Most Fridays we drive down the Hill to get away from the High Desert heat. This morning however, we decided to stay put and visit a few nurseries. As we drove to Lowe’s early in the afternoon, we saw thick dark smoke rising over the mountain. We heard over the radio that a fast-moving wildfire was spreading through the Cajon Pass destroying vehicles and homes. At that moment I realized how lucky we were because had we not decided to stay in town, we most likely would have been trapped in a standstill traffic in the Cajon Pass.
Due to the strong winds, our beautiful sky turned gloomy within the hour. The sight was heartbreaking. We could see helicopters and air tankers dropping water on flames as well as fire retardant on nearby grass.
Summer is the peak season for wildfires and most of these fires are caused by careless individuals.
- Unattended campfires
- Burnt debris
- Sparks (glass bottle, gunfire, fireworks, dragging chains, welding, weed cutter, etc)
- Negligent cigarettes discard
- Reckless acts of arson
Click here to learn about wildfire prevention.
By JM Perez
