Tahoe - Erik Hurst stood guard over his home for two hours Saturday, garden hose in hand and frustration swirling within. Nearby, fire crews fought to quell the flames that quickly devoured one home, then another on Washoe Way.
For a while, he held out hope that his home would survive. Hurst said Sunday as he surveyed the charred rubble of what was once his home.
His street had no hydrants. Tankers hauled in water to battle the blaze. Helicopters armed with buckets joined the fight as an army of firefighters moved into position.
"The fire department had to make a call whether to save my home or sacrifice it for the best interest of the community," Hurst said. In the end, his home was expendable.
His voice gave no hint of bitterness, but his stoic demeanor soon gave way to welled-up emotion. Tears dripped from under his sunglasses, which when removed revealed eyes red with grief. He fisted his hands to rub the tears away, a smear of ash blackening one cheek.
Brisk winds fanned flames up the slope from his home, one of more than 200 in the Sunnyside community two miles south of Tahoe City on the western shore of Lake Tahoe.
Two other homes on Tahoe Woods Boulevard, uphill from Washoe Way, were destroyed.
"It's absolutely amazing how they stopped it before it got bigger than 15 acres," Hurst said. "It was the right call to make. They were looking out for the greater good."
Ash, twisted metal, melted plastic and mounds of debris; the fallen frame of one side of his home lay neatly charred on the ground. He picked up a bicycle from the rubble, its frame ashened, its tires dangling from bent rims.
With the Angora fire still a fresh nightmare across the Tahoe basin, the latest fire was an unsettling reminder of the volatility of fire in the region's parched forests.
"People who live in these communities, who live adjacent to forests, need to realize we still have extreme fire conditions," said Todd Chapanot, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service.
The cause of the fire -- which was contained by 11 p.m. Saturday -- officially remains under investigation, Chapanot said. Damage estimates from the 20-acre fire were unavailable.
What is known is that the fire began in the backyard of one of the five homes destroyed by the blaze.
One witness said she saw fire dripping from a gas barbecue at the first home engulfed by the fire.
"I think we're really lucky. You never know what's going to take down 200 homes," said Jennifer Merchant, a spokeswoman for Placer County's office of emergency services. "Sometimes, there's no rhyme or reason for the devastation. It could have easily been 200 homes or more."
Officials credit the quick response of fire crews -- a sentiment echoed by residents and vacationers -- and work done earlier this year to remove underbrush and thin out trees from several acres of forestland uphill from the fire's origin.
"That, I have to believe, made a huge difference," said Kris Timberlake, a fire captain with Cal Fire's Amador-El Dorado unit.
Shrubs such as manzanita and low-hanging tree branches allow flames to race along the forest floor, torching entire stands of pine. Flames, fanned by gusts, could then jump from treetop to treetop, Timberlake said.
In June, Timberlake was one of thousands of south-shore residents forced out of their homes because of the Angora fire, which blackened 3,100 acres and destroyed more than 250 homes.
There was a collective sigh of relief that Saturday's fire wasn't worse.
Ed Hirschberg, who is building a house near the lake, arrived from Oakland just as firefighters were arriving, he said. "The firemen told us, 'This could be bad, you need to get out of here.' "
Mandatory evacuations were ordered, but most were lifted Sunday evening as fire crews continued to watch for hot spots and mop up. Utility crews were also busy repairing lines.
On Saturday, residents and vacationers scrambled to find lodging. Some vacationers returned home. Others took refuge at hotels, nearly all filled to capacity. Some nearby lodges opened their doors. So did homeowners who offered their couches and spare beds. As a result, few opted to evacuate to the Fairview Community Center in Tahoe City.
On Sunday, the California Highway Patrol attempted to keep traffic from entering the area. But many motorists found ways in.
Alex McDonald, a San Francisco physician, arrived Sunday to survey his home after recognizing his Tahoe neighborhood in a newspaper photo.
"I came racing up here. Fortunately, it's fine," he said of his second home. He called himself fortunate.
Less fortunate was Hurst, who spent Sunday talking about his loss -- to his insurance agent, neighbors and strangers.
Hurst, who vowed to rebuild, said he knew the risks of living in the woods.
