Southern California Wild Fires--Not in My Back Yard! By Connie Vines #California Wildfires, #Southern California Earthquakes, #Ontario California Fires, #Tornado, #Heatwave,

Thank you for stopping by today :-)

 It's been quite a month in the Southern California suburbs!

Are you familiar with the chant, "Lions, Tigers, and Bears. Oh, my!"

"And here we go again!"

Let's begin my blog post with an intro:

August shoved its heat wave into September.

From my front yard, a majestic view of the San Gabriel Mountains, while my backyard features a panoramic view of the San Bernardino Mountain Range.  

In my world, Temps 109 degrees w/o a breeze.
San Gabriel Mountain Range.

Then, on a quiet morning, there were earthquakes—2.3, 2.3, and 2.5 magnitude, epicenter Ontario. Yikes! 

Three local wildfires are gaining media attention, and two are in nearby mountain ranges!

The Bridge Fire San Gabriel Mt. Range

Line Fire Flames

The Line Fire: San Bernardino Mt. Range 10 freeway ramp

 

The ash is floating in the air, and we are wearing masks to filter it.

The Fires created an atmosphere of their own: winds and dry lightning strikes. The firefighters are working 24-hour shifts. 

The National Guard was now deployed. (I live .8 miles away from the Armory). Having been raised in a military family, I was becoming increasingly concerned.

Next, we were placed on a tornado watch. 🌪

Meanwhile, additional, more significant earthquakes centered in Malibu are reaching us, as are aftershocks and air quality alerts. Stay indoors warnings with reminders to prepare for power outages (it's still 109 degrees) via text messages keep us on edge.

And...

The fires getting nearer. 

While the smoke blocks a complete view of the mountains, we can see the flames crawling and jumping along the ridges.

Across the street: my neighbor's home.! No one is sleeping tonight.

The following day, fires reached the base of the mountains, threatening local homes and a Junior College.

Chaffey J.C.

And we wait...

September 12th (pm). 

Evacuations were not city-wide except for the residences at the base of the foothills. We are thankful to all the firefighters, first responders, the National Guard, and firefighters from nearby countries who are still fighting these uncontained wildfires.

Sadly, the mountain towns of Wrightwood, Angelos Oaks, and Forest Falls (featuring Meridith's cabin in Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow, and a local eatery) are still threatened by the fire, as are the residents of Big Bear Lake (their only evacuation route is Highway 18). As of yesterday, over 37,000 acres have been destroyed, and 53,000 acres have been destroyed in the Bridge Fire. 

Meanwhile, the airport fire (Trabuco Canyon, Orange/Riverside), at 24,000 acres, currently threatens 3K homes.

Update: The arson suspect in California's Line Fire sparked two other fires the same day, maybe linked to more blazes (credit: Yahoo News)

My thoughts and continuing prayers are with the families affected by these fires and those who bravely fight the flames. 9/14/2024

XOXO

Connie Vines

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The Destruction of Port Royal by Katherine Pym

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Port Royal, Jamaica 1690

First, a little history of the town…

Port Royal (changed in 1660 from Point Cagway) was a village in Jamaica, taken by the English in 1655.  The town had a natural deep harbor perfect for ships, but there was little to defend it. Houses dotted the landscape up the hills and down to the water, some with stilts in the sand, their houses standing in the tidal swells.

A couple forts were built, but that was not enough to keep the Spanish at bay, so the inhabitants contacted the Brethren of the Coast, a pirate union of sorts, and invited them to settle there. Port Royal boomed. Soon 6,500 souls resided there. Ships in the harbor and a lively town with men known for their swashbuckling, rough ways were a deterrent for anyone thinking to come ashore and cause havoc.

Port Royal After quake

Before long Port Royal became a haven for pirates with brothels and lawlessness. Merchants bought and sold what the pirates dragged ashore, but this wild life had its comeuppance, with a final, deadly end.  

June 7, 1692 life in Port Royal changed forever. Just before noon a magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit Jamaica, its epicenter in the hills above the town. The ground suffered liquidation, sinking buildings, animals, trees and streets. Geysers erupted. When the town collapsed, a large tsunami crashed onto the island, taking a ship with it. 40 feet high on the wall of water the ship throttled inland to rest on a ruined building. Unearthed corpses floated amongst the debris. Landslides prevailed. Except for the ship perched on an old building, what remained of Port Royal sank into the sea. 

Over 5000 died. Looting and violence took over. Of those who survived the initial destruction, many later succumbed to their injuries or illness.

Port Royal Before the quake

Port Royal After the quake

As a species, people are enduring. They usually rebuild after a catastrophe, and many tried to rebuild Port Royal, but one disaster after another struck, hurricanes, fire, more earthquakes. What remains today is insignificant compared to the late 17^th century.

Today, you can swim over the sunken city, and see rooftops not far below. In the past years, archaeological digs have explored the remains. Interesting finds have surfaced. “In 1969, Edwin Link discovered the most famous artifact: a pocket watch dated 1686, stopped at exactly 11:43 (a.m.).”

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Many thanks to:

Wikicommons public domain.

‘Port Royal, Jamaica, Sunken Pirate City at Port Royal, Nature took her revenge on the "Wickedest City in the World."’ https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sunken-pirate-stronghold-at-port-royal

History Channel:

“Earthquake destroys Jamaican pirate haven”

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/earthquake-destroys-jamaican-pirate-haven

‘The History of Port Royal, Jamaica”

https://www.thoughtco.com/the-history-of-port-royal-2136379Bottom of Form

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