09/15/2026
As much of our California Dharma community is aware, we recently had quite the close call and evacuation from the raging Plaskett fire that threatened our land by traveling down the South Coast Ridge Road towards our backyard.
Even though we had only received an evacuation warning for our immediate area (where we are the only humans living for many miles of wilderness) - one US Forest service official and one Big Sur fireman drove the 6 mile rugged dirt road into our land to say to us directly that the fire was moving so fast that by the time our evacuation could be ordered the following day - the fire could be burning on our doorstep.
So myself with our caretaker Sean, two monastic retreaters, and three cats - went to our Ragged Point inn neighbors on the coast where we were so kindly offered free fine lodging with an ocean view.
Our two monastic hardcore yogi life retreaters predictably elected to stay behind (like the last near forest fire of 2017) and perform mitigation practices (while I of course left them their own escape vehicle should it become necessary)
The very night we left, the weather changed. Usually marine layer on our coast does not exceed the first coast ridge which is at 2100 ft - but that night and the couple days after - there was a fortunate 2500 ft elevation of Marine layer that made it to the fire in our backyard where firefighters took advantage of the situation and literally stopped it from growing in our area as well as the other areas much farther to the north where other communities were being threatened.
Multiple sources other than our surprise visit from the US Forest service official and Big Sur fireman - all said almost the same statement - that the fire in our backyard was “not an if, but a when”
Thank goodness they were wrong.
Understandably we all know about the benefits of having our selfless courageous firefighters on site, but they don’t know about the dependent arising of Samadhi with Virtuous ❤️Practices and the manifesting weather.
May we always sing praises of the those amazing selfless firefighters, neighbors, and quiet secret Yogis 🙏🏽
