Fire - hold the works
(I'm afraid this is more of a report than anything else. I don't know what to do with my anxiety about this stuff and I don't have time to weave the perfect writing piece.)
I admit I've never been a fan of fireworks - celebrating with something that represents the heinous idea of exploding bombs? In the part of town where I live, the "backyard" fireworks are legal. Kiosks selling them generate big money for churches and youth organizations.
Let's forget all the other reasons this makes no sense and think for a minute. Let's just imagine that Joe Idiot sets himself or his house or his neighbor's lemon tree on fire and it gets a little out of control. The fire fighters as far as I can see are a little - what should we call it - BUSY. At the very least, have some respect.
We've been surrounded this year. Santa Cruz Mountains, Bonny Doon, and Watsonville to the north, The Indians and Big Sur (officially the "Basin Complex Fire") to the south.
The town of Big Sur has now been completely evacuated. More than 61,000 acres have burned in that fire alone and it is all of 3 % contained. (No, I didn't leave out a number that's three percent.) My gardening tools are still covered in ash from last weekend. This week, the winds have changed and while we get sunny skies, one of the most beautiful places I know is blackened or alight with flames.
Information on the Big Sur fire is here:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres/conditions/
http://xasauantoday.wordpress.com/fire-links/
http://www.surfire2008.org/
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3 comments:
I'm glad you did this one, Kit. It just makes sense. And you have some pretty comprehensive stuff in your links too.
Growing up in the big drought of the '80s, when fireworks were altogether banned, compounded with growing up in a moment when drive-by shootings actually happened pretty regularly, left me with a low tolerance with things that go 'bang' for fun. I enjoy a well done pro show on occasion, but the neighbors getting off on blowing things up? Doesn't do it for me. So I sympathize.
"have some respect" - basically says it all. and perhaps a dash of common sense as well.
one of our neighbors was doing a "show" full of sky rockets and since he's a moron to begin with one of the rockets went wild in a yard full of children.
we never seem to run out of morons!
the coverage of the fires is breaking my heart.
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