Fire!
Posted on July 22, 2008
For the last two weeks I’ve been talking to Fire Chief Charles Acker of Elk, California. Elk is a small town on the northern coast, and judging by the view is a magical place to live. The thing is, during the summer it’s a breeding ground for fires and the world is inclining itself to increase the frequency of these fires. We are talking about thousands of fires created by lightning strikes that left to their own devices grow to unmanageable sizes. By unmanageable, I mean that 200 thousand folks couldn’t put these out, so prevention and early response is the way to beat the game.
With high fuel prices, the microcosmic systems in the overall battle against these summer fires are suffering major shortages. Here’s a story posted by Mr. Acker in the Mendocino Beacon:
The Elk Volunteer Fire Department was pressed into service in a way not known in its 50-year history. Saturday morning began with an alarm to Signal Ridge Road where the fire at Cliff Ridge Road was already out of control. A heroic effort was already underway with local dozers and Elk’s two Greenwood Road fire trucks. In those first days, a major effort was made to keep the fire burning in the Elk Creek drainage from coming over the ridge to the Greenwood Creek side. Once burning into the Greenwood Creek drainage, several homes would be threatened at the Sky Ranch subdivision. Over night into the third day, the fire did come over the ridge and homeowners on Panoramic way began to remove valuables and prepare their properties to meet the firestorm. The advancing flames were later stopped by a well-placed back-burn and a weather change.
Meanwhile at the other end of the fire lines, a secluded home near Cold Springs off of Signal Ridge Road was about to be overrun with fast moving flames. Hearing the story from several different firefighters gave the impression of a Shoot Out at the OK Corral. The volunteer firefighters, some more trained than others, were equipped with a couple of engines and about 1500 gallons of water. With a half dozen hoses charged and ready, the firemen waited. After a time, the fire began to roar down in the canyon and proceeded to rise up to the house. The command was to hold until the flames were upon them, not to waste a drop of water. It was a “…wait until you see the whites of their eyes,” kind of thing. All at once the nozzles opened and the fire moved aside.
Hearing this about a volunteer crew protecting a stranger’s house was a testimony to the dedication going on all that week and continuing today. The lack of available resources left the firemen with little in the way of back-up resources. As the week progressed, other fire-fighting entities, some from out-of-state, some public some private, arrived. By the eighth day the crew Elk crew was down to four men and one engine and by last Sunday, the Elk firemen stayed home, with much equipment cleaning and repairing to do.
During the same time period, another fire was burning just 2 miles north of Elk at Cavenaugh Gulch. A column of smoke was reported about 9:00 a.m. and by some luck, one firefighter was still in town. Navigating to find access to these remote fires can be a real challenge. By about 10:30 a.m. a second Elk fireman joined the first and they cut and chopped their way over long-unused roads to finally get above the fire, which by now was covering about one-acre. Throughout all of these fires, the cell phone played a major role. The first fireman was able to call his wife and she called in a gang of neighbors (young strong ones!) to help out. By about noon, six people with hand tools and one chain saw encircled the blaze. It was clear that more help was needed, but all the local resources were at Cliff Ridge and CDF was almost impossible to reach. With what seemed like some luck, contact was made with a CDF Battalion Chief, “Branch 5,” who said air support was 2-minutes out! After a long 2-minutes it was learned that the air support had been diverted to Napa!
That afternoon, the winds came up and before long the fire had come up over the ridge getting ready to sweep across the Roth Ranch and up to populated Cameron Road. By early afternoon, the most of the Elk firemen had come back from Cliff Ridge and were able to hold the Cavanaugh fire at the top of the ridge. An afternoon of fighting hot and aggressive flames showed some progress.
By some measure of mercy, an inmate crew from Chamberlin Creek (4) showed up. The crew had been left behind because of lack of a captain until one showed up from Sacramento. The inmates cut almost a mile of fire line over the next few days. At one point about three days in, a very hot fire had escaped up a side canyon threatening toburn up to Cameron Road. Three bits of good luck saved the day. First, it was discovered that the old4 x 4 1965 I.H. fire truck could actually be driven up onto steep the ridge. This gave needed water where it was desperately needed. Then, thanks to cell-phone calls earlier, a small dozer arrived and cut about 400 yards of firebreak that was needed for final containment. No sooner had the D-4 sized CAT started, but a hydraulic hose broke. Acme Automotive was called (by cell) and agreed to stay open. No sooner had the CAT crew left for the part but another CAT emerged from the forest, provided by a local logger. By the end of the day containment was in sight and after an overnight stay by the weary inmates, a fourth day brought a more assured control. By Thursday afternoon, the worst was over.
