My friend drove through a tunnel of flames Sunday morning.

I was up in Big Bear for a show (I make and sell Native American Jewelry) last weekend and learned of the extent and number of fires only after getting home Sunday night. I have a friend that lives on Bouquet Canyon Rd. in Santa Clarita. I tried to call him to see if he was ok and offer help if needed. Every time I dialed his land-line I got an instant busy tone.. not good.

I finally got a hold of him this morning and he told me that Saturday night he smelled smoke and noticed that it was up wind from him. On an impulse he hitched up his fifth-wheel trailer before going to bed. They had settled down for the night, and a few hours later they got the word to evacuate. My buddy went outside to put an arm full of tools (he is a pretty famous Native American Jeweler and tools are his most valuable possessions) in to his truck and he said that the fire was on the ridge about a mile behind his house. By the time he was carrying the next arm load out the fire had reached the canyon floor and was igniting the trees that serve as wind breaks around the houses in that area. He said that embers filled the air and every time he inhaled his lips would get burned by the debris.

They scrambled to get a few more possessions and their two dogs in to the truck and headed towards town. Has he pulled on to the highway the sparks from the burning trees was blowing sideways like a heavy glowing rain. The winds were so high that it wasn't just sparks in the air, entire burning branches were airborne and the smoke cut the visibility to just a few feet, even with a pair of huge spotlights mounted on his bumper.

Just before Vazquez Canyon Rd. there is a short stretch of road with a wind break made of eucalyptus trees tightly lining the road. All of the trees were full engulfed and my friend said that he had no choice but to drive in to the flames. All he could see were the flames fanning around his rig so "thick" he could not even see the trailer mounted in the bed of his pickup. In seconds they could feel the heat radiating from the glass of the truck cab. At that point he said that he was sure they were going to die right then and there. He kept going and it took about twenty seconds to come out of the flames. Even after they got passed that spot there still was a tremendous amount of burning embers blowing sideways all the way in to town and fire both sides.

The next morning his house was still standing and so were his neighbors homes, but the trees surrounding them are fried. The fire must have hopped from tree to tree as it raced across the canyon floor. He lives in horse country so most of the canyon floor is clear of brush, and the house are pretty far apart. My friend was allowed to return to his house (he rents) yesterday to pick up some more items, and get his other cars out.
Right now he is in a RV park waiting for the all clear to return. All in all he is one of the fortunate.

I am glad he is ok. Thanks for sharing that story with us!! :scared:

That had to be absolutely terrifying.

But if he thought he was going to die he MUST have been pretty scared.

OT, and I hope this isn't insensitive, but do you have a website for your stuff? I love that kind of jewelry.

He really is one of the lucky ones. I will have a site up soon and will notify everyone who has PM'd me with interest in N.A. jewelry.
P.M. me and I will P.M. you back once the site is up.

:scared:

He sounded more shocked at the speed that the fire moved down from the ridge then anything else.

glad they're okay!

Kind of exciting though... the driving through flames part... sorry! But that does sound neat. Sorry!

I'm sure he will flesh out the cool/hot details when we get a chance to talk face to face. He sounded pretty awe-struck about the flames.

It could have easily stalled, going uphill, and your friend would be a crispy version of himself.

I'm wondering if it was helpful that his truck is diesel powered?