« Earthquake | Main | Mmm...smells like... »
November 15, 2008
Deja vu
Yesterday it was the Tea Fire in Montecito, then late last night a new fire starting in Sylmar (North end of the San Fernando Valley, dubbed The Sayre Fire) which has moved west and jumped the 5 freeway (closing the main pass north out of the Southern CA basin—the Newhall pass) now pushing it’s way to the north area of Granada Hills.
I’m watching coverage on tv and a map goes up showing the area threatened - the hills above (east/west running) Rinaldi Street west of (north/south running) Balboa Blvd and a feeling of déjà vu comes over me.
Because 31 years ago, August 29, 1967, I was 13 years old, living in Granada Hills and spending the night with my best friend, Patty. We were watching the last episode of The Fugitive and when we went out to her back yard we saw the hills above on fire. (She lived just north of Rinaldi, I lived just south of it). I, along with her whole family watched as a bright red glow behind the hills become a wall of flames that crested the hills and started marching down towards us.
That night, the winds shifted just before we had to evacuate, pushing the flames back into the path they had just burned and the fire fighters were able to get control of it.
The big difference between 1967 and 2008? Well, those hills I watched burn as a 13 year old are now covered in homes.
All freeways in the San Fernando Valley are closed right now.
Posted by Darleen at November 15, 2008 09:15 AM
Comments
I will pray for the people of California. I can think of no worse calamity short of death than having the physical mementos of your life destroyed utterly.
Posted by: Chris at November 15, 2008 01:28 PM
how ironic this post is only two down from the "Global warming is not true, because jesus told me" post.
Don't see any causal relationship to a bunch of fires, a lack of rain, and global warming, Darleen. Because that wouldn't be what some jackass from the coal industry told you was true.
Posted by: timb at November 19, 2008 12:50 PM
timmy
how stupid are you that you don't know the So Cal area has experienced regular fires long before evil white man settled here?
oh...my bad, rhetorical question.
Posted by: Darleen at November 23, 2008 01:05 PM