Standing Tall After the Woolsey Fire

After the fires but before the rain, Steve and I traveled to Malibu to see the damage from the Woolsey Fire. He volunteers on the Montrose Search and Rescue Team and he wanted to see some of the areas burned. He also wanted to check how one neighborhood in particular fared. 

We went across the 101, exiting at Las Virgenes Road, passing the Malibu Hindu Temple and Malibu Creek State Park then popping onto Pacific Coast Highway at Pepperdine University. Along the way, the devastation was evident. Vegetation had burned away, scorching the land from which it grew. Passing some horse stalls I wondered how many of the animals had been lost. 

We saw many handmade signs thanking first responders for their hard work. Steve said when he was driving to the scene to evacuate residents it was hard to see because of the thick smoke. 

Turning onto PCH, repair work was being done along the roadway, reducing northbound traffic to one lane. When we came upon Corral Canyon Road, we turned onto it, traveling the winding streets. Along the way we saw burned houses that were shells of their former selves. 

When we arrived at the intersection of Corral Canyon and Lockwood roads, there was a sign leaning against a telephone pole: “Neighbors saved this neighborhood.” Perhaps firefighters were unable to make their way to the small enclave of houses so the neighbors worked together to save their homes. On Lockwood was the house that Steve wanted to see if it survived; we found the address and he snapped a photo. 

Heading down the road and back onto Corral Canyon, we saw something that represented how the Woolsey Fire affected Malibu: a burned palm tree with the Pacific Ocean in the background. The tree, scorched by the flames, still stood tall and resolute. Looking over the ocean, it in many ways was an example of those who fought the fire – whether professionals or homeowners, they held their ground. 

CV Weekly adds its voice to the many who thank the brave men and women who ran to the fires when others ran away and to those who helped in any way they could.