Former coworker Gene T. wrote on August 18th:
Hello Friends,
Thank you for the support and prayers sent these last few days. Unfortunately, we found out today that our cabin and land in Grizzly Flats is a total loss to the Caldor Fire, and only one neighbor’s place, which was recently built, is left standing. (The owner is a volunteer firefighter and his house withstood the flames as he was protecting OTHER people’s homes, and I think there’s a beautiful message in that.)
We lost some precious things to this fire, including the chair that we used to rock the kids to sleep in, and an old train set from Abbie’s father that I was going to re-build with Henry, but we are thankful that we were not there when the fire came.
The recurring analogy that I’ve heard from the folks we know who have seen the damage first hand is that it looks like an atomic blast charred almost everything as far as the eye can see, even the towering cedars that are known for fire resistance and that made the area so special. The biodiversity that the area and neighboring El Dorado National Forest supported, and that we appreciated so much, is now totally decimated, too. A jewel of Gold Rush culture and history is also lost, with the fire claiming all the historic buildings and community meeting places in Grizzly Flats. We hope all these can somehow come back.
We move on from here lifted by your love and support, and we look forward to better times ahead shared with you all.
—Gene & Abbie
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