The Shoemaker Bugle

By Paul Kang

The Silverado Fire began its journey on October 26, 2020 at 6:47 a.m. A blaze sparked causing a fire on a vegetable farm. More than 500 firemen arrived for battle as the fire burned and consumed the land. The high winds made containing the fire extremely difficult.

As more and more people evacuated, more and more firemen came in to try and put it out. Tens of acres burned, but as time passed, that number increased to hundreds, then thousands. The firefighters were spread thin across the lands as the winds blew on.

More than 14,000 acres burned as only 60% of the fire was contained. More than 70,000 people in Irvine had to evacuate and another 9,500 in Lake Forest had been ordered to move. There was smoke and ash everywhere, and the wind blew burning debris towards the cities. Everything was grey and dark; the sun was covered, and ash settled on everything it could find.

By November 7 the fire was out, having finally been fully contained. In the end, two firemen were injured, five structures were burned, and nine more structures were damaged. Overall, the firefighters–our guardians–did a great job of protecting the community.