San Dimas Canyon Fire

Kaufman

Jeremy Kaufman '97 #1121 heard the report at the Santa Ana Botanical Garden in Claremont, where he was working for the summer as an intern in the propagation of plants department.

Fire in the canyon concerned him because he was living at the fraternity cabin during the summer as a cabin-sitter. He secured permission from his superiors at the garden to leave work to check on the new shaky future of his summer bachelor pad/living situation.

After some difficulty explaining to the authorities at the mouth of the canyon that he was a eckt canyon dweller, Jeremy arrived at the cabin.

At a high switchback on the trail to the cabin, he could see smoke and flames at what he estimated to be a half mile up the canyon.

The cabin itself stood sturdily in its clearing, free from surrounding brush and plants out to the required perimeter established by U.S. Forestry regulations. A good job had been done by the fraternity actives for the annual fire inspection.

The fire was put out and the cabin was saved.

Subsequently, Jeremy obtained information that the fire had been started by a tree-trimming crew from the Edison Co. A trimmer had cut a branch on a tree which fell across a wire which emitted sparks which started the fire that the tree trimmer caused.