California Fire Continues

Those of us here at Deer Dance share in the shock and dismay that has gripped so many of us over the last four days at the fires that have been ripping through Southern Californian communities.

The news this morning has been no better. This from Firefighting News:

The dozen wildfires raging across Southern California continued to overwhelm fire-fighters on Tuesday as the greatest wildfire evacuation in California history continued. As more than 500,000 people fled their homes, the fires burned across 600 square miles from San Diego to north of Malibu, destroying more than 1,800 homes.

While fire-fighters from surrounding states and even the Federal government have joined the battle, things have yet to turn around:

“The fire has control right now,” said Rochelle Jenkins, spokeswoman for the [California Office of Emergency Services].

Forecasters at the National Weather Service said fire conditions in much of Southern California will remain “critical” today with near-record temperatures, sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts up to 50 mph.

As though the loss of homes and property weren’t enough, the impact of this fire on the environment will be impossible to fully calculate for a long time. From The New York Times:

A survey conducted by the California Farm Bureau Federation found that avocado and citrus groves, nurseries, vineyards, rangeland, and other farm and ranch operations were possibly damaged, with thousands of horses evacuated to shelters and livestock also possibly caught in the fires’ paths.

It’s difficult today to think of anything besides this almost overwhelming disaster. A family -- a single mom and her three children -- who has lost their home in San Diego is currently on their way to Deer Dance now. Helping her has made us realize that, with this amazing facility, there are other ways we can help. We are currently organizing The Center for Reuniting Families’ relief efforts. Meanwhile, if there is some grassroots way in which you think we can help, please let me know personally. You can e-mail me here, or call 805-434-3200 and ask for Dr. Peter Huber.

If you’ve come to us through a search engine and are looking for information on the fire, the California Fire News Blog is a good place to get up-to-date information on the fires as well as connect with other related services, emergency and other.