People always have a spot, one that is not far away, that is special to them. We call it our "go-to" place. It is a town called Idyllwild. population: around 3,784.
Much could be written about this town, but right now it is most famous for the recent Cranston Fire.
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| Following the rains of 2017 |
June 2018
After Cranston Fire at Idyllwild July 2018
We drove through this moonscape on our way to Idyllwild for the afternoon yesterday. This community of 3,874 was busy with an annual music festival. So many visitors were there that we had real difficulty finding a parking place. Shop owners told us about the courage and dedication of firefighters and how this tight-knit town were ready for such an event.
If we had not driven through the black and white burned area, we would not have known a fire had nearly taken their town.
It was saved by three or more days of 24 hour firefighters being so brave. Around the clock of fire retardant drops and water from Lake Hemet kept their town whole.
Arson was the cause, as in other fires in the news. It is a felony to do such a horrible thing, with serious consequences. We personally feel that an arsonist should spend the rest of his life on the front lines of fighting a wildfire.
We will visit our "go-to" Idyllwild again soon.
Oh gosh, Susan, those fires have been terrible and seen to get worse every year. When I see that, I feel so awful about the things that I complain about. I was in California a few weeks ago. It was the Monterey area (Santa Cruz) and the weather was cool and perfect. However, we did smell smoke when we went up to Stanford University. I don’t know if it was the winds bringing down the air from the Carr fire in Redding or not, but it definitely was the smell of fire. It is so terrible to read how easily these fires start. It is even worse when you read that some have started deliberately by a person who has no regard for others.
ReplyDeleteTo do so is a felony. We think that the arsonist should spend his life digging fire breaks at every fire.
DeleteNo pictures got downloaded!
ReplyDeleteJust tweaked and swore a bit, so the photos are up and running.
DeleteSuch a sad place you describe. There are lot of spaces like that in Canada this summer, particularly between the mountains and west coast.
ReplyDeleteClimate change has resulted in such fires where none had been before.
DeleteI'll check back tomorrow because none of the pictures have loaded.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteMy heart goes out to all the people.
ReplyDeleteLike others, I had no pictures
There are shops where we always go, always buy something. We'd thought about living there years ago, but availability of medical care means driving down the mountain.
DeleteNo pics to see, but awful what fire can do indeed. Great the town got saved.
ReplyDeleteHope you come back, Pat, to see the photos.
DeleteIt's been such a brutal summer in the west. I love your graphic below. So many work so hard at so much risk and for so little glory. Heroes, indeed.
ReplyDeleteThese men and women are indeed heroes.
DeleteAnd so unappreciated except in crisis.
DeleteThe fires have been brutal. Glad to hear the town is still there. (I see others have already alerted you to the no pictures issue.)
ReplyDeleteI hope you stop by to see my corrections!
DeleteFire is so scary and firefighters have got to be some of the bravest folks on earth.
ReplyDeleteNature is doing enough damage without arsonists stepping in to help.
As dry as it is here, it takes very very little to spark a fire.
DeleteThis year it seems half the planet is on fire. So glad your 'go to' place is stilll there.
ReplyDeleteThe climate change has really made itself known.
DeleteI just saw the pictures. How heartbreaking they are.
ReplyDeleteGlad you came back to see them. The comparison is depressing.
DeleteAlong with being made to work at the front lines fighting the fires he has set, I personally feel an arsonist should be made to sit and watch while a perfect stranger burns down his property.
ReplyDeleteMean of me, but then he'll appreciate more how others feel when they lose everything due to the fires he sets.
...and to visit burn victims in hospital. Or not. He may be such a sick man that this may be the result he wanted.
DeleteIn other words, the arsonist should face something that he fears, which isn't fire maybe.
The area was such a pretty wilderness before the fire.
ReplyDeleteIt was, and will be again. Nature has its way of healing the land.
DeleteAll it takes is a cigarette or a piece of glass in dry brushwood to set the whole thing off. We owe a huge debt of thanks to the firefighters.
ReplyDeleteIt does not take much at all.
DeleteI've probably been to Idyllwild at some point in my life, but not anytime recently. Too bad about all those fires. The ash has been falling in our neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
Tossing It Out
The ash is so scary. It comes from trees, homes, everything.
DeleteI like the idea of arsonists being required to fight fires:)
ReplyDeleteWorks for me. If a sick arsonists loves fire, let them have hands-on experience.
Delete