It started on Sunday, a concern because California was already burning, but it was still described as an incident brush fire in the San Gabriel Mountains, spreading to 500 hundred acres. The temperature rose to from 112 the day before to 114 on Sunday. By late afternoon, the sky was darkening, the sun was red, and above the ridge, the fire was glowing as it rapidly grew to 1,800 acres. We considered the possibility of leaving, but it was Labor Day weekend and fire reports were still developing, compared to the big picture of California and other fires in the region. It was a long night though, grappling with another threat in the time of Covid-19. We began packing emergency bags until the power went out around 10:30. I sat in blackness in meditation with a battery-powered candle. By Monday morning, the fire was almost 5,000 acres, but the temperature had dropped to a tolerable 98. By Monday evening though, we were on evacuation warning. It's a 3 tier system here, Ready, Set, Go. We were at "be Ready". We kept packing. Tuesday morning the fire had grown to 8,500 acres. We finished packing not sure of how long we'd be gone and what kind of return we would face.
That afternoon we left for a Covid-safety-compliant Air BnB on the coast. Later that evening, we received the emergency text advisory to evacuate. The fire had grown to over 10,000 acres and the Santa Ana winds were looming. Last night as I wrote this, the fire was over 19,000 acres, this afternoon hitting 24,000 acres, but the fire fighters' grueling work to protect the foothill cities has so far kept the expansion away from those areas, as the fire spreads north into the forest. The weather softened a bit, and mercifully, the winds did not reach the full expected force. (Weather and wind are crucial determinants.) The fire remains 0% contained. This is just one fire, the one that personally affects me, but as you know from the news, the western half of the country is...inflamed.
We will watch developments from a distance for a few days further, knowing how these situations can change in a heartbeat. For now, I can only underscore this deep sense that, as with the social upheaval and economic unrest, the fires are not separate from the Pandemic. Humanity is capable of a better way, a way of healing that includes all, the way that Life is all. We are capable of understanding that success means caring for all of life, as we are cared for. I hold much awe and gratitude for those who are facing the flames for all of us. (Susan Nettleton)