Fire update, Wednesday AM

Sorry for not sending an update yesterday. Between switching residences and other things, it was a busy day.

Yesterday morning the Ranger for our district drove several caravans of residents into the forest so we could assess the damage, and, where possible, retrieve additional items from our homes. You may have seen the article in the LA Times. It was a difficult, bitter-sweet trip. The entire canyon was incinerated – it’s a miracle that anything was left. 

On Sunday I learned that my cabin was still standing, but until yesterday I had no idea how much or how little damage had been done. Against all odds, the cabin is not only standing, but it is virtually unscathed. The yard took damage from the fire, and parts of the fence melted when the ground cover next to it burned, but the house itself is untouched. The inside looks exactly as it did when I left with the dogs Saturday afternoon. There is just a hint of a smoky smell, as if some smoke from a BBQ had gotten in the front door.

The picture below is combination of several images taken from the empty lot next door to mine. The cabin that was there once burned down years ago, and I suspect that is part of what saved my cabin. All that was in that lot before the fire was grass and other light ground covering plants. With so little to burn, the empty lot acted as a fire break.

I don’t know the exact numbers, but it seems to me that most of the cabins were lost. Those of us who still have homes are the lucky few. Worse, many of my neighbors had let their fire insurance lapse due to the hard economic times. And because the fire came down the canyon so fast we had very little time to grab anything before we left. As I said, bitter-sweet. I am humbled by my good fortune, and I am heart-sick for my neighbors who have lost so much.

From what I have been told, residents may be allowed to return in about a week, possibly after Labor Day. Because I have my own generator, I’m in pretty good shape, but I will have to do a lot of work to the yard and mend the gaps in the fence before I will bring the dogs back. Many of you have offered to help, and I’m going to give as many as can a chance to do just that. If I’m allowed back in the cabin the week of September 7, the following Saturday may become a work/party day where anyone who wants to can help me clear the yard, mend the fences, and celebrate this miracle.

I will keep you posted. Please feel free to forward this info to anyone who may not have been included on my update list. Any oversights were not intentional. It’s just been a little nuts of late.

More as it becomes available. And thanks again for all your calls, e-mails, thoughts and prayers.

Bronwen