Views From the Fire

On July 30th, 2015, a lightning storm ignited several fires in Trinity County. The Pattison Fire began on Pattison Peak about three miles north of the Ranch and burned for more than a month. When updating our camp community about the fires, we found that it was difficult to describe exactly what it was like to be at the ranch during this time. Luckily, Jessica Baron, longtime counselor and lover of camp captured these images of the fire, its impact, and its progression. Photos are displayed in chronological order. Many thanks to Jessica for sharing. You can follow her adventures in farming, food and friends on Instagram at @littleforkfarm.

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex firefighters help gather fallen apples

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex Firefighters make a plan

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex burns on Gates Mountain

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex Firetrucks cross Hayfork Creek

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex
The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex firefighters prepare a fire line

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex burns on Gates Mountain

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex burns on Gates Mountain

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex burns down hayfork creek

Firefighters on the Bar 717 Ranch suspension bridge at the Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex

The Pattison Fire - Part of the South Complex
Bar 717 Ranch after the Pattison Fire

When the smoke lifted in the fall, we found the familiar view towards Gates Mountain across Hayfork Creek to be different — not bad, just changed to reflect a more natural state, one in which every fire is not immediately extinguished.

6 Responses

  • Thank you for these great pictures. We were fighting our own fires. I lost touch with what everyone else in the area was up against. Horrible fires this year. Glad to see most of Bar 717 looks untouched.

    Rolayne

  • Thank you for the pictures, and for your positive outlook on the impact of the fires, reclaiming their rightful place in a healthy ecosystem.

  • thanks for these great pictures. Eases concerns for you and the ranch, but it must have been frightening when the fire was so close. So glad “we” came through as well as we did

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *