I have been astounded at the concern expressed by divers from SB, OC Diving News and other SCUBA-related boards as to the fire that threatened the City of Avalon (and still threatens portiuons of the interior). I want to personally thank all who have expressed concern here on ScubaBoard, through PM's and e-mails, and many phone messages on my answering machine.
I wanted to post this to let everyone know that I am alive and safe, and that my home is still standing thanks to the hundreds of firefighters and other public service personnel who have come out to the island to fight this incredible fire. Fortunately so are all the other hgomes in the City of Avalon but one. Mayor Bob Kennedy and wife Tina's (owners of Catalina SCUBA Luv and the King Neptune) house was about 50 yards from where the fire was stopped. All the other divers I know on the island are also safe. Unfortunately CDS lost their warehouse in the back of Avalon Canyon along with a lot of inventory.
I first saw the smoke from the fire about 12:15 yesterday, shortly after it began. It first appeared as a dark "cloud" in our otherwise beautiful, cloud-less skies (perfect for a Chamber of Commerce brochure). It soon became evident that the "cloud" was smoke... and where there's smoke, there's fire. And the wind was blowing from the fire's source at KBRT (just above my first island home at Toyon Bay) towards Avalon.
I walked back up to my house, assuming our firefighters would be able to stop it. Mayor Bob was one of the first responders, and I haven't had a chance to talk directly to him since he's been "a little busy." Things continued to get worse as the fire came closer to Avalon. I was on my computer when a sheriff's patrol car came by announcing we had to evacuate my part of town. I had already given thought to what I should take with me. No, not my dive gear... it's so old and besides, it's all insured. I quickly gathered my two digital camcorders and accessories, one of my UW housings, my laptop computer, a copy of each of my commercial DVD's... oh, yeah, and a few clothes and medicines. I did forget my passport, will and other important legal papers... as well as money (but what's new about that?).
I piled everything into my golf cart (the "Dr. Bill Mobile") and headed downtown. There were residents in golf carts loaded with luggage, furniture, TV's and kids just driving aimlessly around town. Where do you go? I ended up at the Catherine Hotel where I knew local divers would hang out. I watched the fires converge on my home from a distance. Things did not look good. Then the borate bombers dropped several swaths of fire retardant and it looked like I was in the clear. I thought about buying a beer to celebrate, but didn't have enough $$ in my wallet. Figures. I spent the early evening sitting in my golf cart in front of Antonio's with my things just watching in awe (and a little fear) as two more walls of flames started heading into Avalon. Once again it looked like I would lose my home, something I was becoming adjusted to. The power had gone out in town accentuating the eerie orange lighting seen through the thick smoke. Friends stopped me and asked me to evacuate the island by boat with them, but I wanted to stay put. I wasn't afraid for myself... just my house. After all, I could just duck under the water if the flames came too close.
I ended up going to the home of the publisher of the paper which carries my "Dive Dry with Dr. Bill" column. Barbara and her husband had a nice dinner cooked (gas stove), but a bit cool by serving time. It tasted great and I was glad to be in their home which was hermetically sealed so no smoke was inside. For some reason I slept like a baby... perhaps because I was resigned to the fact I probably had lost my home and everything in it. I woke up at 6:30 this morning and came upstairs. Iris, my housemate, said they had driven near enough to the house at 2:00 AM to see it was still intact. After a cup of coffee I gathered my things and returned to my home in the Dr. Bill Mobile.
Power had returned, and my flank steak in the refrigerator (last night's planned dinner) was unspoiled. I tried logging on, but my wireless connection was down. I listened to my phone messages which were mostly calls from mainland dive friends offering me a place to stay if I had to leave the island (thank you all so much). I called my mother and those who had called me. As I sat at the computer there were six hot spots within close distance of my house. The main fire had been stopped about 150 yards from my house. However, as I watched, the closest hot spot flared up and was soon in flames again. We called the station and it took a dozen firefighters and several water-dropping helicopters a few hours to put it out.
I decided to go back downtown to see who was left on the island. I've heard 50-75% of the resident population had evacuated to the mainland. The empty streets attested to that. Once again I was ordered to evacuate my house, so I stayed downtown for the next few hours until the City lifted the restrictions. Mayor Bob did an awesome job... not only was he a great leader as mayor, but as a volunteer fireman, he was one of the first on the scene to fight the fire when it first started in the interior.
I am back in my home now. The adjacent hillsides are still smoking with hot spots, but the danger here seems to be over. My first island home, Toyon Bay (where CIMI is located), is aflame though but I haven't heard of any structures lost there. Firefighters are battling the blaze in that area, White's Landing and the uplands in that part of the island.
We have been told visitorship will be discourage until at least Tuesday. Most of the hotels, shops and restaurants are closed anyway. There aren't enough residents to work them, and available hotel rooms and facilities are being used by the wonderful firefighters who saved my home and my city . We are eternally grateful... and each time I see uniformed personnel in town, I stop to thank them (often breaking out in tears).
For those of you concerned about the dive park, you should be. Helicopters from Los Angeles County and the other agencies have been busy draining it by dipping their water buckets into the dive park (presumably because there are no boats there?) and carrying off the water to fight the fires. Yes, I'm sorry... the dive park was emptied to save Dr. Bill's home (and a few hundred others). It will slowly refill by the time you all come back out here... soon, please!
Again, many thanks to all those who expressed their concern and offered their homes and hospitality. Fortunately no one was seriously injured and only one home was lost (plus several businesses in the back of Avalon Canyon). This experience gave me another moment to contemplate what is really important in life... family, friends and diving! If my house had burned, I figured I'd take off on a several month dive trip around the world. Guess I'll have to put that off until I find a way to pay off the mortgage!
