Less than a mile from some of the worst destruction, the Santa Barbara Mission was spared and makes a nice reminder of the beauty that remains. Despite the terrible losses suffered, I saw and heard about many acts of compassion and generosity.
When a house burns to the ground the only thing which remains is usually the fire place and items made of brick or clay. Out of respect for the homeowners and their property all my photos of the fire aftermath were taken with a telephoto lens from a great distance away. I elected not to take pictues if family members were present. These would have been journalistically powerful but I am not a journalist and after this experience I am not sure I could be. I strive to make images which capture the spirit of the people in them. Taking a picture of someone who is suffering is something I am not now and may never be ready to do.
I am camping on the beach again so each morning I get up at about 3:30am and head into the office. I grab a shower and work for a couple of hours. After the sun comes up I head out for breakfast and a little photography. I was surprised to see so many burned up vehicles. A house made of wood I can understand but a machine made primarily of steel seems like a much less vulnerable target.
Helicopters, which looked more like hornets, are constantly picking up water and delivering it to the remaining hot spots.
Fire crews from all over the state and even neighboring states converged on Santa Barbara to help battle the blaze.
Everywhere you turn there are signs expressing deep appreciation for the firefighters, police and first responders whose heroic efforts saved many homes and many lives. Although something like 80 homes were lost, it was apparent to me that many hundreds more were saved. I often saw one house leveled to the ground with another standing 200 feet away without a hint of damage.
Today, I worked for 14 hours. That is nothing compared to this fire crew from Pasedena who has been on the scene for 5 days working around the clock. They informed me that the fire was well under control and that the weather was cooperating.
What you see here are the melted remains of the magnesium alloy wheels from this truck.
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Volunteers have left a pair of gloves and a sifting screen for the family. Can you imagine having your entire home reduced to ash that will pass through a 1/4 inch wire mesh?
The family that lived here lost everything. Their house, in the background, has burned to the ground and their truck is nothing but a carcass. It was very sobering to view this scene and I can only begin to imagine the total sense of loss they must feel. Fortunately, despite the massive destruction, no one lost their life to the fire.
Another monthly trip to Santa Barbara today. Wake up at 4:30am, in the air by day break, land in LA at 10:30am (Pacific Time), drive to Santa Barbara, and then start an 8 hour work day. Still plenty of energy and almost an hour of sunlight to head up into the foothills to see first hand the aftermath of the Jesusita wildfire. It does not take long before I encounter the first signs. The fire is now largely contained due to favorable weather conditions but fire crews remain on site in the event hot spots reignite.
Nico scored in his match today to help his team to a 4-2 win. He did complain of knee pain after the game so we will have to monitor this as the season progresses. Kyle’s team won all four of their matches aggregating 19 goals for with only 2 goals against. I am still sidelined while my knee recuperates. I leave for Santa Barbara tomorrow and will not post again for a few days.
Overcast skies and light rain made for interesting light and with my long lens already out I decided to do a little birding.
While waiting for Kyle’s soccer tournament to begin I happened upon this pair of turtles in a nearby pond. The boys played well and opened the first of 4 games this weekend with a decisive 5-0 win.