Southern California is experiencing “extraordinary weather conditions”, according to the National Weather Service. The region is “freakishly hot and windy” and the Santa Ana condition is fueling a raging brush fire 90 miles north of Los Angeles in Santa Barbara. To Angelenos there’s nothing “extraordinary” about the supernatural state of the weather; it’s the language of apocalypse, the hot breath of a demon riding in on the northerly gradients to sow seeds of fear and unrest, keeping everyone on edge in anticipation of the next shoe dropping.
***
The day began under a burnt orange sky. L.A. County had been under a red flag fire warning for two days and nature had finally complied, with high winds and extremely low humidity fueling a scorching brushfire in the Anaheim Hills south of Los Angeles.
Trace sipped his second cup of coffee and stood on his south-facing balcony, observing in wonder as the strong east-to-west Santa Ana winds sent choking plumes of smoke over the L.A. skyline. Thick fingers of smoke caressed the eastern slope of the Hollywood Hills at Los Feliz and Griffith Park.
Trace might try a little tequila in his coffee.
~~~
Two years ago, neighbors and I decided to pull up lawn chairs and watch the fire. “It isn’t going to look the same for a long time, we might as well enjoy this view,” I said.
The fire was truly spectacular from our vantage point. But then Sisyphus City spent $2 million dumping mulch onto Griffith Park by helicopter. Today, the Park looks different but green, and they sewed more wildflowers, which have taken, even taken over.
Basically, the City set the stage for yet another fire as rapidly as possible. I’m sure we’ll have one in another five years, instead of the usual 20.
By: joseph on May 7, 2009
at 10:51 am
May is kind of early for such a fierce Santa Ana condition. Hard to get news about So Cal from the local news outlets up here because they simply don’t seem to care, which is odd considering the number of Angelenos who own homes and property in Southern Nevada.
***
Trace prefers bourbon in his coffee.
By: Rodger Jacobs on May 7, 2009
at 10:54 am
we used to sit on lawnchairs and watch Ojai burn in the spring. and then we ran into Tommy Chong and his daughter Rae Dawn smoking spliffs while driving a 1972 El Camino
By: (S)wine on May 7, 2009
at 12:39 pm
Heh. Good one …
By: Rodger Jacobs on May 8, 2009
at 12:36 pm
Had to ride my bike home through that wind event last night. Very creepy.
By: Will Campbell on May 7, 2009
at 4:22 pm
Those sundowner Santa Anas are indeed creepy, Will.
By: Rodger Jacobs on May 8, 2009
at 12:35 pm