Lake Fire

June 20- Facebook post: My CERT team got called to support the firefighters up near the fire in Pioneertown, So I won't be on FB today or even maybe tomorrow...

(Little did I know that I’d be there around 11 days)

"The Lake Fire was reported just before 4:00 pm on June 17, 2015. The cause of the fire is under investigation. It is approximately 23,199 acres in size and burning in timber. It is currently 21% contained.

Mandatory evacuations include: Areas along Hwy 38 east of Angelus Oaks to Onyx Summit, Barton Flats, Seven Oaks, South Fork, Heart Bar, Rainbow Lane, Burns Canyon, and Rimrock. There is a voluntary evacuation in place for Pioneertown..

Highway 38 is closed between Angelus Oaks to Lake Williams.

All Hiking Trails into the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area have been closed due to the proximity of the fire to these trails. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is closed from Whitewater Preserve to Onyx Summit.

State Highway 38 will remain closed indefinitely due to reduced visibility and firefighting operations.

The fire remains active in the northeast. Today the fire made a push northwards toward the Rainbow Lane Area but at this time no structures have been lost.

Approximately 360 campers were safely evacuated from the Camp Oakes in the Lake Williams Area on June 24th. This was a precautionary evacuation due to the large number of campers. The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department is handling the evacuations. The American Red Cross Evacuation Center is located at the Big Bear Community Church, 40946 Big Bear Blvd, in the city of Big Bear. CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) are on-scene to meet campers at the evacuation center and help reunite campers with parents.

The south side of the fire continues to burn in steep and rocky terrain with minor growth downhill hitting areas of unburned trees and grass that ignite and then burn again downhill. Additional crews have been inserted into the Ten Thousand Foot Ridge and will proceed toward the eastern Forest Boundary.

Resources on scene include:

103 engines

3 air tankers

2 DC-10 VLAT (Very Large Air Tankers)

18 helicopters

4 support planes

54 crews

19 water tenders

8 dozers

1874 personnel assigned to the fire

There have been four firefighter injuries.

Fire management is under Unified Command with Cal Fire, San Bernardino County Sheriff, San Bernardino County Fire, Big Bear Fire Department and California Highway Patrol. The Incident Command Post is located at Big Bear High School."

I am a CERT volunteer up in Pioneertown helping with the Lake Fire. I've been working 14 hour shifts at the fire in support of the Firefighters supplying them with food and refreshments and helping with evacuations of Rimrock and Burns Canyon. In no time was I in any danger.

Below is a newspaper clipping from the Hi-Desert Star:

Lake Fire gives Morongo Basin CERT first live action

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Josh Allen Hi-Desert Star

Lake Fire gives Morongo Basin CERT first live action

Some Morongo Basin CERT members pose with Cal Fire firefighters outside of Station 38.

Posted: Friday, July 3, 2015 5:03 pm | Updated: 12:10 pm, Thu Jul 9, 2015.

By Josh Allen Hi-Desert Star | 0 comments

PIONEERTOWN — The Morongo Basin Community Emergency Response Team has been training for an incident like the Lake Fire since 2010.

From 9 a.m. June 19 until Tuesday, members of the local CERT chapter had a chance to put their training into action.

The team opened Station 38 in Pioneertown, and 52 volunteers spent over 1300 hours manning it around the clock.

They provided food, water, rest, information and support for firefighters and residents of Pioneertown.

Morongo Basin CERT Coordinator Nancy Guinn said the team did a great job in their first live action.

“It was the first time that we worked together in a live support-team environment,” Guinn said. “We did an outstanding job with teamwork, logistics and planning.”

This pic was taken on June 25 when there was a call for mandatory evacuation of Burns Canyon and Rimrock, and a voluntary evac for Pioneertown. Helping setup a Red Cross shelter at Copper Mountain College.

Tuesday 30- Well it’s official, it is all over now!

