Big Sur is Burning

It's been burning since the 21st of June. Big Sur is one of my favorite places. I've hiked there, camped there, swam in the river there, danced on the mountain tops there, and have wonderful memories of my family there. DH and I took his mom and dad there a few months before his dad died. Nepenthe, although a building and business, is a big part of my life and memories and the thought of it burning down to the ground kills me.

Fire Unexpectedly Worsens; Big Sur Is Ordered to Evacuate
By JESSE McKINLEY

BIG SUR, Calif. — Facing a stubborn fire, California officials ordered the evacuation of Big Sur on Wednesday as flames flared on nearby mountaintops and moved steadily toward this coastal retreat.

Firefighters have been attacking a fire near Big Sur for 11 days and had been helped in recent days by fog, moist conditions and lighter winds. Seventeen homes have been lost here — more than half the total destroyed statewide from the first major wildfires of the season — but many residents had been allowed to remain as the fire stayed to the east and south.

But overnight Tuesday the fire unexpectedly intensified, prompting mandatory evacuations of residents on both sides of Highway 1, the scenic coastal byway that runs through the Big Sur valley.

“It’s tough to move out of your home; we understand that,” said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who visited the town with federal emergency officials on Wednesday, “but do it.”

Yellow smoke and ash mixed in the air as a procession of possession-laden cars, trucks and vans streamed north out of town. Horses, goats, cats and dogs were also being trucked out by animal welfare workers, as helicopters ferried back and forth to the ocean, drawing out water to dump on smoldering hillsides east of town.

One of those evacuating was Erica Sanborn, 28, who was living with her husband and their dog in a hotel in Big Sur, having already been forced out of their home, farther south on the coast.

“I’m kind of numb,” said Ms. Sanborn, an emergency room nurse who awoke to an evacuation order after a night shift. “I would never think that Big Sur could burn.”

Statewide, more than 19,000 firefighters and other workers have been fighting fires since June 20, when a line of storms and lightning sparked hundreds of blazes across the northern and central parts of the state. The blaze near Big Sur — known as the Basin Complex — is just one of some 1,100 confirmed fires on federal and state lands in California, according to CalFire, the state fire agency, though exact figures were hard to confirm. Hundreds of others have been contained or put out.

Costs were also rising. State officials have spent more than $50 million on the current fires, according to CalFire. On Tuesday, Mr. Schwarzenegger had ordered around 200 National Guard troops to provide ground support to firefighters.

The major culprit in the blazes is a persistent drought that has made for volatile fire conditions. Steep terrain was also complicating firefighting efforts. Tina Rose, a spokeswoman for the fire operation, said that about 20 miles of Highway 1 along the coast were closed, shutting down access to famous — and currently shuttered — resorts like the Ventana Inn and the Post Ranch.

One local celebrity, the Beach Boys’ guitarist Al Jardine, said he had loaded up a trailer with musical equipment on Monday night, and was hoping to hold out before the evacuation order came.

“It’s depressing,” Mr. Jardine said. “People are walking around like zombies.”

So many articles I could post...

As fire nears Big Sur, residents and beasts flee

July 3, 2008

BIG SUR, Calif. (AP) — Piles of charred rubble smoldered near California's scenic coastal highway Thursday as a ferocious wildfire descended on the storied tourist town of Big Sur, destroying vacation homes and sending forest creatures running toward the sea for cover.
The stubborn blaze, which has burned more than 100 square miles in the Los Padres National Forest, was just one of hundreds raging around the state. And officials on Thursday reported California's first firefighter death this year — a volunteer who collapsed on the fire line in Mendocino County.

So much forest has burned near Big Sur that animals have been forced out of their habitat and onto the roads. Buzzards flew overhead to snatch up dead rodents and squirrels, and residents reported seeing bear, deer and other big animals migrating toward the Pacific Ocean.

Meanwhile, crews near the Pacific Coast Highway fought back flames from homes and historic landmarks, including the upscale Ventana Inn, which was surrounded by crackling, burning brush.

Several homes perched on a ridge about a quarter-mile from the cliffside inn fell victim to the fire the night before.

At least 20 homes have been destroyed in the area since the blaze broke out June 21, up from 17 homes counted Wednesday. The fire was only 5% contained by Thursday evening.

Many Big Sur residents followed mandatory evacuation orders issued this week, but some chose to defy the orders, staying behind to try to save their homes and businesses.

Kirk Gafill, general manager of Nepenthe, said he and five employees were up all night trying to protect the cliffside restaurant his grandparents built in 1949. Wearing dust masks, the crew scrambled to stamp out embers, some the size of dinner plates, that were dropping from the sky, he said.

"We know fire officials don't have the manpower to secure our properties," Gafill said. "There are a lot of people in this community not following evacuation orders. Based on what we saw during Katrina and other disasters, we know we can only rely on ourselves and our neighbors."

