done

All of us hoped we wouldn’t be back in this mode until late in the summer, but with temperatures in the high 90’s over the weekend here in Southern California and expected hot again today, we started our shift/coverage during the Studio B hour and are prepared to go into the night here in Southern California. There have been some fires early in the season in years past, but after such a tough fall in Malibu and in so many other areas, we had hoped for a quiet spring, but firefighting in these parts has become a year around occupation. Partly because of warm temps, but more so because of the new home expansion, we seem to be covering more fires earlier in the year. Basically more people are moving into areas where fires are common and people for recorded time weren’t. So our crew of Ron Ralston (producer), Eric Barnes (photographer) and myself are here near Pasadena California, in a community called Sierra Madre. Outside it feels like the Arizona desert in June. When we step out of our live truck you can feel the dryness envelope you and the heat pound from above. A light but warm breeze doesn’t provide any relief. Around me I hear helicopters and planes flying continuously at low altitudes and the smoke has covered the sky, with small ashes falling like light snowflakes onto cars.

In an hour we had made our way across the Santa Monica mountains and through the San Fernando Valley. At the crest of Topanga Canyon, a blanket of smoke covered the sky. Two plumes to the north were visable and also one to our east.

As we headed up interstate 5 towards the town of Castaic, right next to the ‘Grapevine’, helicopters and bombers crossed over, one after another. Nearby Lake Castaic provided a continuous supply and as the winds died down, it provided ample time for a massive aerial attack. I have covered my share of fires across the west and I have yet to see so many men and women fighting from above. We left an assault in Malibu and arrived 35 miles north to another bombardment.