This past weekend Corky and I drove out along the foothills on Carbon Canyon Road where the wildfires raged in Yorba Linda. "Scorched Earth" is the most apt description. We are still living with the lingering odor of smoke, especially in the morning before the dew dries off.
The fire came down to the back fences of these houses, I don't know if any were damaged or lost. I believe all these pictures are click able for a better image. 
Just beyond the houses and on the opposite side of Carbon Cyn Rd, the fire jumped the road and burned down toward some industrial buildings. Bank of America has a large office facility about two blocks away - I bet they were concerned. This oil pumper was not pumping when we saw it, but there are a lot that are non functioning, I don't know if this is one of those.
This is a new (probably temporary) fence along the road. I can't imagine there is anything to be kept in, so it must be to keep people in four wheel drive vehicles from driving onto the property. The fire also burned across Carbon Cyn Rd further east. This is looking toward the east and there are few vehicles, but it is a major commuting route so during morning and evening rush hours it is packed.
Bamboo grows very quickly, as you can see in this burned out grove. The firemen pouring water on it and the tiny bit of rain just before Thanksgiving helped to start it sprouting,This picture shows one of the major problems in the aftermath of the "Scorched Earth" situation. The slope is probably as steep as it can be and still maintain cohesiveness - in other words, the angle of repose. It doesn't take much rain to cause this adobe soil to start sliding. Anywhere there are houses at the bottom of the slopes there is a serious threat of flash floods and mudslides. One nice thing about the Santa Ana winds is that when they stop our air is very clear and the sky turns this wonderful clear blue. Gorgeous.
4 comments:
Del, I always really enjoy your travelogues. Thanks for sharing the interesting things you come across in your part of the world. I especially liked the picture of the sprouting bamboo.
Driving through a burned area is so shocking. It will be interesting to see how it looks next spring.
joan
It is so sad to see this scorched earth condition, but it is always surprising how fast the regeneration is, with a little water. We see it on the gum trees here, their trunks sprout multiple growth spurts once they get a little water.
I always wonder how the critters & insects fare, & how they regenerate.
I grew up in Fullerton, and still have friends there- I wondered about the fire areas. Thanks for posting all these pics, it saddens me to see the lovely canyon areas so devastated. You are an antidote for any outbreaks of SoCal homesickness I might experience!
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