I wanted to post this to let everyone know that I am alive and safe, and that my home is still standing thanks to the hundreds of firefighters and other public service personnel who have come out to the island to fight this incredible fire. Fortunately so are all the other hgomes in the City of Avalon but one. Mayor Bob Kennedy and wife Tina's (owners of Catalina SCUBA Luv and the King Neptune) house was about 50 yards from where the fire was stopped. All the other divers I know on the island are also safe. Unfortunately CDS lost their warehouse in the back of Avalon Canyon along with a lot of inventory.
I first saw the smoke from the fire about 12:15 yesterday, shortly after it began. It first appeared as a dark "cloud" in our otherwise beautiful, cloud-less skies (perfect for a Chamber of Commerce brochure). It soon became evident that the "cloud" was smoke... and where there's smoke, there's fire. And the wind was blowing from the fire's source at KBRT (just above my first island home at Toyon Bay) towards Avalon.
I walked back up to my house, assuming our firefighters would be able to stop it. Mayor Bob was one of the first responders, and I haven't had a chance to talk directly to him since he's been "a little busy." Things continued to get worse as the fire came closer to Avalon. I was on my computer when a sheriff's patrol car came by announcing we had to evacuate my part of town. I had already given thought to what I should take with me. No, not my dive gear... it's so old and besides, it's all insured. I quickly gathered my two digital camcorders and accessories, one of my UW housings, my laptop computer, a copy of each of my commercial DVD's... oh, yeah, and a few clothes and medicines. I did forget my passport, will and other important legal papers... as well as money (but what's new about that?).
I piled everything into my golf cart (the "Dr. Bill Mobile") and headed downtown. There were residents in golf carts loaded with luggage, furniture, TV's and kids just driving aimlessly around town. Where do you go? I ended up at the Catherine Hotel where I knew local divers would hang out. I watched the fires converge on my home from a distance. Things did not look good. Then the borate bombers dropped several swaths of fire retardant and it looked like I was in the clear. I thought about buying a beer to celebrate, but didn't have enough $$ in my wallet. Figures. I spent the early evening sitting in my golf cart in front of Antonio's with my things just watching in awe (and a little fear) as two more walls of flames started heading into Avalon. Once again it looked like I would lose my home, something I was becoming adjusted to. The power had gone out in town accentuating the eerie orange lighting seen through the thick smoke. Friends stopped me and asked me to evacuate the island by boat with them, but I wanted to stay put. I wasn't afraid for myself... just my house. After all, I could just duck under the water if the flames came too close.
I ended up going to the home of the publisher of the paper which carries my "Dive Dry with Dr. Bill" column. Barbara and her husband had a nice dinner cooked (gas stove), but a bit cool by serving time. It tasted great and I was glad to be in their home which was hermetically sealed so no smoke was inside. For some reason I slept like a baby... perhaps because I was resigned to the fact I probably had lost my home and everything in it. I woke up at 6:30 this morning and came upstairs. Iris, my housemate, said they had driven near enough to the house at 2:00 AM to see it was still intact. After a cup of coffee I gathered my things and returned to my home in the Dr. Bill Mobile.
Power had returned, and my flank steak in the refrigerator (last night's planned dinner) was unspoiled. I tried logging on, but my wireless connection was down. I listened to my phone messages which were mostly calls from mainland dive friends offering me a place to stay if I had to leave the island (thank you all so much). I called my mother and those who had called me. As I sat at the computer there were six hot spots within close distance of my house. The main fire had been stopped about 150 yards from my house. However, as I watched, the closest hot spot flared up and was soon in flames again. We called the station and it took a dozen firefighters and several water-dropping helicopters a few hours to put it out.
I decided to go back downtown to see who was left on the island. I've heard 50-75% of the resident population had evacuated to the mainland. The empty streets attested to that. Once again I was ordered to evacuate my house, so I stayed downtown for the next few hours until the City lifted the restrictions. Mayor Bob did an awesome job... not only was he a great leader as mayor, but as a volunteer fireman, he was one of the first on the scene to fight the fire when it first started in the interior.
I am back in my home now. The adjacent hillsides are still smoking with hot spots, but the danger here seems to be over. My first island home, Toyon Bay (where CIMI is located), is aflame though but I haven't heard of any structures lost there. Firefighters are battling the blaze in that area, White's Landing and the uplands in that part of the island.
We have been told visitorship will be discourage until at least Tuesday. Most of the hotels, shops and restaurants are closed anyway. There aren't enough residents to work them, and available hotel rooms and facilities are being used by the wonderful firefighters who saved my home and my city . We are eternally grateful... and each time I see uniformed personnel in town, I stop to thank them (often breaking out in tears).
For those of you concerned about the dive park, you should be. Helicopters from Los Angeles County and the other agencies have been busy draining it by dipping their water buckets into the dive park (presumably because there are no boats there?) and carrying off the water to fight the fires. Yes, I'm sorry... the dive park was emptied to save Dr. Bill's home (and a few hundred others). It will slowly refill by the time you all come back out here... soon, please!
Again, many thanks to all those who expressed their concern and offered their homes and hospitality. Fortunately no one was seriously injured and only one home was lost (plus several businesses in the back of Avalon Canyon). This experience gave me another moment to contemplate what is really important in life... family, friends and diving! If my house had burned, I figured I'd take off on a several month dive trip around the world. Guess I'll have to put that off until I find a way to pay off the mortgage!
