When it comes down to it, a forest fire in a community like Ponderosa Basin, South Tahoe, or Santa Cruz is always a personal thing. When we watch on the news that a community has been ravaged by flames, we can too easily change the channel and distract ourselves with the latest episode of Ice Road Truckers. Fires are dangerous, fast, and indiscriminate. That's why I'm glad to know that as of this morning, the folks that I know who live in Ponderosa Basin are still okay.
There have been some evacuations in the basin today. ABC 30 reported that 8 homes have been evacuated, and 30 more homes have been placed on 15 minute evacuation readiness.
View Larger Map
As you can see from the map - this is steep terrain. When I was up there, yesterday, it looked like the fire was still mostly at the 4000 foot level. The folks I know in the basin told me that it seems that the fire has already burned to the top of the ridge, and is now creeping down the mountain slope. Hopefully, it will move a lot slower in that direction. I'll keep looking for more information, and posting as I find it.
Remember to keep these families in your prayers.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Up until a year ago we lived in a beautiful home in Ponderosa Basin. My husband's job moved us to New York, so we had to sell our "dream home" in a down market, and move. We hung on to our adjacent 1.5 acre lot in Ponderosa Basin feeling reassured that it would be our nest egg for the future. Now after hearing about the fire, we're worried that it's all going up in flames! I appreciated reading your blog and the sensitivity you have for the families that live there! Finding current information on the Oliver Fire has been tough...it seems that all the reports are a day behind, even the t.v. broadcasts that I try to watch on the internet. My heart goes out to everyone living in my old mountain community...God Bless!
I'm so sorry that you had to move away. I still love that part of the mountains, and hope that I can scratch enough together someday to buy a lot somewhere up there. When I talked to a friend who lives in the basin, he said that it seemed like there was a good chance that the fire will miss everyone. I sure hope he's right.
Thanks Mountain Power Lineman! I got some info from the calfire website...they are now posting a fire perimeter map, which I find very helpful in visualizing the burn area. It looks like if the fire moves a bit southeast we'll be in trouble! I called the fire info phone number in Mariposa...talked to a kind old gentleman, but he didn't have anymore info than what I think he was reading from the calfire website...bless his heart though for volunteering to man the phone lines! So far the fire containment is still only 20%. If I knew how to do a rain dance, I would!
Post a Comment