In the Blasted Lands

Posted on November 3, 2007 in Photos Santiago Fire

Rocks at the head of the Santiago Trail. Beer bottles evidentally revealed by the fire.

Santiago Trail vista. Didn’t go very far on this one. Technically closed.

Ruins of the garage of a place known as the Dome House, a geodesic dome that is now white plaques of ash.

General rubble at the Dome House.

Mystery remains at the Dome House. I’m guessing pieces of a plastic chair?

General view to the east of the Dome House.

This man (a forest ranger) did it right: he cleared all the flammable brush away from his house.

These come from our first expedition to the rim overlooking Modjeska Canyon. The fire roared through here early Tuesday morning: I doubt that anyone had a chance to do more than run. Next to a fountain we found water, food, and various supplies that the owners were stashing while they went through the remains.

There’s a feeling that I get looking at these which is like the one I get viewing [[Mathew Brady|Mathew Brady’s]] Civil War photographs. You don’t see the action, but its effects and they are enough to communicate what happened here.

UPDATE: As of this writing the fire is said to be 90% contained. The threatened Santa Anas have not blown.

UPDATE: The fire still burns as of 9:30 am, Sunday. Firefighters are chewing their fingernails as winds pick up a little. An After the Fire pamphlet is available online. (You can tell that the OCFA was in a hurry when they uploaded this document. There’s a reference to seeking help from the Colorado Forest Service.)