(Our personal story begins following the Sentinel article.)
Martin Fire: Wind whips fire to 900 acres BONNY DOON - Hot, dry winds and searing temperatures are expected to fan a roaring blaze in the Santa Cruz Mountains that has razed 900 acres and forced 1,500 people from their homes. The big fear now for firefighters battling the Martin Fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains is that the blaze will creep eastward into the steep, heavily wooded canyons. Cal Fire spokesman Paul Van Gerwen said today that if the fire sweeps through the Laguna Creek area, it will be immensely difficult to beat back the flames and smoke because of the terrain and thick vegetation in that area. At about 10 a.m., the fire was heading south, roughly parallel to the canyon. Thursday morning Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a state of emergency because of the Martin Fire that sparked just before 3 p.m. Wednesday on the 1200 block of Martin Road and grew to 300 acres in about an hour. The fire is just 5 percent contained. Schwarzenegger pulled out the big guns, activating the DC-10 and DC-7 retardant dropping aircraft, to fight multiple fires across the state. "I'm declaring a state of emergency for Santa Cruz County today - the state is committed to doing whatever it takes to assist the locals and provide the resources needed to battle the Martin Fire," Schwarzenegger said. Wednesday, the governor directed additional resources to aggressively fight California's early wildfires through Cal Fire and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
Thursday morning crews worked to build a fire line around the Pine Ridge neighborhood where about 100 homes surrounded by highly flammable fire and pine trees are threatened. David Potratz, a volunteer firefighter for Bonny Doon Fire, said historically, firefighters have always worried about that area and its susceptibility to fire. Potratz was working the base camp Thursday morning, handing out water and fliers. Van Gerwen said Cal Fire is heading out today to assess downed power lines, weakened tree limbs and burned out stump holes before any residents are allowed back in. Gary and Florence Martin are two of those residents who hope the fire is put out quickly. The couple lives in Bonny Doon and stayed up Wednesday night hosing down their home on Wild Iris Road, where the flames were about 800 feet away. "We could see the flames," said Gary Martin, a musician. "It was pretty intense." They've been living in this woodsy part of the world for about 20 years, and every summer, there's talk of a potential fire in the thick, dry forest. They hope it wasn't a group of partyers who started the fire. The nearby sandstone quarry has been a party site for many years where people often hang out and light bonfires, the couple said. "I always worry about goons starting a fire," Martin said.
(Left) Smoke from a fire in Bonny Doon at Martin Rd. and Ice Cream Grade Rd. can be seen from the top of the Summit off Hwy 17 at 4pm, June 11, 2008. (Karen T. Borchers/MediaNews) Around 11 a.m. as the winds shifted to the southeast and aircraft dropped load after load of water and fire retardant, phone service to the area of the fire was lost as phone lines went down. Brian Tentinger, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, said winds today will gust between 15 and 17 mph. And fire crews are expected to deal with temperatures reaching the mid-90s in some spots. "The conditions are really dry and it should be pretty hot today," Tentinger said. There is some potential good news for the estimated 700 firefighters: as early as Friday, ocean air could begin blowing onshore, creating cooler and more humid conditions. "It should be favorable," said Tentinger. While there is no count on the number of homes or buildings destroyed, Cal Fire said at least 1,000 homes, 50 commercial buildings and 50 outbuildings are threatened, with the fast-moving blaze expected to grow to 1,500 acres by today. Battalion Chief Mike McCoy of the Orange County Fire Authority said Thursday morning they have been "on the go since 8 a.m. Wednesday" at Madera and Angels Camp before they got to Bonny Doon Wednesday. McCoy said his crews were working in drainages trying to beat down the fire before it gets hot again.
