Fire One

Coincidentally and freakishly, my plans have been undone by fire during the summer on three different occasions.  Freakish coincidence #1:  On July 6, the Chariot fire broke out at the northern end of the Laguna mountains, burning 7000 acres, destroying 149 structures at the Shriner’s camp, and forcing the closure of the Laguna Campground, where we had reservations for Monday & Tuesday.  I made the reservations early this year because I really wanted one of our favorite sites, 13 or 14, right up against the meadow.  It looks like this:

So on Saturday, while driving my son to a birthday party in Lakeside, I saw a little wisp of smoke out to the east, north of Cuyamaca Peak.  “Does that look like a fire?” I said to Billy.  “Nah … just a funny cloud,” he said.  After I got home I started googling at looking at the HPWREN cameras at Mt. Laguna.  By the next day the fire was up to 4000 acres, Sunrise Highway was closed, and it was pretty clear that no camping was going to be happening for a while up there.  On Sunday night, It looked like the fire was settling down, but then on Monday afternoon the winds shifted and the whole thing came up the ridge, tore across the Pacific Crest Trail, crossed over Sunrise, and burned the Shriner camp.  At the time, I was glued to the HPWREN Camera website, which shows photographs from dozens of backcountry locations taken and updated every 30 seconds or so.  Watching the fire pass by the peak where the camera is stationed was crazy and surreal, real life drama slowed down to still life photographs.  Tiny little fireman in the foreground, watching helplessly as the firestorm comes over the ridge.  A guy on the news said, “It looks like we may have lost the Laguna Campground,” but it turns out he was wrong on that, as the firefighters redirected the blaze before it got that far south.  Thanks goodness -- Laguna is the best campground in San Diego county. Photo taken from HPWREN website: