A memorial fund has been established for the family of the 20 year old fire fighter, Gregory Pacheco, who lost his life fighting our Palomar Fire. In addition, Earl Walls, mountain resident, has set up the "Palomar Resident's Pacheco Fund" as a way to collect donations and send them together from our Palomar Mountain Community.
Donations may be mailed to: Palomar Residents Pacheco Fund, PO Box 65, Palomar Mountain, CA 92060. Checks should be made out to "Palomar Resident's Pacheco Fund" Questions? Please contact Earl Walls, earl@ewalab.com.
What does it look like in the fire area?
Several of you have asked, I thought more might be interested. I was down the East Grade yesterday dropping off the very last of the food. We are thankful that we still have somewhat of a 'green corridor' right next to the road as you drive down East Grade from the Summit to Will Valley. Off in the distance and down the canyons to Hwy 76 is burned. To my knowledge the back fire was started at the lower end of the Dyche. The low vegetation was burned along the road but it didn't get hot until a few feet into the forest. In most places you have to really look through those first trees along the road to see what has burned beyond. Most oak trees and some others look very good even in the burned area.
However, the fire did jump the road at the east end of the Will and burned pretty hot. So, the lower end of the East Grade down to Hwy 76 is going to take a while to look pleasant again - to say the least...
The A-frame cabin that burned was on Parayne Hill. Many years ago Nick Ricchiute's father helped build the cabin. Nick tells the story that the property owners didn't want any trees cut at all for a road. So, all construction materials and supplies were carried up a little path through the forest. That is the same way the owners got the piano up when they moved in. It was a rarely used, but loved, weekend cabin. We are sorry for their loss.
Several ideas are being worked on now in regard to helping property owners clear hazardous trees, re-seed and lay straw to help prevent erosion. Many of you have expressed interest in pitching in so we'll let you know when we have the details.
The 'Fire of 99' is nearly over!
We are so thankful.
~Bonnie
Rosie Lopresti has the following wonderful Fire of '99 story to share with you. For those of you who haven't had the chance to meet Rosie yet, she is a Bailey Meadow resident, wife of Jack Weisgerber, Mommy of Frank, volunteer Firefighter for five years for Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department, auxiliary member for two, and Nurse Rosie for Bay Park & Hawthorne Elementary Schools in San Diego.
Rosie was often shown on local television news clips regarding the fire. When interviewed during the last night of the fire, her comments were: "The firefighters are working really hard, they're doing a great job. They are my heros!"
They are our heros! ~Bonnie
For Rosie Lopresti's narrative click here.
Here are some snapshots from Bruce Graves from Thursday evening and
Friday morning, as the fire swept up to Cedar Creek (East Grade Road mile 8)
and to George Ravenscroft's home (which was saved).
Bruce took these from Birch Hill Road, on the far eastern tip of Crestline,
they are looking down to the southeast, over the East Grade Road, to where
the fire has just burned up from the La Jolla Indian Reservation.
George Ravenscroft's home is below the ridge to the left, not visible in
these photos.
Click on any photo to enlarge it.
And three dramatic
helicopter shots that were taken from Henshaw Dam as the
sorties were flown to fight the fire, photos by Ralph Provost,
Water Resources Manager at Lake Henshaw; communicated by Paul Dorey,
Director Of Water Resources,
Vista Irrigation District.
I will be happy to post any additional images anyone can send me electronically,
preferably as 'tif' or 'jpeg' files, mail to mp@scripps.edu.
I took about 300 pictures and have put "most of the usable ones" on the web, the page has 180 medium-res images so it may take some time to load... just start looking at the top. Do make sure "cacheing" is turned ON in your web browser (see "preferences") so whenever you click on an image to enlarge it and then click on "back" to return to the main page, all the images will not have to be re-loaded. I have all of these available as high-res images too (1000x1600 pixels) but do not have those on the web pages, just email me if you want one to print out.
The one roll of film I overlooked, from Saturday night and Sunday morning, is just now on the web. To see ONLY it and some new post-fire scenes, including views from below, on Highway 76, showing how Cedar Creek stopped the fire from burning into Crestline, click here or else click here for Mike Pique's entire picture set.
I also sent email out about the four days, mostly for out-of-town
friends and relatives, you are welcome to read it, click
here.
- Michael Pique
A NOAA satellite photo taken early afternoon Sunday 3 October.