(Right) Firefighters beat back flames moving toward Doug Stewart's Martin Road home. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel) At the base camp set up at the Bonny Doon Airport on Empire Grade, crews were busy setting up tents, unloading tables, lunches and water. Firefighters from across the state will call the airport home for as long as the fire progresses. Employees from the Lockheed Martin facility on Empire Grade stopped by the drop off water and said helicopters were using the lake near their facility to fight the fire. Lockheed is in no immediate danger. Just three weeks ago, a fierce wildfire torched 4,270 acres off Summit Road and burned 35 homes, thick columns of smoke were visible for miles Wednesday as firefighters scrambled to extinguish the conflagration burning in the tiny mountain community. Wednesday's wind-whipped, brush-fueled Martin fire was the latest in a batch of wildfires that ignited over the past two days in Northern California, from the coast to the Sierra foothills - an ominous sign for the summer. "The biggest concern is that we are having a lot of fire activity," said Van Gerwen. "The vegetation is in a critical state, and we're going to be coming up on the Fourth of July and all the concerns around that." The blazes scattered across Northern California were taxing firefighters' ability to stay on top of them, Van Gerwen said, making them worry how they'll handle the next one. "The resources we have stationed around the state are all being tied up," Van Gerwen said. "When you have five or six fires going, you start to have things spread pretty thin.... Any new fires that occur, there's a risk of not being able to control them."
(Left) A fire that called out three thousand fire fighters. With vegetation already parched and browned by a record rainless spring, the winds only make things drier, and any spark can quickly fan a raging blaze, Van Gerwen said. Vegetation normally isn't this dry until August. "The state of the vegetation is two months ahead of schedule," Van Gerwen said. Will Pi, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said offshore winds are common in spring but have been more frequent this year. "It's been happening quite frequently, more than usual this season," Pi said. "It's been very dry. We've seen relative humidities down below 10 percent." Forecasters said the winds were expected to drop to 10 to 20 mph by today, with temperatures in the 80s to 90s. The fire started on the 1200 block of Martin Road in the Bonny Doon Ecological Preserve, off of Ice Cream Grade and Pine Flat Road, fire officials said. More than 1,500 residents have been evacuated from the heavily forested area dotted with residences; 1,000 residences and 50 outbuildings are threatened and at least one house has burned, according to Cal Fire. Cal Fire Division Chief Steve Woodall said the cause of the fire, which is moving through heavy fuels and heavy timber, is under investigation. The area hasn't burned in at least 50 years.
Doug Stewart, who lives at 1224 Martin Road, speculated that the fire may have been started by one of the many trespassers who come up on his property to go up to Moon Rock, just north of his home, to smoke pot. "People are always trespassing and going there to smoke," said Stewart, who lives in the Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve. Bonny Doon residents who were evacuated were offered refuge at an American Red Cross shelter at San Lorenzo Valley High School. Forty people were staying at the shelter Wednesday evening. According to Santa Cruz County Animal Services Coordinator Tricia Geisreiter, the Animal Services team is working with the firefighters and Sheriff's Department to go behind the lines to rescue animals that were left behind. The Graham Hill Showgrounds filled with horses - the capacity is 40 - Wednesday afternoon, but most of the animals were moved to private farms so additional horses could be brought it, according to Animal Services Supervisor Todd Stosuy. He said at least 60 horses, 60 exotic birds, 50 goats, 50 alpacas and many dogs had been rescued late Wednesday. "We want to remind people to please take their animals with them when they evacuate," says Susan Pearlman, interim general manager for Santa Cruz County Animal Services. "If people have nowhere to go with their animals, they can come to us. We will be that safe haven for their animals."
Animal Services began searching individual residences late Wednesday for animals left behind. Volunteers and officials from Monterey County Animal Services were helping with animal evacuations. "If people need to bring us their large animals, bring them to the [Santa Cruz County] Fairgrounds," Geisreiter directed, which is located at 2601 E. Lake Ave. in Watsonville. She added that they really need hay for the horses and that donations should be brought to the Graham Hill Showgrounds at 1145 Graham Hill Road in Santa Cruz. Smaller domestic animals, including dogs, cats and rabbits, may be brought to the Santa Cruz County Animal Services shelter location at 27 Janis Way in Scotts Valley. She said the shelter has accepted a bunch of dogs, cats, hamster and guinea pigs Wednesday. Geisreiter added, "These animals will be under protective custody, which means that we will be caring for them and they absolutely will not be put up for adoption. We know that these animals have owners and we will care for them during this emergency free of charge." She said the shelter will open again no later than 9 a.m. today. To those in the evacuation zone, Geisreiter urged, "Please prepare to get out and do not leave your animals behind. We need people to know that if they think they need to evacuate, evacuate now. Don't wait."