"When the Angora fire happened, you felt fortunate that it wasn't you," he said. "But you know that someday, it's going to happen. You just hope that it's not going to happen anytime soon."
For a while, he held out hope that his home would survive. Hurst said Sunday as he surveyed the charred rubble of what was once his home.
His street had no hydrants. Tankers hauled in water to battle the blaze. Helicopters armed with buckets joined the fight as an army of firefighters moved into position.
"The fire department had to make a call whether to save my home or sacrifice it for the best interest of the community," Hurst said. In the end, his home was expendable.
His voice gave no hint of bitterness, but his stoic demeanor soon gave way to welled-up emotion. Tears dripped from under his sunglasses, which when removed revealed eyes red with grief. He fisted his hands to rub the tears away, a smear of ash blackening one cheek.
Brisk winds fanned flames up the slope from his home, one of more than 200 in the Sunnyside community two miles south of Tahoe City on the western shore of Lake Tahoe.
Two other homes on Tahoe Woods Boulevard, uphill from Washoe Way, were destroyed.
"It's absolutely amazing how they stopped it before it got bigger than 15 acres," Hurst said. "It was the right call to make. They were looking out for the greater good."
Ash, twisted metal, melted plastic and mounds of debris; the fallen frame of one side of his home lay neatly charred on the ground. He picked up a bicycle from the rubble, its frame ashened, its tires dangling from bent rims.
With the Angora fire still a fresh nightmare across the Tahoe basin, the latest fire was an unsettling reminder of the volatility of fire in the region's parched forests.
"People who live in these communities, who live adjacent to forests, need to realize we still have extreme fire conditions," said Todd Chapanot, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service.
The cause of the fire -- which was contained by 11 p.m. Saturday -- officially remains under investigation, Chapanot said. Damage estimates from the 20-acre fire were unavailable.
What is known is that the fire began in the backyard of one of the five homes destroyed by the blaze.
One witness said she saw fire dripping from a gas barbecue at the first home engulfed by the fire.
"I think we're really lucky. You never know what's going to take down 200 homes," said Jennifer Merchant, a spokeswoman for Placer County's office of emergency services. "Sometimes, there's no rhyme or reason for the devastation. It could have easily been 200 homes or more."
Officials credit the quick response of fire crews -- a sentiment echoed by residents and vacationers -- and work done earlier this year to remove underbrush and thin out trees from several acres of forestland uphill from the fire's origin.
"That, I have to believe, made a huge difference," said Kris Timberlake, a fire captain with Cal Fire's Amador-El Dorado unit.
Shrubs such as manzanita and low-hanging tree branches allow flames to race along the forest floor, torching entire stands of pine. Flames, fanned by gusts, could then jump from treetop to treetop, Timberlake said.
In June, Timberlake was one of thousands of south-shore residents forced out of their homes because of the Angora fire, which blackened 3,100 acres and destroyed more than 250 homes.
There was a collective sigh of relief that Saturday's fire wasn't worse.
Ed Hirschberg, who is building a house near the lake, arrived from Oakland just as firefighters were arriving, he said. "The firemen told us, 'This could be bad, you need to get out of here.' "
Mandatory evacuations were ordered, but most were lifted Sunday evening as fire crews continued to watch for hot spots and mop up. Utility crews were also busy repairing lines.
On Saturday, residents and vacationers scrambled to find lodging. Some vacationers returned home. Others took refuge at hotels, nearly all filled to capacity. Some nearby lodges opened their doors. So did homeowners who offered their couches and spare beds. As a result, few opted to evacuate to the Fairview Community Center in Tahoe City.
On Sunday, the California Highway Patrol attempted to keep traffic from entering the area. But many motorists found ways in.
Alex McDonald, a San Francisco physician, arrived Sunday to survey his home after recognizing his Tahoe neighborhood in a newspaper photo.
"I came racing up here. Fortunately, it's fine," he said of his second home. He called himself fortunate.
Less fortunate was Hurst, who spent Sunday talking about his loss -- to his insurance agent, neighbors and strangers.
Hurst, who vowed to rebuild, said he knew the risks of living in the woods.
"When the Angora fire happened, you felt fortunate that it wasn't you," he said. "But you know that someday, it's going to happen. You just hope that it's not going to happen anytime soon."
No comments:
Post a Comment