Still Red, But Not On Fire (Red Emma; fire report)

THE AUTOMATIC attribution will read: "by Rebel Girl" but it is really Red Emma at the keyboard, filing his report himself courtesy of Reb's account.

Hi, Dissenters. (Not Dissentery, cuz that's about lower GI problems!) See, Red can joke a bit, eager to embrace a little bad taste, joyfulness, some exhilaration. It's early afternoon and, bathed in the air-conditioned high-tech comforts of lakeside living courtesy the Bone Doctor and his Novia, Red reports the following.

First, Chunk's canyon seems to be okay. I actually sort of did a naughty, and drove past the momentarily abandoned Sheriff's checkpoint, all the way to the top of Live Oak Canyon Road, where actual real hot flames were burning right to the asphalt and about 20 engines and crews were stationed. This is perhaps a quarter mile from I think it's called Hamilton Trail junction. It looked really, really bad and like maybe they were gonna cut and run. I skeedadled back to the biker bar where neighbors were eating peanuts with the Brave Firefighters and we watched the big, big black smoke behind us (up and east from Santiago Canyon Estates) being ominous in between when it was turning white after water and retardant dumpage by monster planes. Nice. (Mom, can I have one of those for Christmas?) Again, sort of amazingly, I was able to drive up there again on my way back to our comfy domestic command center in Lake Forest and see that somehow they'd stopped the flames, so I think Lambrose and points south of highway are okay.


Meanwhile, waiting around in vicinity of Cook's Corner didn't seem to make sense (I was being ignored by buxom biker babes, go figure), and since I wasn't getting too many papers graded either (my great colleagues proctored an in-class exam and I picked up Blue Books early from UCI) I drove back here to my Lovely Wife and Son to confirm the following. All reports --- from Sheriffs, neighbors, a cool OC Reg reporter named Eugene, County Animal Control dude, more neighbors --- all actual eyewitnesses, confirm unburnedness of Olive Hill and all neighborhoods in Mo Canyon, with obvious exception of a few structures just below southern canyon wall in interior and, of course, the 10 or so which are in the triangle of fire formed by Santiago Canyon, Modjeska Canyon Road and the notorious Modjeska Grade Road. There, indeed, the iconic if nutty plywood Dome Home (with llamas) is gone, as are a few homes just east of the grade and, yes, over into acreage under Concourse Park, Limestone Canyon area. Don't know now whether we will get back in tonight, and wonder what we'd do there anyway (after the joy of seeing our place) absent power, telephone, the rest.

So, for now, with winds down, we are cool. Thanks to all for kindness and concern. I'll spare you my analysis, but the Idiot President is in town tomorrow and thoughtful folks might boo in his direction. The crime and foolishness of endless "resources" spent killing people in foreign lands mean, really, right now, fewer planes and National Guard and planes dropping lovely, wonderful chemicals. Peace out.

(Photo by Chunk)

Andrew Tonkovich