountain minimize their
severe competition and find a systematic way to
offer vacation homes to our
residents that are homeless? Please, find
a way... the firefighters did.
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