A Tale of Two Fires: One Shrouded in Mystery, the Second an Open Book

The Red Canyon Fire captured by Shaliee Harvey from an oil field on Kirby Creek, near Thermopolis.

The Palisades Fire took place on January 7. Despite little or no wind on January 8 and 9, buildings continued to burn in Pacific Palisades. Many homes in the Highlands that had been saved on January 7 burned the next day.

The Methodist Church, Corpus Christi and numerous homes burned on January 8 and on January 9, the large gym burned, while homes continued to be destroyed. According to Cal Fire, 23,448 acres burned, making it one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. Nearly 7,000 structures burned and 12 people were killed. No cause has been given for the fire.

There seemed to be no officials in charge, and residents fended for themselves.

By contrast the Red Canyon Fire outside Thermopolis, Wyoming, is an open book. It started on August 13 with a lightning strike, burning nearly 125,000 acres. One small cabin was destroyed. There were no deaths.

The volunteer fire department responded immediately, but it became apparent almost immediately, given the mountainous and dry terrain, high temperatures (nearly 100 degrees) and high winds more help was needed. The Nevada Team 5 arrived and was followed by the Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team Two, which took over command. The Bureau of Land Management BLM also arrived on scene to give aid.

All residents were advised to download a fire app from Watch Duty that gave them updates. Additionally, members of Team Two, were in front of the grocery store, explaining updates to customers. A Facebook page, Red Canyon Fire information, was started for residents to follow.

The local newspaper reported that in one area, “People may notice significant smoke in the area. While it can look like the fire is intensifying, the smoke is from planned burns. These operations are critical tools that reduce rules and strengthen fire lines, lowering the risk of the main fire spreading.”

And “RMCIMT2 added new divisions areas. They planned to continue to control the western edge of the fire, including an area with a hot edge, with crews and engines. . . .and along the southeastern and eastern edge of the fire they will bring in crews and dozers to work on stopping the forward progression of the fire.”

There are gas pipelines that go through the rangeland and the aboveground pipes were sprayed with retardant.

As of August 26, the Red Canyon Fire was 78 percent contained. There had been 600 personnel involved fighting the fire at its height. Local agencies including the Hot Springs County Sheriff’s Office, Hot Spring County Emergency Management, Wyoming BLM, Wyoming State Forestry Division and local fire departments were to take over the final stages of mop-up.

On August 31, seventeen days after the fire erupted, BLM members were still taking four by four  vehicles onto the steep terrain to check for hot spots from the Red Canyon Fire.

The land around Thermopolis is used for rangeland. The burned acreage has left many ranchers scrambling to find food for their cattle. The animals, deer, elk, antelope and birds that survived have traveled out of the area to find food. Interestingly, ranch homes survived, but most had high trees around them and well-watered grass.

Rancher bought in hay for the cattle to eat, since the ranchland was destroyed by fire.

By contrast, the official start of the Palisades Fire has not been released. There had been no help or information for Palisades residents at the start, during or after the fire. We don’t know how many firefighters responded to the fire, when they were called and where they were sent in the Palisades. We don’t know who was in charge or how the fire was fought.

There were rumors that Santa Monica Fire Department did not arrive until 10 p.m. January 7, the same time that Long Beach arrived. CTN has reached out to SM, twice to confirm, but there has been no response. CTN can confirm Long Beach because this editor spoke to them on the 9^th, while they were in the Huntington Palisades. They spoke about being stuck on PCH during rush hour trying to get to the Palisades. There was a rumor that a Huntington resident asked a fire company to help him save his house but was told the fire crew were told to go to Eaton.

Unfortunately, rumors will continue to circulate because no information is put out about The Palisades Fire, despite it being eight months later.

In the Wyoming fire, residents were kept informed and updated for more than 15 days on the actions firefighters were taking, through Facebook, Apps and in person presentations. They were told where firefighters were on the different flanks of the fire and steps being taken. Everything was an open book.

A BLM truck had hauled a four-wheeler to the site of the fire and personale were on the fire scar looking for hot spots.

The Palisades Fire is still a mystery. The cause has not been reported, although residents are sure it probably started from a hot spot from the January 1 Lachman Fire on state parkland. That fire burned eight acres and was most likely started by fireworks. Unlike the Red Canyon Fire, which is being monitored, Lachman was not monitored after that fire was extinguished.

No one knows how many units from the city, county or state were onsite to fight the Palisades Fire. No one knows who was in charge and making the decisions about where to deploy units or where the units were deployed. No one knows why swimming pool water was not used to fight the fire or why reservoirs were not filled or why the electricity was not turned off once the fire threatened the town.

One group of residents was treated with respect and has answers. . . .it was not Palisadians.