The great fire…that missed.
Thursday morning I had an errand to do which entailed driving up one of the ridges above the little valley I live in. On the way up (and looking south) I noticed a peculiar cloud formation, beautiful actually, resting against the mountain ridges. The day was warm and clear, and it’s not unusual to be above the cloud line up here at 5,000 feet, thus allowing us mountain people some nice views of the clouds from above.
But on the way home, as I drove north, my serenity turned into alarm. The source of the unique clouds was a billowing smoke cloud not far to the north, and on the other side of the mountain. Fire! And, it was not too far off. Far enough to not panic, but close enough to worry about. When I arrived home, my wife told me the news. An arsonist had started a fire in Cabazon, and the winds were quickly pushing the fire around the mountain to the North/West. It seemed unstoppable because of the dry, hot day and gusting winds. In fact, I heard the horrible news about 5 brave firemen, all from our little town, who were quickly trapped by the fast-moving fire. Three had burned alive where they stood, and the *other two were in very critical condition at a local hospital. (*The latest news is, sadly, that they all have died. J.S.)
Needless to say, the next two days were pins and needles. Do we pack our valuables (I could lose everything) or sit it out and pray for the winds to favor us? My teen-aged daughter was quick to point out that my wish for the fire to move away from us only meant disaster for other people and their families who would be in its path. I sighed and agreed. Of course we don’t wish this Hell upon anyone else, but the bottom line is our wish is for our own survival first. Ouch, what a thought. I guess at that point, I prayed for rain and for the winds to die down. That was a safe enough gesture, maybe that way nobody would suffer. But in the back on my mind I that knew it wasn’t going to rain and the fire in it’s uncontrollable state would have to run its course, destroying everything in its path. Fortunately for us, that path didn’t include us. Unfortunately for others, who weren’t so lucky, it spelled doom for the quiet lives that they once knew out here in the serene mountains and foothills of Southern California.
But we still got our share of tragedy: the 5 brave firemen from our little berg who perished while trying to protect the home of someone who they didn’t even know — and all because of an arsonist’s malicious act.