Letter to the Community

8-3-04 - I would like to thank the following people for their relentless effort in helping and guiding others to safety during 3 fires, yep that’s right 3 fires.

First it was the Lake Hughes Fire. Jennifer, brother Matthew along with their cousin Richard Nickels and mom (Lisa) and dad (John) Heckel of Acton hooked up their four horse stock trailer and pulled out of Acton at O’ dark thirty to help with the evacuation of animals and the Lundberge family from Pine Canyon to safety here in Acton.

Next it was the Sand Canyon Fire. While shopping at Home Depot, Jennifer got a call from friend Chelsie Jackman who called to ask if we could help evacuate them and their animals. So home we went to hookup the horse trailer again and left for the Jackman’s house in Sand Canyon, Chelsie and Cheyenne Jackman helped Jennifer and Matthew along with moms and dads load up and move out for, yes your right, Acton.

Now our ranch has 9 horses, 5 cats, 6 dogs and 1 bird.

On the morning of July 20^th both families came to pick up all their animals and take them back home. Lots of hugs and goodbyes took place by all. We all went about settling down and getting back to normal, when the Crown Fire broke out just over the hill from us on Arrastre Canyon, here we go again. We are on Country Way and Crown Valley rd. So we watched real close and got prepared to evacuate ourselves in case. Low and behold who should come by to see how we were doing but Tana Lampton in her red pickup truck. The Lunbergs were on there way back to our house to return our horse trailer. The Jackmans, the Smiths; Cindy and daughter Selinda, Raphaela Goodwin, Shirley and Felicia Byrne of Agua Dulce, Kim Winland and Kim Tolbert were all coming up our driveway to help us.

Lisa and John were called home from work to find their daughter Jennifer had taken charge and all was progressing well. The fire shifted so that John, Richard and Jeanette Lundberg along with Shirley and Felicia Byrne took off to help others along the Angeles Forest Highway. Helping to evacuate even more animals. In the process Jeanette, Richard and John got a good drenching of the red fire retardant. All this and keeping an eye out in case Blum Ranch needed to evacuate. Keeping in touch via landlines and cell phones.

Deepest thanks to all.

Without the help of our Fire Departments, Forestry and

The leadership skills taught to all our local 4-H members

Jennifer Heckel

Matthew Heckel

Felicia Byrne

Selinda Smith

Who knows what could have been.

God Bless Eleanor Braun, Acton

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