This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

the fires of Gehenna

I'd like to add my two cents worth to Nan's comments regarding the fire. I've had numerous inquiries too from both relatives and writers I know asking if we were singed or unharmed.

I live in Riverside, Riverside County, California. We're ten miles from San Bernardino, and we live up in a fairly high part of town called Canyon Crest. From our home we look down on the city of Riverside, on the University of California at Riverside, and down on the valley, where the cities of Redlands, San Bernardino, Colton, Rialto, and Fontana spread from east to west. And our view also takes in the San Gabriel mountains to the south, and directly to the north the San Bernardino mountains, where several of the regional fires started and still burn. From our backyard we first saw a fire burning in Reche Canyon, a small canyon slightly east and north of here. Then last Tuesday and Wednesday I had to be in Redlands, which is just below the San Bernardino mountains to give a talk to a Master Gardener class, and both coming and going I saw the fire spread from a small blaze to the devastating fire it became.

>From our backyard have seen the smoke every day, and at night we have often seen the fire itself as it moved up various canyons. The Reche Canyon fire was fairly small, but some homes burned. The Grand Prix fire started above Fontana (home of the racetrack where the Gran Prix is run), eventually spread both east and west, east across I-15 and started the "Old" fire, so named because it started in the Old Waterman Canyon area, and this is the fire that spread to the mountain communities of Crestline, and the more well-known towns of Big Bear and Arrowhead. As it spread west and south, it continued along the foothills above  Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario and Claremont.

Today, the Santa Ana winds (they blow here every fall and winter, Nan) have ceased and the marine layer has deepened and moved inland--it's cloudy and some drizzle fell in some areas, and generally it's much better, with more moisture in the air. However, the clouds as they move up through the higher elevations have brought along more windy conditions, blowing now from west to east (the Santa Anas blow from north to south, down through Cajon Pass and other passes), and this west to east wind has caused the damage in the mountain communities, all of which have been evacuated, and all of which have suffered great damage, with many homes lost--this morning the news said over 350 homes burned last night-- and thousands of acres of forest burned.

Today the Old fire, the Grand Prix and some others locally are still burning, and it's a question as to how much of Arrowhead and Big bear and Crestline, as well as several other smaller communities can be saved. Smoke is still very easily seen as I look to the north and to the southwest but hopefully the better weather will continue to prevail.

The only real damage in Riverside Coutny has been the small Reche Canyon fire, and the one at Temecula to the south of us.

We have suffered from smoke and ash falling--yesterday there was no mail delivery--the feds told the postal employees it was harmful to be outside and breathe--and the guys driving the garbage trucks all wore masks. The fine particles of ash have been a problem for many people. Riverside schools aren't closed but all the schools in the San Bernardino valley--Fontana, Rialto, etc. are closed. There is a fine covering of grayish ash all over all the garden plants--not good for them, although the ash may help the soil, which is mostly decomposed granite in this area.

Nan has given a very good comprehensive view of the fires to the south in the San Diego area--all of us have a concern about the small village of Julian.

Gerald Burke
Freelance Garden and Travel Writer 
_______________________________________________
gardenwriters mailing list
gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/gardenwriters

GWL has searchable archives at:
http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters

Send photos for GWL to gwlphotos@hort.net to be posted
at: http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos

Post gardening questions/threads to
"Organic-Gardening" <organic-gardening@lists.ibiblio.org>

For GWL website and Wiki, go to
http://www.ibiblio.org/gardenwriters
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index