Seeing the Damage from The Bridge Fire in Wrightwood

 

This morning I took a drive up Highway 2, to see the damage on the west side of town.  The road was closed  off for weeks.  Seeing those mountains was devastating.  I was shocked at how barren the land looked.  Once filled with trees, birds, and wildlife, it now reminds me of a graveyard.  It was sad to see the beautiful homes and wide spance that had burned.  What used to be green, lush, and healthy is now filled with dry skeletons of trees, or just nothing.  Ground zero.

This is a mailbox in Iceland.  They are a land of knitters.

The timing of being in Europe during the fire and evacuation was divine.  I was able to visit a beautiful part of the world and get together with old friends.  It was eerie to read the updates on my iPad and study the progression of the blaze on my cameras.  Since being back home, I have been watering my oaks and pines, raking up more pine needles that blew around during the fire, and taking loads of trimmings to the local dump.  The birds seem happy and relieved when they arrive and rest in the greenery.  I’m sure they are in shock, too.

The one thing I learned from this wildfire is to be as organized and on top of chores as possible.  It helps to look at your cabin from a fire fighter’s point of view.  The more we care for our homes and gardens, the easier it is for them.  I am continuing to create more defensible space.  The deck and balcony are swept each day.  An evacuation can happen immediately.  You may not have any warnings or time to pack.  Many of the locals expected more notifications.  Fire is not logical.  It can move like a freight train, especially now.

I have an app called Watch Duty that alerts me to all the fires near me.  It is so helpful.  Leaving early that morning made it much easier because I could take my time packing, take care of the dogs, drain my indoor pipes, light up the house, and drive with without being surrounded by smoke or traffic.

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