About the Author

Richard Cochrane is trained in chemistry and metallurgy but is far more interested and practiced as a political and fund raising consultant, writer and amateur historian. He grew up in a Navy family and with his two younger brothers carried on its 500+ year tradition of naval service to Great Britain and the USA then enjoyed a career with one of the largest advertising and public relations agencies working with numerous Fortune 500 companies and many of America's premier educational institutions. He maintains friendships and acquaintanceships around the world. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.

See All Posts by This Author

California Burning

July 5th, 2008 • Richard Cochrane
Email This Post Email This Post - Print This Post Print This Post - Subscribe

AllerTech Multi-Purpose Mask Adult SizeREPORT FROM THE WILDFIRE ZONE. Except for losing power periodically and a salting of ash the Goleta Fire has not effected me. Fireworks went off with out a hitch last night over the harbor in Santa Barbara but were cancelled in next door Goleta. Emergency cell phone broadcasts arrive regularly as t seems the “Gap” fire burning on the mountain “behind” Goleta is now more than 6,000 acres The smoke and ash is blowing away.

It doesn’t usually affect me except for sneezing but some folks are having a tough time. They have handed out 10-20,000 breathing mask so the place looks a little like an epidemic zone. Winds are dead calm this morning. The sky above Santa Barbara is blue but over Goleta 8 mles away is smokey. Some evacuees apparently move in with a neighbor. But, except for fire crews rushing around and a squadron of aircraft dive bombing the fire including one DC10 yesterday it is surprising quiet.

Post a Response

*
To prove you're a person (not a spam script), type the security word shown in the picture.
Anti-Spam Image