So for my part I’ve decided to do a few mashups to help raise a little bit of loot for the Elk Fire Department. You can help by forwarding this story and encouraging your friends and coworkers to make small donations. You can make checks payable to the Elk Volunteer Fire Department
Box 151, Elk, CA
95432
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Filed Under mashup, film, Elk, California, fire | Leave a Comment
WHY ISN’T EVERYBODY WORKING?
Posted on July 22, 2008
On June 30th the SAG contracts had run out, and since then their are conflicts surrounding the continued negotiations. The AMPTP claims it made a final offer already and that it remains on the table. Doug Allen and SAG president Alan Rosenberg paint a different picture, claiming that negotiations continue on.
I imagine it’s somewhere in the middle, but don’t be surprised if AFTRA takes advantage of their new online jurisdictions during this nervous climate. SAG’s to-do list could become hunting grounds even before a strike is called.
What a rough time to produce television.
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Filed Under film, SAG, Actors, AFTRA | Leave a Comment
Fire House 12
Posted on July 21, 2008
It’s been a little bit since I’ve posted anything so I thought I would fill you in on what we have been up to. Nick and I followed Robert O’Haire from straw2gold to film Bill Dixon record his new album at Firehouse 12 with the likes of Taylor Ho Bynum, Stephen Haynes, Graham Haynes, Rob Mazurek/cornets, trumpet, flugelhorns; Michel Côté/contrabass clarinet; Glynis Loman/cello; Ken Filiano/bass; Warren Smith/drums and percussion. Have a look at some pictures I took.
It was the first time I ever wandered the streets of New Haven and I have to say the concrete wood look is a strange variant of the New England architecture I grew up with. My people are big fans of the brick you see, and we never had a reason to build anything taller than 4 stories. The aesthetics of the studio where they recorded however, were of a much higher caliber. It was as if the whole Fire House had been designed as a functional art piece that incorporates every room yet serves as the supporting mechanism to segregate sound. Not to forget there is a dynamite bar downstairs.
Dr. Bob has me chopping away, and I’m glad to report we will have a nice piece to include with the upcoming album. As soon as I have a piece to share, you can find it right here.
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Filed Under film, jazz, straw2gold, Bill Dixon, Taylor Ho Bynum | Leave a Comment
Film History: Taster’s Choice
Posted on July 7, 2008
Giles was waist deep in markeeting genius. Watch it unfold!
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Filed Under film, marketing, Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Leave a Comment
Rainy Day Mashup
Posted on July 6, 2008
So it was a rainy weekend day and I took the time to flesh out a piece preformed by my friend Alex Colwell. Aaron Howard and his Oil Can Press has been very busy releasing this track based on the poem “Sonnet: To Science” by Edgar Allan Poe, and I have to say after a few days the Poe really makes you feel a certain inclination toward red wine.
For a piece of trivia, I added a thunderstorm I recorded on my block last month, I think it adds a certain something.
Sonnet: To Science
Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
Who alterest all things with thy peering eyes.
Why preyest thou thus upon the poet’s heart,
Vulture, whose wings are dull realities?
How should he love thee? or how deem thee wise?
Who wouldst not leave him in his wandering
To seek for treasure in the jewelled skies,
Albeit he soared with an undaunted wing?
Hast thou not dragged Diana from her car?
And driven the Hamadryad from the wood
To seek a shelter in some happier star?
Hast thou not torn the Naiad from her flood,
The Elfin from the green grass, and from me
The summer dream beneath the tamarind tree?
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A Saturday Mashup
Posted on July 5, 2008
I found some fun stuff from the public domain of south Dakota, and put this semi educational mashup together for The Pimps of Joytime. Here’s where you can find the others.
“My Gold”
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Projects on Hold as Contracts End
Posted on July 1, 2008
It looks like the Actors won’t budge and their contacts run out tonight. After a devastating strike from the Writer’s Union that lasted from November to February, the industry is terrified that Alan Rosenberg will lead his union to a strike. This is still unlikely, but Hollywood is taking no chances and halted projects such as Transformers II until an agreement is made.
For those of you who think this is just an interruption in your programming, think again. We are talking about 120,000 jobs that are not receiving adequate changes to their contracts to cover the future of the tv and film markets. These aren’t amateurs, these are professionals who deserve the dignity of financial security.
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Filed Under film, strike, SAG, Actors | Leave a Comment