By the numbers ACRES BURNED: 700. CONTAINED: 0 percent, expected to grow to 1,500. STRUCTURES DESTROYED: At least one residences. STRUCTURES THREATENED: 1,000 residences, 50 outbuildings. EVACUATIONS: 1,500 people from Thayer Road, Pine Flat Road, Pine Ridge, Towhee Road, Quail Drive, Smith Grade, Moore Ranch, Lupin Road, Warren Road and Martin Road. SHELTER: About 40 at San Lorenzo Valley Elementary School, 7155 Highway 9, Felton. COUNTY: Santa Cruz. LOCATION: Bonny Doon and Martin Road near Highway 9. INJURIES: None. FIREFIGHTERS: 719 firefighters; 21 fire crews, 69 engines, 11 air tankers, 10 water tenders and 7 helicopters. FIRE STARTED: 1400 block of Martin Road. ANIMAL EVACUATIONS: Santa Cruz Animal Services Authority is available to assist in evacuating livestock and domesticated animals. To reach the shelter call 454-7303, Ext. 0. Livestock are being housed at the Graham Hill Showgrounds. Pets are at Animal Services, 27 Janus Way, Scotts Valley. ROAD CLOSURES: Alba Road at Empire Grade Road, Empire Grade at UCSC, Felton Empire Road at Smith Road, Pine Flat at Morelli Ranch, Ice Cream Grade at Pine Flat Road, Pine Flat Road at Ice Cream Grade Road, Pine Flat at Quail Road, Pine Flat Road at Empire Grade. VOLUNTEERING TO ASSIST: The Volunteer Centers of Santa Cruz COunty are pre-registering volunteers. Call 427-5070 or visit www.scvolunteercenter.org. ===============================================================
That was the news as we knew it. On the radio KPIG was saying there was a fire, but not much was known. People were being forcibly evacuated though. Of course by the time we heard the news or read any of the papers, we had already left. These were the first accounts.
On Tuesday Lisa had driven up to San Jose to pick up her godson Paul, who was out from Long Island for a ten day visit with his friend Jeff. Wednesday morning, they biked the eight miles to Santa Cruz (it's mostly downhill) and were checking out the town. About 3 PM as they were heading back they saw the smoke. Lisa had been sitting on the couch reading. I was in the garage cutting up a piece of plywood. I had taken the middle seat of the VW out so as to better transport the boys and their bikes, but the bolts which held the seat down were still protruding from the floor, and without ripping up the whole rug to remove them, I was just going to cover them with plywood so no one tore up knees, trousers, toes and the like. I dropped it into place, swept the sawdust from the garage and headed to the kitchen for something to drink. It was hot. That's when everything seemed to happen at once. The phone rang as I came in the house. Lisa answered it and was talking excitedly. Then I heard her cry out, louder than the telephone voice, "Look out the window!" I did, and saw smoke billowing into the skies. Something had nudged her to get up and look out. When she did, she was so startled she recoiled in shock, right into the wood stove, leaving a nasty little gash on her side. She had seen the smoke just as Paul called to ask about it from Santa Cruz.
Since the Summit Fire on May 22nd, we had prepared the VW. When fire teaches, pupils should listen. Earthquake backpack, sleeping bags, tent, coats, blankets and some basic vitals were set and ready to go. Nevertheless the two of us sprang into action without another word, each to their appointed tasks. It was strange in retrospect how quiet we were, but it didn't occur to us at the time. I began gathering up the computer equipment, some important papers and the book I've been working on. Because it was the end of the semester, Lisa grabbed all her teaching papers and gear. She wanted to be paid for the semester, and certain documents still had to be finalized. Having empty bags ready turned out to be very helpful. All the time we were attending to these few objects, just beyond our driveway (it was difficult to judge distance or time) an industrial smokestack for some unseen underground forge was feverishly billowing volumes of dark clouds into the sky, but without the stack! What Vulcan be this? We took both vehicles of course. Tommy was the last thing we grabbed. We didn't want to be opening and closing car doors once he was in. And off we went. After the recent fires, everybody has been talking and thinking about the potential. We live out here in the woods. Fortunately, we have friends in town, and our network was one of the most important parts of our 'safety net.' We were able to go and spend time with people we loved, and talk about the excitement. So after we set out from the house, we head for Jill's where we'll be able to drop Tommy off. Jill's not home yet, but Lisa has the key. Tommy has stayed there before and knows the neighborhood. It's very cat friendly. Every time you got out, there's generally at least a couple of new feline personalities to say hello to. We make sure that Tommy's OK (he's busy meeting the new whiskered tenant named Zion), and then take off to run a few errands, like pick up the boys.
