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05/11/2007: "Good News In Avalon - For Now ..."
Well, the town of Avalon is still standing. That, in itself, is somewhat miraculous. The wildfire that is threatening it is still burning out of control, but thanks to the efforts of over 160 firefighters - most imported from the mainland - only 1 home and several businesses have been lost.
That's not to say the fire isn't raging - the size of the burn area jumped tenfold to over 4000 acres overnight. That's a huge fire by any standard, but particularly for a relatively small area like Catalina Island. Fortunately, there's not a lot to burn other than Avalon, especially if the fire stays away from the shoreline, where the camps and other tourist enclaves exist.
We'll stay on this story as it plays out ...
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UPDATE 8:30 - Saw this note on another blog, and somehow, it just rubbed me the wrong way ...
Two representatives of the Consul General of Mexico arrived at the island about midnight and set to work posting more than 100 signs on vending machines, light poles, park benches and windows that read: "If you need help from the Consul General of Mexico call 213-368-2780."
The signs were part of an attempt to help an estimated 700 to 800 undocumented Mexicans who live and work on the island. They work in Catalina's vibrant hotel, restaurant and tourist industry.
The representatives hoped to install an information table at a local church being used by evacuees. As of Friday morning there had not been many takers.
Ruben Beltran, the Mexican Consul General in Los Angeles, said by phone: "The first task of any consulate is to ensure the well-being of its citizens. So it is only natural that we extend resources to Mexicans in Catalina in this dire moment."
I appreciate that the Mexican Consulate is looking out for their citizens in America. Frankly, though, I wish the Mexican government would put the same level of effort in looking out for their citizens in Mexico - maybe then there'd be fewer of them up here illegally for them to worry about.
I know - we can help both the citizens of Mexico and the residents of Avalon all at once - put the illegals on a ferry that stops in Ensenada instead of Long Beach ... 
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UPDATE 9:10 - The fire apparently started at the transmitter site of radio station KBRT at the high point of the island. Some kind of work was going on, and triggered the fire. The KBRT website indicates that while the transmitter is OK, the station is currently off the air - it may require a person to man, and I can understand their trepidation at reporting to work! Either that, or they just ran out of propane for the generator ...
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UPDATE 11:25 - Barring some significant change in the conditions, it would appear the threat to Avalon is over. The fire is still going strong inland, and access has hampered the effort. But the stand made last night appears to have limited the loss to one home owned by the Conservancy and a construction business. Lower temps, high humidity and a thick fogbank are all combining to make the fire much more manageable. The next question is when will Avalon reopen for business. Not this weekend, according to Mayor Bob Kennedy ...
"We expect sometime this afternoon to lift the evacuation notices and allow residents who left the island to return to their homes. However, we’re discouraging visitors to come to the island. We’re not saying they can’t, but there will be limited restaurant access and many hotel rooms will be occupied by firefighters fighting the fire in the interior of the island. Cross-channel traffic is also expected to resume this afternoon."
Did I mention that my brother and his girlfriend had plans to spend Friday and Saturday nights at the ZG Villa? Oops ... 
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UPDATE 7:45 - Any event as large as this has some measure of tragedy. The real miracle is that this is the only one. Brad Wilson is the marketing manager for the Santa Catalina Conservancy, and he was living in the one house that was destroyed by the fire. Ironically, he'll have one of the toughest jobs in upcoming weeks, as he works to rebuilt the happy image in the mind of tourists. For now, he's just looking for a roof over his head. As unfortunate as it is for him, it could have been worse - so much worse.
