Saved Again! Thank you Fire Fighters

by Jim Cathcart

I can't imagine how tough it must be to face a raging inferno and boldly enter it as a firefighter or police officer.
As you have no doubt heard, the fires came once again to Malibu (just over the hill from Lake Sherwood where I am). But this time the Fire Department had reserves nearby and was ready to respond instantly. Even with that, 51 structures were lost and many people's dreams disappeared in flames.
My good friend and fellow hiker, Rocky Morton, sent these photos. Rocky is the brunette on the radio in the photo. She is part of the Sheriff's department in LA County. A narrative of the photos from one of her team members is pasted below.




Here are two pics to contemplate:
Water Drop - In this image, we are looking down into Malibu Bowl after our evacuations were complete. Fire Dept. is desperately trying to save the dense cluster of houses just around the knoll at the right of the image.
They ultimately saved more than they lost. The S-64 Skycrane is making a water drop on the flames in the center of the image. A Skycrane is 18 feet 7 inches high from the wheels on the landing gear to the top of the rotor mast. The pilot made a DIRECT HIT on those flames, meaning the helo is directly over them. So, you can use the helo to get an idea how high the flames are. Do the math.



Fire `n Water - We're near the bottom of Corral Canyon. While the fire blazed behind us, the sun seemed to ignite the ocean as well.
Evacuations
are complete all the way to Point Dume (the rightmost point in the image).
Teams had plenty of non-ambulatory residents, cats, dogs, and horses to worry about too.

(Jim here again) Folks we owe so much to those among us who choose to serve. Whether in an Armed Forces uniform, police blues, or in fire fighter garb, they have stepped up to place their own welfare secondary to ours. And they deserve our continuing gratitude and respect.

Mom told me that when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941 her coworkers flocked to the recruiting offices to sign up for military service. That response from "The Greatest Generation" was what we see today from these professionals.

People only do selfless things when there is a higher reason. A parent willingly endangers their own life to protect their child, a friend offers their last ration so that someone else can survive, these are acts of love.
Not just fondness or affection, Love. "Greater love hath no man than this, to give up his life for another."

When I see bravery such as this I'm reminded how important it is for us to have a belief system that extends beyond ourselves. When we trivialize the importance of faith or criticize others for expressing their faith publicly such as offering a blessing at a meal, we reduce the likelihood that someone will, in the future, step up to protect us. If there is no God then this life is all there is. If this is all we've got, then why should anyone put themselves at risk for others?

In this season of Thanksgiving and Holy Days we will all benefit from reviewing our beliefs and expressing our thanks. Let each Christmas Tree, Menorah, Church, Synagogue, Mosque, Nativity Scene, Wrapped Gift and yes even Fire Trucks remind you of the power and importance of faith in our beliefs. We need to not only thank each other more often, but also thank our Creator for the myriad blessings we receive.
Thank you for being my friend and reader and Thank God for this wonderful life.
And once again, thank you to our Fire Fighting friends.