Trabuco Evacuees Show Spirit
by Kathy Miramontes

I was invited to visit a dear friend on Saturday evening; she said she would be in the Barbeques Galore / Target parking lot in Rancho Santa Margarita. Ginny Allen was one of the many homeowners evacuated from their homes on Tuesday due to the fires in Trabuco Canyon. When I got there, I saw a campground with motor homes, horse and utility trailers and tents lining the far side of the parking lot! Kids and dogs were all playing and getting along; adults were sitting around under canopies talking, drinking donated Starbucks beverages, sodas, water, you name it, it was there! Everyone seemed to be relaxed, albeit ready to go home. The word was that maybe they can go back on Monday; everyone was elated on having heard that news.  What a great group!  Everyone was working together and getting along. Merchants have been sending food, drink, movie tickets, toiletries, hair salon services, etc.  It is amazing!  Barbeques Galore donated BBQs, so the evacuees can cook meals for their group. On Saturday evening, they grilled lamb, chicken, ribs, salads, BBQ beans, (someone brought homemade chili), pies, cookies like you have never tasted, and to my understanding, it was all donated by local merchants! 

There were at least 40 adults and kids of all ages, even a female falconer with a beautiful Harris Hawk, a horse trailer with horses and cows parked in the lot!  A woman and her family arrived in a motor home, having been told to leave the Ralph's parking lot in Irvine, even AFTER informing officials they were evacuees from the Trabuco Canyon fires!  Upon arrival in RSM, they were immediately directed to an area of the parking lot to park and invited to dinner! 

A Trabuco Canyon homeowner and former inspector-detective for the city of Irvine, now Chief of Police for Tehachapi in Tuolumne County, Jeff Kermode arrived just prior to the order to evacuate and helped coordinate the relocation of the livestock. It was a planned exercise his group had hoped would never be executed. However, when the time came, this past week, it was carried off without a hitch! Almost all the livestock and trailers were out of the canyon and out of the way before the residents received the mandatory order to leave.

I heard that Friday night the Hickey Creek String Band played music at the "Refugee Camp" by BBQs galore.  Jody Reeder, one of the group, said she heard that a video of some of the music made the front page of OCRegister.com. I checked, and it did!

As we were departing on Saturday evening, a group of kids were leaving for the movies; adults were drinking coffee and discussing the possibility of going home soon. It was inspiring, with good company and delicious food – an evening I would not have missed!  Trabuco Canyon Church services will be held right there in the parking lot on Sunday morning.

I do not have everyone’s name to give proper credit, but everyone knows who he or she is, the family of Trabuco Canyon!

I thought my story was finished, but after receiving a call from Ginny on Sunday afternoon, I HAD to add the following. “You will not believe this!” she shouted into her cell phone. An unidentified person in a Rolls Royce drove into the parking lot just after noon (today) Sunday and handed Michelle Prieto $1,000 in cash!  He said he knew they had lots of food, but there would probably be other things they needed that were not covered. Then he drove away, leaving a stunned but even more thankful-for-human-kindness Michelle!   A woman living across the street from the shopping center came forward and offered her home for anyone in need of a hot shower.  Most of the people staying in the parking lot have a motor home and thanked her but declined. They have hot water, and the holding tanks in their mobile homes are being emptied as needed by the septic tank company as a courtesy.  They were paid a visit by OC Animal Control offering assistance with the animals if needed. Again, they declined the generous offer, but all livestock and pets had been moved to safety just prior to the notice to evacuate.  Another RSM resident arrived with 10 bags of paper goods – paper plates, napkins, cups, and plastic wear – saying she knew it would be needed!   With the temperature at 80 degrees and everyone living on the asphalt, someone brought them another canopy so they could get out of the sun. In addition, Target in RSM is giving the evacuees 20 percent off all purchases. The outpouring of community goodness just keeps on coming!