When we reconnect with Paul and Jeff, we take another look at them. They're wearing gym shorts, tee-shirts and running shoes; the outfits they had when they biked into town. In our haste, their backpacks are one thing we'd overlooked. They're back at the house, together with Paul's wallet. We gathered them and their bikes into the van and see if we can return to the house to pick up a few things we've forgotten, so off the four of us go. No way, Jose. At the bottom of Empire Grade, right by the UCSC entrance, they will not let us pass. "But I live up there!" I said, waving my California liscense with the Bonnie Doon address. "It's our home!" "No one is allowed in" said the officer. "No one." We circle back into town. Returning to the Santa Cruz pier, where we have supper. The smoke from the blaze lays upon the horizon, filtering the late sunlight on this hot, June day. Then its back to Jill's we go. She sleeps with Diego, the boys are on the couches, and Jill has offered her bed. It's been a good day.
The next morning, after Jill's gone to work and Diego to kindergarten, we find that Tommy has found a way to beat the heat in the bathroom sink. He's one cool customer. Later, we take the boys to the Salvation Army and they pick up some clothes, cheap. Then we drive them the two hours to Big Sur where Lisa had arranged camping accomidations for their visit. Bikes and boys dropped off, we return for another night at Jill's. This is Thursday. We pick up the boys on Saturday. On Friday we try to go home again, this time by a different route. Nope. That evening, we switch accomidations. John and Maureen have invited us for a meal, and they have a separate cabin we can stay in. Separate cabins are good. It means moving Tommy, but I like the idea of him having a number of places he can go. Maureen recently lost her feline friend, so the natives should be friendly. So off we go. The natives are indeed friendly. Tommy joins us for the meal, and I explain that I'm not a big believer in the 'lock 'em up up for 48 hours' mentality. Once inside, I talk to him, and then open the door. Out he goes. He works in ever winding circles, checking out the area, and then coming back to the door. Checking out a little more, and then coming back to the door. He knows what he's doing. Later that evening we all go together over to the cabin, to give us the tour. It's night, in a wooded settlement with wild animals, huskys and another assortment of cats. Talk to him, and we set out. Look back, here he comes.
He stays with the pride. We returned home Saturday around noon, having left Wednesday about 3 PM. We were only there for about a half hour when we had to travel back to Big Sur again to get the boys. We've been busy. Two of the factors surrounding this experience which were most strange were A, not having any idea whether or not the house was involved. The roads they were talking about were all around us. Before it was finished, ten houses did actually burn, together with some additional outbuildings. And B, being told each time we could not return. Some of what did help was, A, having a plan. B, having friends we could count on, and C, having each other. The entire journey could have been very aggravating, with frayed nerves and hot tempers, but that didn't happen at all. It had already worked out that way, Lisa had made the reservations days before, but the trip to Big Sur was incredibly healing, and what a great thing to do when you can't go home anyway! And I learned some things I'd never thought of before. You can tell which way the fire is moving by watching the direction of the smoke. Simple enough, but I'd never thought of it before. It made watching from a distance a little more informative. While we were out for the four days, we thought about some of the things we had forgotten to bring and made a list so that next time we would have a better shot at covering a few more of the bases.
It was a blessing, an adventure, and a lot of fun! It was great to see the community pulling together (thank you firefighters!), of everybody's concern, prayers and well wishes. When we came back it was great because all the stuff we had worried about was still here!! This is great stuff! It's like Christmas in June, but we don't have to unwrap any of it, or clean up the mess! You start to appreciate what you have in a new way. And you start to appreciate others in a new way. Blessings to all, and a safe journey. ~Don | ||||||||||||||
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