This evening during the seventh hour of the 1 Day 1 World Project, Maggie and I went for a walk along our favorite trail near my home. This past spring I posted many pictures of the beautiful Arroyo Mocho Trail. About two weeks ago a small fire burned right next to the trail. No apparent reason was found for this fire and it was contained by various trails and the quick response of the fire department. A week later a second fire burned next to the trail not far from the first. Later that same day, just after Maggie and I walked through the area, a large fire was started that devastated the area next to the Arroyo Mocho Trail. 
Fire is part of the natural processes that occur in California’s forests and grass lands. But when a fire is intentionally set in an open space that runs through a city, the effects can be devastating. On the afternoon of this fire it was windy and dry. Four different fire agencies respond to this fire due to the conditions and proximity of homes. The fire department and city have had to clear the area due to the fire. What was once a beautiful trail through our part of town has been destroyed by an arsonist. The bright side is that next spring this area will be covered in wildflowers.
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Red Dog Garage 
What compels someone to deliberately set a fire? So sad.
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Beside the cost to fight the fire and clean up the burned area to make it safe for hiking, there is the lost of habitat for native species. No doubt there will be a lot of top soil washed down stream this fall when the rains return which will lead to a whole host of other problems. My hope is that whoever did this does not try and start another fire. Upstream of this area the arroyo narrows with a lot of dry brush due to the drought. The homes are much closer on either side of the arroyo. There are also eucalyptus trees which will become giant torches sending embers everywhere. In my book an arsonist is the epitome of a narcissist. We are very fortunate the fire fighters were able to knock this fire down fairly quickly.
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Very fortunate indeed.
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What a shame. My brother lost his house due to an electrical fire a few years ago and the devastation is awful. To see something like this done as a deliberate act is horrible. It won’t be as pretty of a walk for you and Maggie now but I hope you keep following the trail to document it’s natural recovery.
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Maggie and I will continue to walk the along the Arroyo Mocho Trail. Next spring should provide some amazing wildflower photographs. I have witnessed this before after prescribed burns at Sycamore Grove Park and around Camp Shelly at South Lake Tahoe.
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Your statement that fire is part of nature’s cycles and that wildflowers will benefit…is a fact people often forget or simply don’t understand.
Arson-set fire… that’s an entirely different story…
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In the Lake Tahoe Basin, the Native Americans set controlled burns in the fall to help keep the forest healthy. This also allow the native plants to thrive. There are areas with so much slash, it would not surprise me if they have a major fire in the Basin this year due to the drought conditions. The Angora Fire, which was very devastating, came very close to going into one such area. The Angora Fire was started by an illegal camp fire.
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