Is something Burning in OC

8/14/2018 Highway 74 Reopened and some Evacuation Orders Lifted
Holy Fire Wildfire
Announcements – 8 hrs. ago
Effective Tuesday, August 14, 2018, Highway 74, the Ortega Highway will be open to through traffic.


Evacuations for El Cariso Village and Rancho Capistrano have been lifted with the exception of the Mystic Oaks community near Long Canyon Road. Returning residents, please note that power is off in the Highway 74 corridor. Edison continues working diligently to restore power in the area.


Blue Jay and Falcon campgrounds are closed as well as Los Pinos. All Forest Service Trails leading into the burn area are closed


The community of Trilogy in Temescal Valley remains under voluntary evacuation.


Firefighters continue to work with heavy equipment in the area. The area still has active flare- ups and smoke. Please drive cautiously to keep our firefighters safe.


Call the Fire Information Line (714) 628-7085 for questions.
 
BonsaiNut said:
What was with the ranger at the end of the video telling him he had to turn off his camera?
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I'd say he thought the guys were looters at first. Perhaps he'd caught some looters earlier and was all fired up about it. Maybe he was grumpy from working multiple back to back shifts. Possibly a property owner or close with some who lost everything. He was clearly grumpy.
 
kioti said:
Good assessment. He's a Forest Service law enforcement officer and doing exactly that.^
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That's all good... but I would have told him - "I'm sorry but I am not going to turn off my camera because I have a lawful right to film law enforcement officers conducting their business on public property."

I was in the military police in the Army - and few things get me as worked up as police officers pushing civilians around because they can't keep their egos/emotions/anger in check. Choose another career if you can't be professional. Too many police officers running around with God complexes.
 
BonsaiNut said:
That's all good... but I would have told him - "I'm sorry but I am not going to turn off my camera because I have a lawful right to film law enforcement officers conducting their business on public property."

I was in the military police in the Army - and few things get me as worked up as police officers pushing civilians around because they can't keep their egos/emotions/anger in check. Choose another career if you can't be professional. Too many police officers running around with God complexes.
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Roger that. Not sure it matters, but there's like three of these LE guys covering the entire forest. That means they have to operate in a way that insures survival, with no back-up available, and they never know who they're dealing with. I've met him a number of times and never caught any attitude, so I'm likely to cut him some slack for removing a distraction while checking their credentials. He seemed polite enough about it to me.
 
kioti said:
I'm likely to cut him some slack for removing a distraction while checking their credentials.
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Slippery slope my friend. The Police don't get to order you around because you are a distraction - unless you are inhibiting their work. If you have a camera they can ask you to step back if you are in the way. If they ask for ID and you are filming, you can continue filming while you give them ID. Unless the Police have a REASON to ask you to do something - they have the same rights as you or I. In this day of the Internet and social media, all Police should have had media training by now - and be well-versed in rules involving cameras.

He could easily have said "this is a restricted area - a fire zone where we are concerned about looting. Presence prohibited except residents and emergency personnel. I will need to check ID to ensure you are a resident, and check the contents of your vehicle." Then afterwards a simple "sorry for the delay gentlemen. Sorry about your cabin. Drive slow as you exit the canyon - there are a lot of emergency vehicles on the road. Have a nice day." Professional.

I love the Police, but one bad cop destroys the reputation of 1000's. You have to hold yourself to a higher standard of behavior - always. By the way - cameras work both ways, which is why so many Police now wear body cams. Rather than asking people to turn off cameras, the Police should act like they are always on camera, even when no cameras are present. I think to a great extent this is what body cams do - they let both parties know they are being recorded. No funny business :)
 
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BonsaiNut said:
Slippery slope my friend. The Police don't get to order you around because you are a distraction - unless you are inhibiting their work. If you have a camera they can ask you to step back if you are in the way. If they ask for ID and you are filming, you can continue filming while you give them ID. Unless the Police have a REASON to ask you to do something - they have the same rights as you or I. In this day of the Internet and social media, all Police should have had media training by now - and be well-versed in rules involving cameras.

