California Wildfires

 

Have you all been keeping an eye on the wildfires in southern California?

(All the photos in this post are copyright by Reuters and the Associated Press photographers and journalists. None of them are my own, though I did edit some of them slightly to add contrast or sharpness. I want to share these photos that affected me profoundly and that give a true and unique aspect of these terrible fires.)

 

I don’t watch much TV, probably less than an hour or two each week, and I rarely ever watch local channels or news broadcasts, though I do catch up on national and world news via the internet.

I tend to be a very visual learner because words seem to get garbled up inside my brain, and I have to read the same sentence several times so I can absorb it and make it stick. So photos are especially useful to me, in that they convey a story so much easier and are more meaningful for my brain to understand.

The California wildfires are affecting my extended family who all reside between Los Angeles and the mountains of the Angeles Forest. I have family who live in Monrovia, Pomona, Chino Hills, Duarte and Covina.

 

They are all safe, for the time being, from the fires, but are affected by the suffocating smoke, ash, extra traffic, and general chaos. They can see the smoke plumes during the day and the glow from the fires at night.

(Do you see the sad face in the wall at the far left of this photo?)

I am sad to hear that the historic observatory at the top of Mount Wilson, which I have very fond memories of hiking up years ago, with my Aunt Phyllis, who used to live in Sierra Madre, in the beautiful foothills in the shadow of Mount Wilson, is threatened to be destroyed by these fires.

Did you know that Albert Einstein visited this famous observatory in 1913?

It would be terrible to lose such a useful tool, not to mention a special piece of history.

But the fire rages on.

And is affecting many homes and lives.

And thousands of firefighters from around the country are risking their lives to try and control this out-of-control fire. Like these firefighters who traveled from my state, The New Mexico Zuni Hot Shots.

They are no strangers to large forest fires, but I’m sure even they were feeling a little overwhelmed when they saw the size and scope of these fires.

 

I understand how fire can affect lives. I know the devastation it can cause.

About 6 years ago, my family was awakened at 3am on my husband’s birthday, when we heard a loud explosion. When we opened our eyes, we were confused and surprised to see that our bedroom walls were flickering red. We looked out our bedroom window and were shocked to see our neighbor’s house, across the street, was on fire. We watched with fear and relief as our neighbors escaped through the front door, and then, after calling 911, we sat in awe watching as the fire devoured their house. It is amazing how fast a fire can consume an entire house as if it is nothing at all. It has no regard or respect for how it affects the family who created memories within that home’s walls.

 

If you live in the West, fire danger is always on your mind. Even for us here in our mountains at 7,000 ft we can be affected by forest fires.

We are surrounded by thousands of acres of National Forest, BLM land and Open Space, and many homes back up to these areas, as well.

We have at least a few large forest fires every year. Some caused by natural sources, like lightning and some caused by carelessness, like cigarettes thrown out a window or campfires not put completely out. It’s a terrible tragedy when it affects or destroys the lives of humans.

But it can be even more devastating for the innocent animals that depend on us to keep them safe.

 

Can you even imagine their confusion and terror?

Can you also imagine the extreme trust they must have for us humans while they watch searing hot flames come closer, and can hear the crackling and popping of the burning embers, the fire engine sirens and firefighting planes overhead, and are surrounded by smoke that fills their lungs?

And think about the humans that love these animals. So much that they would risk their own lives to save them.

 

While others desperately wait for someone to rescue them, too.

 

I hope and pray they are all able to escape in time.

From the Tower of,