Greg Ambrosio, who lives next to Nepenthe, signed a waiver Wednesday night to stay in his house. But his plans to stay were disrupted when he was awoken by a neighbor in the middle of the night who warned of the approaching inferno.

"Then there's a knock on the door, and we go outside and the fire had just expanded. It was Armageddon," he said. "Just yellow smoke and ash mixed with fire. It was just raining down."

Ambrosio said he and his wife grabbed their cat and drove to a relative's house for the night.

A total of 367 wildfires are burning in the state, most ignited by lightning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, and the U.S. Forest Service. That figure is down from a peak of roughly 1,500 fires just a few days ago.

In all, the wildfires have scorched more than 790 square miles and destroyed at least 65 structures across northern and central California since June 20, according to Cal Fire.

With firefighting resources stretched thin early in the fire season, counties have been recruiting volunteer firefighters to help with smaller blazes.

On Thursday, volunteer firefighter Robert Roland, 63, died in a Mendocino County hospital after collapsing a day earlier while battling lightning-sparked blazes in the area, north of the San Francisco Bay region. It was the first reported death of a firefighter this season, and the governor ordered flags at the Capitol to fly at half-staff.

Crews made progress at a separate wildfire burning nearly 130 square miles southeast of Big Sur. The blaze, also in Los Padres National Forest, was about 95% contained Thursday.

The Robert Downey Jr of Cookies

I love The Daily Show and The Colbert Report and I've always been a huge Sesame Street fan from toddlerhood so I especially loved Thursday's episode of The Colbert Report.

Mother Nature is a Bitch

as are arsonists...

What the hell is going on with the world lately? Earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, floods, and more fires. You think God is trying to tell us something?

It is so hot today that I'm melting and that rarely happens. I fear for our Disneyland trip next weekend. Alex is going to die and take me with him.

Adding insult to heat injury there is yet another fire in Santa Cruz. This one apparently cause my an asshole arsonist. Why the fuck would you do something like that? Why? And on a day that is as hot as it is today. The fire is right on the coast and besides being able to see the smoke plume from my driveway , I can smell it.

They need to find the dude who started it and drop him into it by the military copters that are circling over our housing right now.

BREAKING NEWS: Fires lines Highway 1 from Mar Monte to Airport Boulevard

Sentinel Staff Report
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Article Launched:06/20/2008 02:27:30 PM PDT

SOUTH COUNTY - In what may have been a blaze started intentionally by a motorist heading north on Highway 1, fire broke out from the Airport Boulevard exit all the way to Mar Monte Avenue just before 2 p.m.

According to emergency dispatchers, callers reported a motorist set spot fires at four or five areas along the freeway about 20 feet apart, which quickly spread. At 2:15 p.m., residents at 134 Trabing Road called to say fire surrounded their house and they were trapped inside.

Paul Van Gerwen, the Cal Fire spokesman, said the fire has burned about 100 acres and is moving north, northeast.

"Structures are imminent," Van Gerwen said.

Cal Fire called in numerous air and ground support, Van Gerwen said.

Stretches of Highway 1 from the junction of Highway 152 to five miles north of that. The highway is gridlocked due to the fire and offramp closures.

Dispatchers at 3:15 p.m. said there may be children trapped on the rood of a house on the 800 block of Buena Vista Drive. Firefighters were responding to the area.

Firefighters have been evacuating a host of roads on the north side of Highway 1 in South County. At 3:20 p.m. emergency dispatchers said there would be mandatory evacuations on the north side of the freeway from Airport Boulevard to Freedom Boulevard inland to Highway 1 as well as both sides of Calabasas Road.

Just before 4 p.m. fire cross Buena Vista and Larkin Valley and was headed toward the airport and was headed toward the neighborhood near that neighborhood and Manfre Road. Multiple spot fires were reported in that area also.

People were being evacuated to Aptos High School. An ambulance was called to the staging area at Trabing Road and Buena Vista Drive for a person suffering from smoke inhalation and chest pain.

Firefighters said fire was burning along both sides of the 400 block of Trabing Road, which is just off the Buena Vista exit of Highway 1, running parallel to the freeway.

Officials were evacuating Larkin Valley Road to Buena Vista and Trabing Road. At 2:45 p.m., emergency crews were calling residents on Larkin Valley Road and Larkin Vista Lane on the north side of Highway 1, ordering them to evacuate. When asked if they were mandatory evacuations, a dispatcher said "Yes, they are on fire."

Reverse 911 calls were made to residents along Mar Monte to Buena Vista to Larkin Valley Road. Fire is blocking the road at 320 Larkin Valley Road about 3:10 p.m. Officials were beginning to evacuate Old Adobe Road at 3:10 p.m.

At about 3 p.m., the CHP was shutting down Highway 1 at the exits for Highway 129, Freedom Boulevard, Airport Boulevard and Buena Vista Avenue, according to emergency dispatchers.

