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We thank you for your efforts

Editor's Corner

By David Richards

(Updated: Friday, June 27, 2008, 5:26 PM)

Here we go again.

In a matter of moments last weekend, during a lightning storm that touched down here, portions of the Mountain Area blazed out of control.

The storm last Saturday caused dozens of fires in Mariposa and Madera counties, kicking off the 2008 fire season while the summer was merely a day old.

And in what seemed to be no time at all, our mountain roads were filled with fire engines headed to the action, complete with firefighters based from various regions, including out of state.

Base camps and command centers were positioned at Yosemite High School and the Mariposa Fairgrounds, while people near the Oliver Fire in the Ponderosa Basin area were preparing to evacuate if they hadn't done so already.

As the fires burn, we appreciate the efforts of our local personnel, including members of the Sierra National Forest, Cal Fire, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the sheriff's departments from both Mariposa and Madera counties.

And we also commend those firefighters who made the trip from out of town, such as Matt Howard and Reed Gilbraith from the Bakersfield Bureau of Land Management and the Lolo Hotshots, who drove out from Missoula, Mont.

These men and women put their lives on the line so our homes and families our safe.

But the help doesn't end there.

We are also proud of the members of the Mountain Amateur Radio Club, who are spending their hours out front of Raley's and Vons with radios and scanners, filling in shoppers with up-to-the-minute fire information.

To all of you, our sincere thanks.

The issues above are discussed and chosen by the Sierra Star editorial board, made up of Betty E. Linn, publisher, and David Richards, Editor.