Line Fire Update 9/17/24

Dear Camp Supporters: 

Just a quick update from the mountain top!  I snapped this photo of the tall ponderosa by the fire circle on the day we evacuated.  I wondered to myself just how many fires this granddaddy has seen over the years of its life?  One USFS tree expert estimated this tree’s life to be approximately 350 years old or more!  That is a long time to be standing guard.

I visited camp yesterday and found everything as we had left it. Some places were tidy, other places were a mess–such as the staff housing areas.  This is because the staff spent all of its precious time making sure that the site was secure, and camp’s expensive equipment was put away, rather than packing their own belongings.  We were still packing our cars as the sheriff was pushing us to leave camp, so the staff living quarters look ransacked.  And in a way they were, as we all just tossed our most precious items into our cars–leaving the rest of our belongings in a chaotic mess on beds and floors.  I dread the cleanup of my bedroom!

Because the winds have been blowing away from the camp for almost 36 hours now, the ash problem is not drastic. This is good news.  Ash can create such a mess if it gets wet or moist.  And it can continue to blow around and land on things for weeks.  Surprisingly, no hungry bear tried to raid the outside walk-in refrigerator and freezer.  We placed some large obstacles in front of the freezer doors hoping a “bear raid” would be thwarted or made a little more challenging.

Photo of Cabin 6 taken on Monday, September 16, 2024

The forest is still closed to all recreational pursuits.  At this point we are not allowed to host any retreats.  In a week, the USFS will consider setting a reopening date.   As of last night, the fire was 50% contained and burning away from camp and towards Big Bear.  Although it seems we may have dodged this threat, the fire situation is still “iffy” and can change with the winds, hence, we are still on an Evacuation Warning Order.   

We will continue to keep you updated as things move along.  In the interim, please know that no news is good news!  

In deep gratitude for the support from our camp community,

Janet James
Executive Director
director@uucamp.org

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