I got the call at home this morning just before I went to bed after spending the night at Firehouse 38 in Pioneertown that we were closing down our operations there and I wouldn't have to come in tonight.

I have met some incredible folks these past 11 days and feel mighty proud how everyone came together from the Firefighters who did a magnificent job of putting out the Lake Fire, CERT volunteers who opened the firehouse so those fighting the fire had a place to eat and rest, Sheriffs who manned the roadblocks to keep the lookie-loos out of the way of firefighters and evacuees, families and business donating food and drinks. I feel mighty proud how everyone came together in a time of need, but that's what we do as Americans isn't it......

By the way I’m the old man standing at the back of the line to the right, behind all these wonderful people.

June 2015

Monday 01- 95/66 with wind.

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, took Cassie for a mile run, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.

Yesterday I started a new FaceBook page called “Rainbow at the End of Tomorrow” and been doing a little work on it today. Mostly it’ll have to sit on the back burner until I get my other books edited.

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with Cassie. I did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

I am doing a final read and edit of “Girl in the Cellar” and then I am going to publish it on Amazon Kindle.

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run with Cassie, did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

Tuesday 02- 88/69

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, took Cassie for a mile run, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.

Everything I ordered from Amazon and Motorola gets delivered today and I have no time to play with them all at once; a smart-watch, a ukulele, and a WIFI repeater that has a Rj45 socket. I did get the WIFI repeater setup and working.

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with Cassie. I did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

I am doing a final read and edit of “Girl in the Cellar” and then I am going to publish it on Amazon Kindle.

Watered some of the plants outside as the sun set.

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run with Cassie, did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

Wednesday 03- 92/63

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, took Cassie for a mile run, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.

Installed Windows 7 on desktop running XP Home.

Updated Dell Laptop from release 10122 to 1013XX

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with Cassie. I did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

Updated the Dell desktop from WinXP to Win7 and installed all the updates.

I am doing a final read and edit of “Girl in the Cellar” and then I am going to publish it on Amazon Kindle.

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run with Cassie, did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

Thursday 04- 91/63

Day off from exercising only did my stretches, Cassie and me went on our walks.

Worked on re-editing my book “The Girl in the Cellar”

I watered all the plants.

Friday 05- 99/62

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, took Cassie for a mile run, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.

Started cleaning the pool for summer.

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with Cassie. I did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

I am still doing a final read and edit of “Girl in the Cellar”

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run with Cassie, did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

Saturday 06- 95/70

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, took Cassie for a mile run, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.

Started cleaning the pool for summer.

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with Cassie. I did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

I am still doing a final read and edit of “Girl in the Cellar”

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run with Cassie, did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

Sunday 07- 96/72

Day off from exercising. I even woke up late...

I worked intensely editing the book.

Monday 08- 101/68 degrees with rain and clouds!

Last night I went to bed at 3AM and then Cassie woke me up at 6AM and I couldn’t go back to sleep so I just stayed up.

At 1PM I went to the dentist to have more work done and I gave the dentist my poem book “Azure Sea of Dreams” and wrote in it; Thanks for bringing back my smile...or something corny like that. I then went to WalMart and bought a bunch of supplies and a roasted chicken for me and Cassie to eat. I left her inside the house because of the heat outside and gave her a nice walk around sunset and another at 11PM...

Kevin sold my trailer in Tucson and deposited the money into my bank account.

It is 1:32AM and 85 degrees here and it just started to rain... Oh the Humidity!

Jose, Jose, Daniel, Jasuse, new owners

Tuesday 09- 96/70

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, took Cassie for a mile run, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.

I put shock treatment in the pool with the hopes that it will kill off the green stuff.

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with Cassie. I did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

I am still doing a final read and edit of “Girl in the Cellar”

My new neighbors Daniel and Jose came by to see if I had any PVC pipe that would fit their pipe that broke... I did and was happy to help them.

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run with Cassie, did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

Wednesday 10- 95/69

I did my stretches.

