Ahmanson Ranch after the fire

On September 28th a small brushfire started in Chatsworth. Blown southwest and enflamed by the Santa Ana winds, the Topanga Fire (as it came to be known) burned through a large chunk of the Simi Hills and affected much of the Conejo Valley (where I work) and the western-most San Fernando Valley (where I live). For several days, we stayed inside with the windows closed and the air conditioner on full blast, trying to avoid the smoke (with little success). Outside, ash was raining down on our neighborhood like snow. Luckily, the winds died down and the fire was contained. There was remarkably little property damage and no lives were lost. Nevertheless, the area stunk like smoke for weeks (if not months) afterwards.

Much of the fire fighting effort was centered around Ahmanson Ranch, an open space preserve where I spent a lot of time trail running in the spring and summer of 2005 (before my injury). The fires there were threatening communities in West Hills, Hidden Hills, and Calabasas.

In December, I went back to Ahmanson Ranch. Nearly three months after the fire, it still smelled like smoke. But it was starting to recover. I felt like I was witnessing a moment of birth. It was a magic, beautiful landscape that described the cycle of life in stunning detail.

I went back to running in Ahmanson Ranch in February. By then, the landscape had changed. There are still many reminders of the fire, but the magical moment has passed.

Here are some photographs that I took.