Kate Bradshaw

_{The Red Barn, a landmark in the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve, is obscured in smoke on Aug. 23. Photo by Kate Bradshaw.}

By Kate Bradshaw

August 26, 2020

With wildfire smoke blanketing the Santa Cruz Mountains in a hazy fog, Andy Kerr, co-owner of Alice’s Restaurant, loads up his truck three times a day and ventures beyond the road closure signs near his restaurant to deliver food to people who need it.

On Sunday morning, Almanac reporter Kate Bradshaw went with him behind the lines of the CZU August Lighting Complex fires as he brought breakfast burritos to volunteers stationed at the La Honda Fire Station, checked on La Honda residents who have chosen to stay behind rather than evacuate their homes, and ventured through the smoke-choked and winding roads to Pescadero to bring provisions to coastside firefighters. Almanac visual journalist Magali Gauthier joined Kerr on Tuesday.

Kerr and his brother Jamie both used to be volunteer firefighters with the Skylonda fire station, just down the street from Alice’s. He described the wildfires as apocalyptic, agreeing with what fire officials have been saying over the past week: These fires are unprecedented.

“I was born and raised here and I’ve never seen anything like this. This is 10 times worse than anything I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Read more at almanacnews.com.