Author of Smolder & Fire Monks
KQED’s Erin Baldassari wrote this probing piece in November 2023 about the intersection of climate change and wildfire. She came over to chat about Fire Monks, and a brief excerpt from our conversation appears at the end of her thoughtful piece.
(Erin Baldassari/KQED)
The Willow Fire burning in the Los Padres National Forest is a long day hike away from Tassajara. The good news is that a professionally trained resident crew of fire monks is in place, ready for whatever comes. A silver lining to the pandemic is that it offered time to step up fire training and preparations: no guests had to be evacuated, only residents not on the fire crew. The Dharma Rain sprinkler system from 2008 is fortified and on duty. Forest Service and Cal Fire engines have been in the valley assisting with training and prep. Please keep these monks and firefighters and all beings in the Los Padres in your well wishes.
KQED’s Lakshmi Sarah wrote up this report:
Follow updates here:
Fire is in the neighborhood again at Tassajara. No surprise as there is plenty of kindling left over from the 2008 fire, and we had so little rain this winter. Updates are being posted on Tassajara Zen Mountain Center’s Facebook page. Please keep Tassajara and all beings in the burn area in your protective thoughts–especially the firefighters braving the steep, dry Ventana slopes.
And…more monastic fire news… Zen Mountain Center in Idyllwild was evacuated earlier this week. Sadly, homes in the area were lost, but it appears that ZMC was successfully saved by fire crews.
Be safe out there everyone. Be kind to one another. The teachings of fire can be fierce.
Fire surrounded Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Gratitude for all of the heart and effort that went into preserving that refuge in the wilderness!
Fundraising for a permanent Dharma Rain sprinkler system is well underway. I took this photo in May when I was down at Tassajara:
Happy Interdependence Day, everyone! It’s July 4th, the pyromaniac’s favorite time of the year. Please be careful if you are lighting fireworks or playing with fire in any way. It’s hot and dry out there.
It’s been a quiet few months on this blog as I’ve turned my attention to other interests and writing projects, but fire season is in full, hot fervor. We need no more dark reminder than the recent deaths of 19 firefighters on the Yarnell Hill fire. I’ve been working on a written response to the disaster but have nothing that feels at all adequate to the loss. I am holding the fallen hotshot crew and their loved ones in my heart.
There’s a thoughtful New York Times opinion piece by Alan Dean Foster about why people, including the author and myself, choose to live in fire-prone landscapes.
Meanwhile, July 10 is the 5th anniversary of the Basin Complex fire’s entrance into Tassajara. David Zimmerman, one of the fire monks, wrote a stirring reflection for the occasion. You can read it here.