Sleep Tonight video: sunsets filmed to U2's haunting "MLK"
As firefighters continue to work on gaining the upper hand on the California Wildfires, despite weekend winds which could either hinder or help containment efforts, I want to send my thoughts out to my San Diego friends and my former neighbors near the Wild Animal Park.
The 3500 animals at San Diego's world renowned Wild Animal Park were directly in the wildfire's path. As flames scorched more than 600 of the park's 1800 acres, many park workers stayed behind & mounted a desperate race to save the animals, which includes large herds of endangered species that roam freely through a vast central open savannah-like area. The animals recognize fire threats. Having spent many enjoyable days wandering around the Wild Animal Park, I can well imagine the fear & panic of these beautiful creatures. As the fire raged, the large wildlife, like giraffes, rhinos, wildebeest, antelope, buffalo and elephants, remained inside open field enclosures, which are nutrient-rich & eco-irrigated ... [click on previous three links, enlarge photos to full-size to view a few of the park's animals in their savannah & you will quickly appreciate how a wildfire could race through there & how difficult it would be to round up & protect the animals]. Some smaller animals were moved into an onsite "fire safe" facility. Flames wiped out the condor pen, which had fortunately been evacuated. Sadly, two animals did succumb: a wild horse died from smoke inhalation, as did a rare exotic bird.
[wild horse with her foal @ W.A.P.]
Considering the magnitude of the fire and open nature of this park, the fact that the loss of animal life was so minimal can be directly attributed to park curator Michael Mace and the group of park employees who stayed behind to ensure the safety of the animals. Thanks to their dedicated efforts, the animals are now roaming the savannah parkland and hillsides of their San Diego home again.
If you wish to make an online donation to CRES, which is the endangered species program operated by the San Diego Zoo for the Wild Animal Park, click here.
So far, San Diego County has sustained 350K burnt acres, 1237 residences destroyed, and 14 people killed with 38 others missing. Bodies of two migrant workers have been found in the canyons & ravines (I mention this as a reminder that we may never know the true death count). As of 9 AM today 10/27/07, of the fires still burning in San Diego County, the Harris is 50% contained, the Witch is 60% contained, and the Rice is 80% contained (full containment of those fires is expected by Oct 31st). The Poomacha Fire is 45% contained and remains a major concern as it burns along Mt Palomar, threatening the Palomar Observatory. Control operations for the Poomacha are difficult due to the inaccessible steep terrain. The Rincon, Pauma, La Jolla, San Pascal and Pala Indian Reservations within the Poomacha firerange remain evacuated at this time. In other San Diego areas, some evacuees are returning to homes without water or power, others are under a boil-water restriction.
Smoke from these fires reached Las Vegas yesterday, as reported by my sister there. The smoke reached me here in SW Utah today about 2PM. It's a nasty, harsh, foul lung-burning smoke, and this is after it has been filtered through some 500-miles of atmosphere. **** {6PM update: smoke has disappeared here because our winds have shifted & are blowing toward the south; for now the winds are weak, so hopefully NOT another Santa Ana brewing} ****
Even as the flames recede, though, the sweep of this wildfire is sure to have long consequences. Where do you even start, how do you begin reassembling your life after something like this -------->>>>
