I’m thankful I was able to visit Oak Glen because parts of it burned this summer. So now, a few months later, that means apple orchards against bare black hills. Or big white houses with green trim and healthy lawns surrounded neatly by burned-out landscape. I realize that a lot of that precision is due to back burning, but I’ve also read news stories of firefighters battling up hills, using themselves as the only barrier between the fire and your house. I saw at least one “thank you” sign, and, although I’m not a resident, I understand the feelings of appreciation to strangers who’d be willing to risk their lives protecting property that isn’t theirs from something like a wall of flames in the middle of a Southern California summer.
