I am simply disheartened hearing arson was the cause of the Station Fire. I am equally hurt by the view from my back yard of decimated mountains and I can’t tell you what goes through my mind when I think about the poor animals of the forest. To think that small fire I saw in that small canyon turned into this devastating event. Considering this is a cash-strapped state, why on earth was this fire not contained while it was a smoldering brush fire? Was it ignorance? Did they think they could contain it, turn it into a controlled burn and oops, it got away from them?

Since local television news stations provided no news to those affected by the fire, I went out to drive around the neighborhood to see for myself.  Hindsight being 20/20, it probably was not the best thing I could have done because I later suffered a painful lung ailment.  Since I wanted and needed to know what was going on in my community, I took a big chance and took some photographs to boot.  What I saw told me the Angeles Forest will be off limits to me for some time and that’s unfortunate.

Equally unfortunate, the loss of Hidden Springs Cafe.  The cafe was a nice little spot off Angeles Forest Hwy. and they served up some good apple cider and homemade chili.  Will they rebuild?  I certainly hope so.  According to an article I found at the Chicago Tribune’s website, the guys put up a valiant fight but had to throw in the towel when the wall of fire came at them.   All that is left of the cafe is the familiar telephone booth and the remains of the chimney.

Newscombs Ranch Inn is the other landmark in the mountains.  It is the little haunt you see just before you get to Wrightwood.  For a time folks were saying it too had burned to the ground but I never saw anything to confirm it sans rumor and I wondered if people were confusing it with Hidden Springs Cafe.  Fortunately, as I write this, Newcombs is still standing though it is in danger.

On the home front, I will note I did see the comment made on a particular blog and I will also note it is not the first time I’ve seen insensitive comments made there.  Coming from Chicago, I’m quite familiar with idiots and I am not so foolish to believe there are no idiots in Altadena.  I personally am not taking the comment as seriously as some but then I’ve been told I can be quite forgiving, whatever that means.  I will admit it was shocking to see but again, you will find idiots wherever you go.

Well, it’s time I took an antibiotic and return to bed.  Thankfully, the fires in my neck of the woods are gone and this weekend should be smoke-free provided nothing else happens.  The concerns now are for the Adams Pack Station at Chantry Flats– a place I’ve never visited — the cabins in that area and Newcombs.  I hope they all survive this.  Actually, I hope we all survive this and I hope, if there are plans to replant anything in the mountains and hills, they will use native plants to California.  There is so much of that invasive crap out here from out-of-state it would be a shame to see more of that mess spread throughout our mountains.  That would make this sad event even sadder.