He could easily have said "this is a restricted area - a fire zone where we are concerned about looting. Presence prohibited except residents and emergency personnel. I will need to check ID to ensure you are a resident, and check the contents of your vehicle." Then afterwards a simple "sorry for the delay gentlemen. Sorry about your cabin. Drive slow as you exit the canyon - there are a lot of emergency vehicles on the road. Have a nice day." Professional.

I love the Police, but one bad cop destroys the reputation of 1000's. You have to hold yourself to a higher standard of behavior - always. By the way - cameras work both ways, which is why so many Police now wear body cams.
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I completely agree with you, @BonsaiNut, but in this social media age a person can videotape something and then manipulate it into whatever message they choose. In this case, the officer might've said exactly what you suggest, but my take is it was cut to suggest harassment by The Man as opposed to thankfulness for his protection of what remained of their personal property.

I understand the outrage and sense of loss for residents of those cabins, as does the officer, being a USFS employee. He is simultaneously a protector and an adversary. Tough role to be in when you don't make the policy, and plenty of motivation to be in as much control as possible while remaining courteous and professional.*

Speaking of cameras, I know a wildlife photographer would couldn't get good shots until she realized that just facing her subjects was enough to spook them. Once she stopped looking directly at the animals, she was able to get close without making them bolt. I'd guess there's a carry-over to humans, and especially cops, when someone is pointing something at them.

* I obviously can't speak for the officer, but I can probably get his contact information if you'd like to discuss this with him directly.
 
kioti said:
* I obviously can't speak for the officer, but I can probably get his contact information if you'd like to discuss this with him directly.
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It isn't a big deal, and certainly isn't worth the time or attention. It is more a symptom of a bigger problem. I don't doubt that this officer has had to deal with all kinds of jerks over the years, and has little patience for someone who pops out of a truck with a camera. However it sets a tone of interaction with members of law enforcement.

But you're right - we don't know and maybe the video was edited to make the ranger look like the bad guy.
 
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mtnbikej said:
I also called the FS Dispatch and the Corona office to let them know I had turned back three mountain bikers who had entered the area by going up Rose Canyon and dropping down at “Jeep Hill.”
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I've read this quote a couple of times and it saddens me. I wish he had said "three individuals on bikes".

Anyone who calls Cadillac "Jeep Hill" is not a mountain biker.

I want people to view mountain bikers as a force for good stewardship of the public lands, and as a good volunteer labor pool to help maintain the trails. The last thing we need is for some individuals with questionable motives to skirt a road-block and drop into a restricted area with empty backpacks - and be labeled as "mountain bikers".
 
BonsaiNut said:
I've read this quote a couple of times and it saddens me. I wish he had said "three individuals on bikes".

Anyone who calls Cadillac "Jeep Hill" is not a mountain biker.

I want people to view mountain bikers as a force for good stewardship of the public lands, and as a good volunteer labor pool to help maintain the trails. The last thing we need is for some individuals with questionable motives to skirt a road-block and drop into a restricted area with empty backpacks - and be labeled as "mountain bikers".
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Truth.
 
BonsaiNut said:
I want people to view mountain bikers as a force for good stewardship of the public lands, and as a good volunteer labor pool to help maintain the trails. The last thing we need is for some individuals with questionable motives to skirt a road-block and drop into a restricted area with empty backpacks - and be labeled as "mountain bikers".
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Here Here! :thumbsup:
(I don't know what "Here Here" actually means, but I have seen it in old movies and it apparently means I agree...:whistling:)
 
Mikie said:
Here Here! :thumbsup:
(I don't know what "Here Here" actually means, but I have seen it in old movies and it apparently means I agree...:whistling:)
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hear,_hear

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Now would actually be the perfect time to do some controlled burns in other parts of the Santa Anas that haven't burned in decades. If something goes wrong and the controlled burn gets away, there is less risk because there is nothing to burn in the Holy fire footprint.
 
OCFA Twitter says within containment. Maybe not exactly.

Holy Fire: There is a flare up well inside the burned area. Smoke is visible throughout the area. The fire is currently no threat because it is in un-burned fuel surrounded by already burned vegetation. Crews are enroute. #ocfa #ocsd #ocsheriff
 
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