The Real Betty Rexford

Dear Betty,
Since so much attention has been given to your involvement in the Cedar Fire and since I live only a few blocks from your house, I thought I should put together my recollection of the event in our neighborhood. I was packing my valuables in preparation of evacuation as the fire raged up Beeler Canyon. A police officer was in the neighborhood asking all the residents to evacuate immediately. Of course I complied and a police barricade was set up on the adjoining Creek road.  We were not allowed to cross the barricade and return although most of us wanted to return to protect our houses since there were no fire vehicles to be seen.  That’s right, as we were standing behind the barricade watching our properties burn there were no fire vehicles to be seen, not on Beeler Canyon road, not on Creek road, and certainly not at your house which was also in site. Mayor Cafagna was also at the barricade observing the progress of the fire.  The view of my home vanished behind the flames and smoke engulfing it.  Mayor Cafagna reached a fire representative on his cell phone to express his concerns and asked that a fire engine be sent immediately but was told that none was available for our neighborhood.Eventually the smoke and flames subsided and luckily my home was not damaged although many of my avocado trees and much of my irrigation system were burned. Some neighbors were not so lucky, one lost his house to the fire. later that day the barricade was removed and we were allowed to return to our homes.  That evening and the next day there were many flare ups in the canyon and the smoke was almost unbearable. I believe it was the next day that fire crews arrived to suppress the flare ups. I believe they were in the area putting out fires all that night and into the next day.  Several fires were burning in the neighborhood that evening and the next morning including one on my next door neighbor’s property. That fire was also suppressed by the crews.I don’t know if the help that eventually arrived was there because of Mayor Cafagna’s request or just because it was desperately needed. 
The contention that your had your own personal fire engine protection during that fire is pure poppycock.
Sincerely,
Dave Davis