Julie Anne's Personal Stories

MIA

Julie Anne

***

pool Anderson Springs Middletown

***

Sorry I’ve been MIA.  It seems I get to publicly thank CON once again. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have the skills that I have now to help my childhood community, Anderson Springs, which was nearly destroyed in the “Valley Fire” in California. My great-grandmother and grandparents bought the cabin probably in the late 40s or early 50s and it’s been a wonderful place for our family and extended family to gather over the years.

As I was frantically searching for info on our family’s cabin, I saw others also searching for info on their property, too, on various news sites, Twitter, message boards. No one was getting answers and so I looked and found that there was only one private group on Facebook about Anderson Springs, so I created a new public page and used social media to spread the word.

With the few connections I have, we have been able to get answers to about a dozen people who their homes/cabins were destroyed, and also spread the good news that one person’s home remained.  Only 9 of the 80 or so homes were unharmed.

Can you imagine these folks not being allowed back to their homes/cabins (fire is still active in that area), and not knowing? This is the fourth day.  Please pray for this community and those affected by the fire. Back in the day, most of the cabins were primarily used as summer vacation homes. Now the majority are used year-round and many are primary residences. Many lost everything.  The one reported death was an elderly disabled woman from our community.  There is currently one man missing from Anderson Springs.

This video has gone viral. It shows an #AndersonSprings resident who had heard about the fire, but lost all outside communication as they were packing and getting ready to leave. He checked outside and the sky was clear and he could not smell smoke, so he thought he still had more time. He was shocked to drive out of his area and encounter this raging fire as he exited the community.  There is only one way out and he had to risk it.  Some of my favorite memories as a child was being with my grandparents on this road as we walked around the “Springs.”  As we walked around the Springs, there were houses we used as landmarks to know how far we had walked. Those landmarkers are gone.  It was devastating to watch.

***

***

Currently, Cal Fire is reporting that the ‪#‎ValleyFire‬ is now 70,000 acres with containment remaining at 30 percent. The fire started on Saturday and spread with unprecedented speed because of the years of drought and high winds.

20 thoughts on “MIA”

  2. This is so sad. I’ve been praying for y’all and others during the fires throughout several states. I can’t say as I’ve heard worse as far as acreage in such a short period of time. It is only by God’s grace that more lives have not been taken.

    Like

  3. Yes, it was an extraordinarily quick-acting fire – the perfect storm because of the drought conditions and the high winds. I was listening to scanners in one area, Hidden Valley outside of Middletown and people were stuck with no way out. I am afraid there will be more deaths. Some of these communities only have one entrance/exit. So scary.

    Like

  4. Hi Julie Anne,

    I am so sorry for your family’s loss of your Lake County, CA family cabin. It’s so sad to see all of the losses and the folks camped at Red Cross shelters in Calistoga, CA at the Napa County Fairgrounds.

    By the way, all of the writing, research, communication, and computer skills you have learned since your spiritually abusive church experience have helped me and countless other people across the United State and around the world! I don’t know what I would have done without you and this community and The Wartburg Watch.

    Liked by 4 people

  5. “Holy f****** s***” dude said driving through what looks like a scene out of hell. That was terrifying, so I hope all will give him a break for his choice of words. ( ; FWIW, it doesn’t bother me. I cannot imagine driving through that, thank-God one of those trees didn’t fall across the road. Prayers for all.

    Like

  7. We’ve been praying for the people affected by and fighting the Valley and Butte fires. We’re smack between the two but the only effect we have to deal with is the smoke settling down on us here in the Central Valley.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Hi, Julie Ann, I was finally able to come by and visit your blog today, and I’m glad that I did. I am so so sorry for your loss, and that of so many others. Will you be able to rebuild?

    Like

  10. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area I heard some of families at a shelter talking including a man who had been at a sports event with his family whose house burned down. I am praying for those who have lost property & all they had and for the families of the deceased. As I was waiting for my bus to take me home this late afternoon, it started to sprinkle– I also pray that the dropping temperature & dampness help the firefighters gain the upper hand

    Liked by 2 people

  12. So your family cabin was one of those destroyed, I take it?

    This has been such a strange year weather wise for the west coast. My parents live in King county up in WA and they’ve had less rain this spring/summer than we did out here in KY.

    Like

  13. Yes, it was destroyed and the family hopes to rebuild. Back in the day, most of the cabins were vacation homes. Now most of the homes are primary residences. So I feel horrible about those who lost everything.

    Like

  16. So sorry that your family lost the cabin, Julie Anne. Wild fires are scary. I’ve had more scares with wild fires living in southern California than growin up near tornado alley in the Midwest. Hope you are able to rebuild and enjoy many more years on the property.

    Liked by 2 people

Thanks for participating in the SSB community. Please be sure to leave a name/pseudonym (not "Anonymous"). Thx :)