I took Cassie down to get her rabies parvo shots. I met Sherry there getting her Willie his first shots. We then drove to her house to drop the dogs off to play in her backyard while we went shopping at WalMart and the Tractor Store. We got Chinese takeout and ate it at her house.

Thursday 11- 96/68

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, took Cassie for a mile run, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.

I went to the dentist.

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with Cassie. I did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

I am still doing a final read and edit of “Girl in the Cellar”

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run with Cassie, did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

Friday 12- 101/79 degrees.

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, took Cassie for a mile run, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.

I put shock treatment in the pool with the hopes that it will kill off the green stuff.

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with Cassie. I did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

I am still doing a final read and edit of “Girl in the Cellar”

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run with Cassie, did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

Saturday 13- 104/78 degrees and a bit of sprinkles.

I did my stretches, took Cassie for her walks, and worked on the book.

Sunday 14- 104/79

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, took Cassie for a mile run, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.

I’ve been noticing water around the pool and I think it may have a leak.

I called Family and Friends throughout the day.

I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with Cassie. I did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

I am still doing a final read and edit of “Girl in the Cellar”

I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run with Cassie, did some pullups and punched the heavybag for a round.

Monday 15- 103/79 to Tuesday 16- 105/76

Same stuff I been doing; editing the book, taking Cassie for her walks and exercising.

Wednesday 17-

I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, took Cassie for a mile run, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.

Thursday 18- 104/80 degrees

Because of all the smoke in the air and the heat I thought it best we stay in the house the rest of the day.

This is what the Sun looks like over my house right now. I can look directly at it through the smoke from the mountains. Ash is beginning to fall around me from the fire. The temperature should be 100 degrees now but it's only 78 degrees. My solar panels are just keeping up with my refrigerator, the only time this happens is when there is snow covering them or heavy smoke:

I finally finished my 7th book The Girl in the Cellar

Smoke rising from the San Bernardino mountains today.

My home with smoke clouds from the fire in the mountains

Another angle of my home with smoke clouds

Friday 19- 110/78 degrees with smoke.

I don't know if you can tell from this picture but the smoke has gotten worse while the temperature keeps going up. 105 right now expected to go as high as 109... I'm inside with Cassie.

Saturday 20- lots of smoke!

My CERT team got called to support the firefighters up near the fire in Pioneertown, So I won't be around today or even maybe tomorrow...

* I will write about the Lake Fire separately...

***** Stuff I Wrote this Month******

I enjoy writing... it flows out of my brain into my fingers as they fall upon the keyboard to gather into some kind of framework like building a house.
First you need the framework.

Then you add the plumbing, put electrical wiring in the walls and then paint it. This is called editing...
Don't care much for editing...
But you wouldn't want to live in a house with only the framework completed.
Once you have it all built you must go over it again and again until making sure everything works correctly and the paint dries smoothly. Once all this is done it is ready for others to move into. I don't get writer's block. I don't do this for fame or money. I would rather call myself a storyteller than a writer because that's who I am.
~RD

Write what you want to say not for what you think other people want to hear... unless you're stuck writing obituaries.

~RD

The only thing that set us apart from our biological selves is our intellect and it is the only thing that’s going to save us from ourselves.

~RD

I am and always will be a night person. Even as a young child I would stay up late into the night in my bed staring at the room's ceiling lost in thought thinking of adventures and wondering about the world and my place in it. Then abruptly being awoken at 6:30am in the early morning having to get ready for school... and they wondered why I always fell asleep during class. Tis a great folly to think one size fits all.

~RD

Time is lost to those who wait

so do it now before it's too late

lost in thought as time ticks away

slipping into darkness on our finale day

all the stuff of life we let pass us by

words to friends and family left unspoken

at our loss their hearts now be broken

no more chance to play at having fun

a tinge of guilt for creativity left undone

we pray we wish for just one more day

then into the night we quietly fade away....

~RD

******************