Reflections on the blaze

After 48 hours of constant battling of the fires and flare-ups of the Shekell and Happy Camp fires, everyone’s eyes are filled with tears, not only from the smoke, but from the overwhelming gratitude for the firemen, friends, family and neighbors who came together to save our livelihood.

On Sunday morning, Dec. 3, all it took was one phone call to Tom Staben at 3:30 a.m. Tom’s massive resources came through in minutes by providing an unlimited amount of heavy equipment such as dozers, tractors and water trucks. With Tom, his sons and their equipment, they came with an attitude of generosity and determination to save our properties. Tom stopped the fire at our mailbox.

The saddest part of this was our neighbor Mike Plater’s entire avocado orchard burned to the ground. We felt helpless standing by with all of our resources. We were stopped in our tracks by the toxic fumes from MGR Design. Overcome with grief, we were unable to help Mike Plater the way he helped us. To a farmer, losing your orchard can be more devastating than losing your home.

Once again we recovered the fires. It was deja vu for our neighborhood from the 2003 fire which almost devastated our properties. Tom Staben and neighbors helped and supported our families then and now. The camaraderie of friends, neighbors and farming businesses came to the rescue.

We would like to thank the following people who helped all of our neighbors through this frightening experience, and they all appeared out of nowhere and pulled together as a team.

We are blessed to have such a great group of friends and neighbors who dropped everything for us. Tom Staben, Matt Staben, TA Staben employees, Chris Nickel, John Nickel, Jim Waters, Josh Waters, Steve Preciado, Lori Preciado, Hernando Soria, Fernando Soria, Carlos Soria, Armando Coronado, Damian Soria, Tom Lucas, Joe and Ted Bilic, Tom and Charlotte Crocker, Bill Miller, Mike Plater, John Husted, Tommy Frost, Matt Bays, Andy Burdullis, Tyler Cobb, James Hoffman, Joan Fedor, Dylan Fedor, Matt Mays, Chris Mays, Geza Lozci, Chris Hare, Kyle Hare, Ron Brookes, Jim and Betty Sandoval, Steve and Chris Pfleiler, Pam, Doug, Deardorff Family Farms, Steve Donovan, Ag RX and Costal Growers. Andy Waters Moorpark