‘The fire came within a few hundred yards of our buildings.' Photo: Fire damage at Ben Lomond Quaker Center.
Quaker building survives US fires
‘Over 970 homes were destroyed, many within a mile or two of Quaker Center.’
The grounds of a Quaker Meeting house in California sustained significant damage to water lines after firefighters battled one of the wildfires sweeping parts of the US.
The grounds of a Quaker Meeting house in California sustained significant damage to water lines after firefighters battled one of the wildfires sweeping parts of the US.
The directors of the Ben Lomond Quaker Center are back onsite after the building was evacuated for three weeks due to the fires in Santa Cruz County.
Co-director Bob Fisher told the Friend: ‘The fire came within a few hundred yards of our buildings but was stopped by the local volunteer fire department with help from CalFire and a small team sent by our insurance company… While none of our buildings have been directly affected, about 1,700 feet of our spring-fed water lines were compromised and about two-years worth of firewood was destroyed. We are very concerned about the probability of serious erosion and possible mudslides in our southern parcel… We’re all struggling with the poor air quality, smoke and ash everywhere.’
The centre may now need to spend ‘tens of thousands of dollars’ on erosion control, fire prevention and replacing the water lines. This will add to a growing deficit, caused by the financial fall-out from the Covid-19 pandemic. ‘West Coast Friends have been very generous in their spiritual and financial support,’ he added. ‘Our concern is that many of these same Friends have faced evacuations and financial hardships as well.’
According to Bob Fisher: ‘Over 970 homes were destroyed, many within a mile or two of Quaker Center. I’m pretty sure that some were within half a mile.’
The centre is hosting an online programme of events, including its first online session: ‘Living Into the Promise’, with fifty-one attending.
At the time of writing, California is battling more than twenty-four large fires, in which at least twenty-five people have died. Donations can be made on the Quaker centre’s website.
Comments
Our website is: http://www.quakercenter.org
Just to clarify, we do not have a meetinghouse on our property. THE BEN LOMOND QUAKER CENTER is a self-service conference and retreat center in northern California that has, historically, offered simple, modestly priced, comfortable accommodations. We are located on 80 acres of redwood forest, an hour and a half south of San Francisco and 25 minutes outside of Santa Cruz. We hope, soon, to be able to resume offering accommodations for individual retreats and Quaker programs, both onsite and online.
By BobCFisher on 26th September 2020 - 2:04
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