On August 26th, 2010, Los Angeles celebrated the first anniversary as 160,557 acres or 251 square miles were destroyed by perhaps one individual dropping flammable materials near mile marker 29 in the Angeles Crest Forest.
Unfortunately no one has been brought to justice for this horrific destruction which cost the state millions of dollars, had a huge impact on the environment and will have an ongoing impact on the health of the forest and surrounding areas. At one point, the fires burned so hot, the earth was scorched, making it prone to water runoff during heavy winter rains. In the springtime, the scorched area refused to allow plant growth and even now, one year later, there are still enormous brown areas where nothing currently grows.
One lesson we should take away from this. The areas surrounding Los Angeles (and, many cities in the Southwest) are extremely sensitive and need to be treated accordingly. When one person can wreck such havoc on our environment, we all lose... not just our health, but the health of those areas which should be protected because ultimately, they protect us.
The photo was taken from Atwater Village the day the burn began.
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