San Diego diocese shelters evacuees from raging wildfires
Episcopal News Service, Orange County, California. October 23, 2007 [102307-02]
Pat McCaughan
At least eight congregations within the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego have opened their doors to shelter evacuees as 250,000 residents fled raging wildfires and one clergyperson lost his home.
Santa Ana winds, a record low rainfall, and 90-degree temperatures in some areas were blamed for firefighters' inability to control a dozen or more separate fires, raging throughout California, from Lake Arrowhead to Malibu, and further south to Irvine and San Diego. Thus far, one person has been reported dead, 20 injured and at least 90,000 acres burned.
"Our first response should be prayer," San Diego Bishop James Mathes says in a letter on the diocesan website. "Yet, prayer also follows action. Our diocesan staff, clergy, and lay leaders are working to provide shelter and pastoral care to those affected by the fires."
The Rev. Leland Jones, vicar of St. Mary's-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church in Ramona, and his wife, Sheila, lost their home in the blaze and were staying with family members. At least three families in Jones' parish have lost their homes. “We lost the tangibles but not the memories,” Jones said in a telephone interview. Ultimately, he said they had about 10 minutes to gather belongings and go.
“We left with a minimum of paperwork to defend our taxes for this year and last, our dogs, my wife took a little bit of jewelry and we packed a suitcase and that was pretty much it.”
Jones, who is a magician, said he also managed to save a few of his tricks to perform later in the week. “I left behind thousands of dollars of magic apparatus, as well as livestock, doves, things I had no way to take with us.”
He said the couple would rebuild if insurance companies honor their policy. Their house, along with the 14 acres of land they owned was valued at about $600,000, he said. He knew of three homes that were lost from his congregation.
Ramona is still evacuated but he said he’d hold Sunday services if allowed to return.
Numerous other San Diego County clergy and congregations were forced to evacuate and are considered to be in harm’s way, said the Rev. Canon Jenny Vervynck, Canon for Congregational Development, Deployment and Formation.
"I've got a clergy family staying with me, and their neighbors, and their five dogs and five cats," she said.
She said the diocese, which encompasses 51 congregations in Southern California, from Camp Pendleton to the Mexico border, and includes Yuma, Arizona, will continue to coordinate relief efforts.
"We are in conversation with Episcopal Relief and Development to develop a process for receiving funds and the best possible way to distribute those funds, whether work of ERD or partnering with the Red Cross," she said.
"We've also developed a litany on our website, for congregations for a special service on Sunday and at that service we will ask people to donate food and dollars to the recovery and the rebuilding efforts and our website will continue to update people in terms of opportunities to donate."
"I ask your prayers for our fellow brothers and sisters who are living in San Diego and the Southern California region and are threatened by the fire of this week," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said. "I have learned families have moved out of their houses and have been staying at various places. I can't imagine how close they are to disaster. Please pray for their safety and that of their loved ones and neighbors. Pray that the wind ceases and the fire be extinguished soon. Pray for all who have suffered such great losses."
For the fourth straight day, smoke and soot filled the air and skies, burning hundreds of homes in the Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs area, and fire forced the closure of the I-15 freeway near San Diego, snarling traffic. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency and at least 800 troops were redeployed from the San Diego-Mexico border to assist.
The Rev. Lynn Jay in Santa Clarita, said she’d received an avalanche of emails from people offering their homes or vehicles or other assistance. As yet, none of her parishioners had been affected.
Likewise, Doris Guthrie, a parishioner of Trinity Church in Fillmore, said they were in a holding pattern, waiting to see if the blazes could be contained but not yet facing evacuation.
The blazes occurred at about the same time as the deadly Cedar Fire four years ago, which displaced thousands and burned more than 200,000 acres, destroying 2,232 homes and killing 15 including one firefighter. Until now, it had been the largest wildfire in recorded California history.
Arson was believed to be the cause of the Irvine fire, while downed power lines were believed responsible for the Lake Arrowhead fire. Canon Howard Smith said that Camp Stevens was already damaged by fires two weeks earlier in which they lost 18 buildings.
"The clergy here are very well-connected and have offered their homes to each other because of their involvement with the Red Cross and other agencies," he said. "We are trying to coordinate housing between the people who have housing to offer and those that need housing."
He said that both the Presiding Bishop's office and ERD had contacted the diocese with offers of assistance.
"ERD has helped us coordinate efforts with the church office at 815," he said, referring to the Episcopal Church Center at 815 Second Avenue in New York City. None of the fires have been contained yet, he added.
He estimated that one-third of the 100 diocesan clergy and 51 congregations had been affected by the fires. "This is the worst I've ever seen. It's scary. I've never experienced fire this way, it's a terrible thing."
The National Association of Episcopal Schools is calling on its members and friends to pray for the people in danger in the California wildfires, the firefighters battling the blazes and the Episcopal schools and churches in harm’s way or serving as evacuation centers. A list of these schools and churches is available on the NAES website.
Meanwhile, at St. Aidan's Church in Malibu, a recorded message offered the following update: "We're a number of miles of north of the current fire. Thank you for joining us in support of our friends who've had to evacuate. We ask for your continued prayers."
Some 120 miles northwest, Lake Arrowhead's St. Richard of Chichester Mission remained safe, according to parishioners James and Nancy Rogers who said they were asked to voluntarily evacuate but decided against it.
The Rev. Canon Greg Richards of the Diocese of Los Angeles said wind shifts had spared his Stevenson Ranch neighborhood in San Diego county, for the time being.
"We're hanging in there, the smoke has died down. Last night we had 60-mile-an-hour winds. We're under voluntary evacuation and some of the neighbors forced to leave, but if we go out now, we can't come back," he said. "They're still blasting the fire from the air with a lot of helicopters and airplanes."
But, he added: "We're all packed up and ready to leave if we have to. The sheriff said the next time he comes, there won't be a choice."
For more information, or to aid those affected by the fires, visit the diocesan website here.