High winds were whipping the fire around the bowl-shaped canyon. This front would not rush past; it would scour the landscape until there was nothing left to burn. The children and the grandparents were indoors, but Carlene and John would have to stay outside and fight.
A spot fire started behind the house. They rushed toward it before stopping short. They would have to drag hoses across a long stretch of burning ground, and dared not risk it.The above is excerpted from an article that appeared recently in the Los Angeles Times. It compares the way wildfires are handled in Australia versus the United States. A compelling read, especially if you live in a fire-prone area.
Thanks to Pete S for the lead!
Photo: Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times
3 comments:
I didn't know you could be arrested for trying to defend your own property against fire in SoCal, or that there was a policy of evacuating people there, before I read your blog. It's true about people staying and defending their property often being able to save it. I remember Gabby staying and defending the Hill in the 1960s too - he saved the house but not the outbuildings.
During the Harlow fire, Mom and Dad had walked up the road to see how far away the fire was from them. On reaching the top, they were shocked to see it approaching at freeway speed up the side of Deadwood Mountain. They ran back and tossed a few things on the old flatbed truck and into the car. Mary Liz was visiting with her young son David. They all got out of there as enormous embers “the size of Volkswagens!” as Mom described them, flew overhead and set fires ahead of them. In a frightening circumstance like that, you can forgive her for running back into the house for one more important thing — a box of Kleenex tissues.
Kleenex tissues???? Now that's part of the story I have never heard! In fact I knew none of those details before. Thanks!
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