cookiesinheaven

Lesson 2: Ribs

The student: Santa Barbara firefighter Matt Osborne.

The disaster: Osborne incinerated some ribs one Super Bowl at the firehouse while leaving them unattended to watch the game with his coworkers. The next morning, he tossed the smoker’s mangled remains into the station’s dumpster and nearly set it on fire.

The hope: Redemption. "The entire event still haunts me today," he wrote. "It has been six years and the guys still bring it up."

Santa Barbara-area firefighters were using their own money to purchase protective eye goggles during their fight with the Jesusita Fire. Rikki Emory, president of the Santa Barbara Firefighters Alliance (SBFA), said that as a result, the group decided at its May 12 board meeting to focus future donations and fundraising efforts on purchasing over 400 goggles and a wildfire suppression pump for city and county firefighters.

Erinn Lynch, from SBFA’s public relations committee told the Independent that due to recent budget cuts to city and county departments, firefighting liaisons were coming to give their latest status updates from the frontlines of the fire with bloodshot eyes. “It’s critical for us to raise money for them to protect themselves while they protect us,” Lynch said. She and her group are aiming to raise around $50,000 to purchase this gear.

...Their next fund raising event will be their annual Fire Ball on June 5, and they are always accepting donations on their website. - SBIndy

Thirty brush-eating goats that had worked overtime in the upper reaches of Mission Canyon since the middle of March perished in the Jesusita Fire.

The goats were part of a herd of 175, the majority of which were trucked out of the canyon last Tuesday, shortly after the blaze erupted.

By Tuesday night, Lorraine Argo, owner of Brush Goats 4 Hire, who has rented the goats to the Mission Canyon Association on a number of occasions, said 35 goats remained in the canyon. - The Daily Sound

Our hearts go out to Lorraine and the remaining goats of BrushGoats4Hire.

A number of other non-domesticated animals were forced to flee their usual environs to escape the fire...a black bear, possums, bobcats and so many others. Many made it...a good number of them didn't. Fire doesn't care if you have two legs or four...it goes after anything in it's path.

Labels: Animals, fire, firefighters, goats

The second Saturday of May is designated "Fire Service Recognition Day" in Los Angeles. On this day, members of your Los Angeles Fire Department host an Open House at every Neighborhood Fire Station to warmly welcome visitors of all ages. - LAFD