Huge plumes of gray smoke could be seen from all over the county as the fire raged on the north side of the freeway.

Firefighters could be heard over emergency channels saying they were implementing "bump and run" techniques and structures were down. Some structures were going up in flames and fire fighters were hoping to get help in to save some of them along Larkin Valley.

Jim Graham, who drove through Larkin Valley, said the fire is moving through the tops of the eucalyptus trees. He said people are evacuating animals with trailers.

"They are packing animals into trailers and some people are walking their animals down the road," Graham said.

Serafin Villanueva, who lives on the 600 block of Larkin Valley Road, said "I can see a lot of smoke. I can see some flames. My sister's friend's dad told me the fire jumped the road and I had to get out. I took precautions. I grabbed everything I could."

Just after 3 p.m. emergency dispatchers warned firefighters to evacuate themselves first if they felt they were in danger of the fast-moving fire.

Officials had no estimate of the acreage of the fire and all available units on scene, at one point leaving the city of Watsonville without coverage.

Fire units were en route from Santa Clara County at 3:20 p.m. to help fight the fire.

Norman Black, who was driving along Buena Vista Road and spotted some fires along the road, said he and a county worker tried to put them out.

"It just went woof. It just went crazy, the wind started to blow."

Natalie Batad and her sister Felicia Trujillo who live near the intersection of Buena Vista and Larkin Valley, were waiting for her with their dog Toby with bags of clothing.

Sentinel photographer Shmuel Thaler said "It's crazy."

Shake, Rattle and Roll

Oooh earthquake!!

Just has a 6.5 about 2 hrs south of us. This was a big one lots of rolling around and doors swinging. At first I thought I was just delusional from all the work and late hours but it kept going and going. Alex didn't feel it and he was outside working on the car. Poor guy he's dissapointed.

I may be crazy but I love earthquakes.

Why in God's Name?

U.S. May Expand Access To Endangered Species

By Shankar Vedantam
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 11, 2003; Page A01


The Bush administration is proposing far-reaching changes to conservation policies that would allow hunters, circuses and the pet industry to kill, capture and import animals on the brink of extinction in other countries.



Giving Americans access to endangered animals, officials said, would feed the gigantic U.S. demand for live animals, skins, parts and trophies, and generate profits that would allow poor nations to pay for conservation of the remaining animals and their habitat.

This and other proposals that pursue conservation through trade would, for example, open the door for American trophy hunters to kill the endangered straight-horned markhor in Pakistan; license the pet industry to import the blue fronted Amazon parrot from Argentina; permit the capture of endangered Asian elephants for U.S. circuses and zoos; and partially resume the trade in African ivory. No U.S. endangered species would be affected.

Conservationists think it's a bad idea. "It's a very dangerous precedent to decide that wildlife exploitation is in the best interest of wildlife," said Adam Roberts, a senior research associate at the nonprofit Animal Welfare Institute, an advocacy group for endangered species.

Killing or capturing even a few animals is hardly the best way to protect endangered species, conservationists say. Many charge that the policies cater to individuals and businesses that profit from animal exploitation.

The latest proposal involves an interpretation of the Endangered Species Act that deviates radically from the course followed by Republican and Democratic administrations since President Richard M. Nixon signed the act in 1973. The law established broad protection for endangered species, most of which are not native to America, and effectively prohibited trade in them.

Kenneth Stansell, assistant director for international affairs at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said there has been a growing realization that the Endangered Species Act provides poor countries no incentive to protect dying species. Allowing American hunters, circuses and the pet industry to pay countries to take fixed numbers of animals from the wild can help protect the remaining animals, he said.

U.S. officials note that such trade is already open to hunters, pet importers and zoos in other Western nations. They say the idea is supported by poor countries that are home to the endangered species and would benefit from the revenue.

Officials at the Department of Interior and Fish and Wildlife, who are spearheading many of the new policies, said the proposals merely implement rarely used provisions in the law.

"This is absolutely consistent with the Endangered Species Act, as written," said David P. Smith, deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks. "I think the nature of the beast is such that there are critics who are going to claim some kind of ulterior motive."

Animal welfare advocates question the logic of the new approach, saying that foreign countries and groups that stand to profit will be in charge of determining how many animals can be killed or captured. Advocates also warn that opening the door to legal trade will allow poaching to flourish.

"As soon as you place a financial price on the head of wild animals, the incentive is to kill the animal or capture them," Roberts said. "The minute people find out they can have an easier time killing, shipping and profiting from wildlife, they will do so."

The proposals also trigger a visceral response: To many animal lovers, these species have emotional and symbolic value, and should never be captured or killed.

The Endangered Species Act prohibits removing domestic endangered species from the wild. Until now, that protection was extended to foreign species. Explaining the change, Stansell said, "There is a recognition that these sovereign nations have a different way of managing their natural resources."