Good Night: the fire is out there

AFTER THE LAGUNA FIRE, some 14 years ago, when we were almost burned out of our trailer home, I had trouble sleeping. I was haunted by the irrational fear that the fire would somehow "come back." Some of that lingers. I should be sleeping but I can't. The fire is out there. Even if it's not burning my house, it is burning someone else's.

Intrepid local reporter MJF chides us for not seeking out the wonderful coverage the Orange County Register has been providing online. In truth, I have sought it out --and then measured it against the OCFA reports and other sources to see what I could see. I am wary. Skeptical.

But I didn't know they had MAPS! Online, updated, footnoted. They do. Tonight I found my neighborhood, my street, my house. According to the OC Register, I still have one.

An update—and some "Santiago fire" evac pics

Just heard from a friend, via cell phone, who has managed to remain in the Trabuco Canyon area (his home is near Hamilton Truck Trail), despite yesterday's mandatory evacuation.

Bruce happily reports that, right now, there is little fire activity along Live Oak Canyon Road, which stretches for about three miles from Hamilton Trail (it used to be a stage coach stop) down to Trabuco Creek.

The only substantial fire, he says, seems to be well above Joplin's Boy's Ranch (which is near Trabuco Canyon proper). (The jail's inhabitants were transferred to other county facilities yesterday or Monday.)

He says that there continues to be substantial smoke coming from Modjeska/Silverado, for what that's worth. They are somewhat distant.

1st photo: THE PLUME: looking back at our part of the canyon from the switchbacks immediately above Trabuco Creek, about 4:00 p.m., yesterday. I took the shot from my car as we evacuated.

The fire shown here was probably just above Hamilton Truck Trail (which is a mile and a half beyond Cook's Corner as one travels toward Trabuco Canyon).

I took this photo a few minutes before we evacuated. The smoke roiled alarmingly.

It was taken from my place, looking toward the general direction of Modjeska Canyon, which is miles away.

Looking in the direction of Modjeska Canyon from Harris Grade not far beyond Cook's Corner.

This was one of two or three aircraft I spotted mid-afternoon yesterday.

It was flying at a low altitude above Live Oak Canyon. Reminds me of the old B-26.

Looking down from the top of Harris Grade (near the entrance of Hamilton Trail) toward Cook's Corner, more or less. (I had to desaturate the pic to reveal the smoke.)

Someone lost and wandering in front of Cook's Corner (Santiago Canyon Road & Live Oak Canyon Road), about 2:00 p.m. Or not.

A firefighter at Cook's.

Good job, guys!

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

I called myself and I seem to be fine

I called my own house (not far from Hamilton Trail) early this morning, and boy was I glad to hear my notoriously surly (or mock surly) message: "Leave a message if you must!"

Called my parents' house too. The answering machine worked! So it appears that the Wheeler Compound in Live Oak Canyon/Lambrose Canyon is OK.

I called the Reb's house (deep in Modjeska Canyon), but all I got was a busy signal. That didn't sound good. Since then, however, I've heard that her house was spared. No doubt, we'll be hearing from the Reb soon.

I'm at school, having taught my morning class, but we just got the word that classes are cancelled starting at 1:00 p.m., owing to poor air quality.

Well, that works for me.

Thanks to everyone for all the well-wishing and offers of assistance. Sunny and I appreciate it very much.

Sunny says "hey!"

Mid-Morning Update: 10:33 (fire news)

Mary, a neighbor down the way on Kommers Lane, just telephoned Red to report that she had been allowed in Modjeska Canyon and visited our neighborhood. While there are losses in the canyon, it seems as if our neighborhood has been spared at this point.

Mary said that the sprinkers were still on on our house. Before evacuation, Red Emma and Rebel Girl put the lawn sprinklers on the roof and turned them on. They left them on when they left.

The sprinklers are still on.

Red has just left (once again) to confirm this report if possible. He will also try and drive into Lambrose Canyon to check on Chunk's family compound.

Good luck to us all.

Wednesday Morning: hope can be exhausting (Rebel Girl; fire news)

Chunk has checked in - please see his report below. Do say hello if you wish - it's nice to get your hellos and well wishes.

Modjeska neighbor, friend, newlywed and journalist Janet Wilson updates her report in the online edition of the LA Times. She SAW her house yesterday afternoon (the power of press credentials!). It is clear to Red Emma and Rebel Girl, that, unlike Janet, most journalists, especially television journalists, don't know where they are when they report and do not understand the geography of, say, a canyon. Take Modjeska for instance. It appears that they stand at the meandering mouth of the canyon and think that what they see is the total sum of the canyon. We will know more this morning as aerial views of the area begin to show on TV. Our friend and lawyer Bob M. points out that there have been no reports of a loss of the fire station which is down the hill from our house and across from Arden. Our house is located directly behind Arden, the landmark house of Madame Modjeska which was designed by noted architect Stanford White over a century ago. It has survived many fires.

A report this morning from friend and fire watch volunteer Linda aka Canyon Gal, a Silverado resident and sometime IVC student, who is currently hunkered down at the El Modena shelter. She reports that she knows that the fire in Silverado has burnt in the areas of the stables and the first fire station. She doesn't know for certain about any loss of structures. Rebel Girl knows that Lewis L. has six horses in those stables - she hopes that, like most large animals, they were transported out early.

This morning, Rebel Girl notices a slight shift difference between her tone of voice when she writes and when she talks on the telephone. Her voice here on the blog doesn't crack but when she's on the phone it does; it cracks and drops. She has to swallow hard and pull it back up. She wants to blame the smoke, her week-old chest cold that still lingers. But she thinks it has to do with other factors as well. No single causes here. Someone yesterday accused her of being brave. It's easier for Rebel Girl to be brave perhaps with the written word as opposed to the spoken word. There is that discrepancy between who she is on paper and who she is when she speaks, when she just is. She has long contended that she is at her best on paper.

Rebel Girl can hear her son laughing in the next room, a rippling joyful sound. Morning cartoons. Sponge Bob Squarepants. He is stretched out on the big couch, tummy down, face forward, propping up his head with his hands. He is happy.

Word just arrived that Modjeska residents with ID will be allowed back in today. Red Emma has left to take our friend Mary to work and then he will go to our home to see what he can see.

Rebel Girl is finding that hope can be exhausting.

That said, good luck to all of us. Why not.