Dear Friends: I have received e-mails asking about the progress of the efforts to help the victims of the Paradise fire in California, so I though I would fill people in with the little information I have. This is a bit off topic for the bulb forum, but so many have participated in the fund raising, I think it is appropriate. I have been so touched by the response of bulb enthusiasts. Many people sent extra money to donate to the fire victims, some as much as $100. A customer in England sent me an order and an additional $65 to donate. So kind, to care about people so far away. I have counted up about $2000 so far, but I have a stack of orders on my desk that haven't been tallied, so it is more than that. The charity I am sending the money to will use the funds to help people get back on their feet, there are many charities and businesses taking care of their immediate needs, but housing is going to be a terrible problem, following on from the fires in the Redding area in August. Redding is about 80 miles distant from Paradise and the Carr fire there destroyed over 1000 homes. As far as blaming environmentalists for the fire. First, we have had no rain up until now. By late November usually we have had several significant storms. Second, the area where the fire started I know intimately, I go there to gather seeds of Erythronium multiscapoideum, Pulga form. It is very steep rocky terrain, very sparsely vegetated, and has power lines crossing the area. Those same power lines have caused fires in the past. About ten years ago three or four pylons came down in a wind storm in that area. PG&E, the utility company, has been sued several times for fires started by poor maintenance. It is a fact that there was a downed power line at Pulga that started the fire, then another incident that started another fire nearby. The dryness and the wind then caused the fire to spread rapidly. Paradise was uniquely vulnerable. It was an old community, with neighborhoods that grew haphazardly, with narrow lanes in some areas where two cars could hardly pass. There was a very high proportion of low income seniors, many who lived in trailer parks, some with disabilities and many who would not have had transportation. Rain is coming in today which hopefully will put an end to the fires. There won't be mudslides in the Paradise area, Paradise was mostly built on a plateau. Again, my heartfelt thanks to all who sent in orders and donated. Diana _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…