Posts by Louise Lampara

Clif Simonson was supposed to go to a budget meeting Tuesday. Then the Thomas Fire swept through Ventura County. The manager of the 1,000 acre Bentley Ranch adjacent to the southern part of the Ojai Valley immediately cancelled his plans and headed out in his truck. He had been here for the ’85 Wheeler Fire…

Ventura County, “home of the two trees”, has a whole new meaning in light of the Thomas fire. When the smoke cleared above the Ventura hillside revealing housing tracts that were devastated by the fire’s rampage, the iconic two blue gum eucalyptus trees had survived. The trees, clearly visible from the 101 freeway, sit on…

Aera Energy employee Louise Lampara was one of thousands forced to evacuate their Ventura homes on the night of Monday, Dec. 4 as the Thomas Fire raced toward the city from nearby mountains and canyons. Even as she and her roommate packed up their two dogs and suitcases and headed to the safety of the…