Fire Season
A fire broke out this past weekend in Gorman by Interstate 5, not too far from our community about 20 miles. I hear it was a trailer parked in the McDonald’s parking lot that ignited some brushes, which quickly spread. Fortunately, the wind was blowing from the northwest pushing the fire south, in the opposite direction from us.
As of this writing, it is spread more than 1,5000 acres and only about 40% contained. There’s no immediate threat to our community so far, but we’re definitely on alert. We have our community emergency radios turned on, and I have some of my important documents and things ready to go in case the wind shifts.
We were here as weekenders when the Day Fire broke out in 2006, which started also along interstate 5 near the Pyramid Lake on Labor Day. It was far enough for us to be concerned. But after burning for 6 solid weeks, the wind shifted and the fire started marching towards our mountains. We drove up from LA because my life-time of photo albums were in our mountain house. By then this entire community was flooded with fire engines that came from literally all over the country. When the fire jumped Highway 33 at Lockwood Valley, mandatory evacuation was ordered throughout our community.
What happened next is story-worthy. Making a long story short, the fire-fighting crew recognized they’d have to bulldoze the sacred ground of the Chumash tribe (they considered Mt. Pinos to be the center of the world) and called in the elders to get their consent. After having a counsel of their own, the elders granted their consent for the fire fighters to do what’s required to save the mountain community and performed a ceremony to bless the effort. Within hours the clouds came and started raining, and the Day Fire was contained shortly after. They didn’t have to bulldoze our mountains after all. I always get chills when I tell this story!
So last Sunday, a small group of the community members gathered and had a Rain Turtle ceremony at one of our local medicine women, Sun-Jay’’s backyard. All I know is the Post Fire is still burning, and we’re still O.K. I’m grateful for the community volunteers, who have been training the community members to use the emergency radios; the fire fighting crews who risk their lives. And it’s just another reminder to be mindful of our actions that may contribute to potential disasters.