July 20 - August 1, 2017
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Santa Barbara County in flames
Whittier Fire
www.santaynezvalleystar.com
Heroic effort saves Circle V campers and counselors By Ray Ford
Noozhawk Outdoor Writer
W
Photo above by Daniel Dreifuss; photo below contributed The Whittier Fire burns near Lake Cachuma on Saturday, July 8. A week later, it was only 50 percent contained and was threatening residents from western Goleta to Paradise Road.
With minutes to spare, Camp Whittier staff rush to safety by Raiza Giorgi
news@santaynezvalleystar.com
P
am Nelson heard the initial call over the Camp Whittier radio, and just half an hour later she and her husband, Robert “Cookie” Fortune, were fleeing for their lives. Behind them, the Whittier Fire destroyed their home as it swept along Highway 154
in a matter of hours after it started on the afternoon of Saturday, July 8. “My husband retired and took a parttime job about eight years ago as maintenance for the camp, and we now have lived there for five years, and it’s been the best experience,” Nelson said. The weekend started like any other, with a new group of people arriving at the camp
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hen the initial call came in Saturday afternoon that a small fire had started near Camp Whittier, it wasn’t clear how serious the situation was. But within minutes, as the fire continued to spread rapidly uphill and in an easterly direction toward several local youth camps, it quickly transitioned to a life-and-death situation. I arrived at the entrance to Camp Whittier, which is owned and operated by the United Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County, and another small camp known as Circle V Ranch Camp & Retreat Center at 2:12 p.m. Saturday, just 20 minutes after the fire broke out. The scene was pure chaos. Cars were still driving through, engine crews were standing by awaiting orders, and not too far away, a thundering cloud of smoke and fire was rapidly moving diagonally to the southeast towards the Santa Ynez Mountains. Not more than half a minute after I’d
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Wildfires raging Robert “Cookie” Fortune and Pam Nelson lost their home at Camp Whittier when the fire broke out Saturday July 8. They had half an hour to evacuate before flames were in their front yard.
El Rancho Market The Heart of the Santa Ynez Valley 2886 Mission Drive • Solvang • 805-688-4300 elranchomarket.com
n Battle continues against Whittier fire. See the latest at www.santaynezvalleystar.com. n Full containment near for Alamo Fire. Page 3 n Foxen Canyon fires deemed suspicious. Page 3 n Boy Scouts camp destroyed. Page 21