Carmel Valley Firefighters Touched by Community’s Kindness

Police: Man Who Pulled Gun on Protesters Was ‘Lawfully Defending Himself’

Police in Tallahassee, Florida, said a man who was seen pulling a gun at Black Lives Matter protesters and agitators who were seen beating him will not be charged. Video footage captured Saturday at the Florida Historic Capitol building showed the demonstrators attacking the man while he was on the ground before the man got up and pulled out a pistol and waved it before the protesters retreated. “The evidence confirmed the physical altercation between numerous protesters and that the individual was knocked to the ground and under attack before lawfully defending himself,” a press release from the police department read. “TPD confirmed that the individual with the gun was lawfully carrying a concealed weapon as a license holder.” The city said that the man, who is white, started “documenting the protest”…

CARMEL VALLEY, Calif.—Along the side of Route 68, on the way to Carmel Valley, were many signs showing support for firefighters on Aug. 26.

“Thank you CalFire,” read one. Some were hand-drawn, including pictures of firefighters. Some were professionally printed.

As of Aug. 31, the Carmel Fire and nearby River Fire were both close to 95 percent contained. Firefighters started to withdraw a few days earlier as the fires got under control, and waited to be deployed elsewhere as needed.

“We love the signs,” CalFire spokesperson April Newman told The Epoch Times. “It definitely put smiles on firefighters’ faces.”

Carmel Valley Firefighters Touched by Community’s Kindness

‘That’s what keeps us going’

Tony McHale, captain of the Ventura County Fire Department, was onsite during the fight to contain the River Fire and he saw the start of the Carmel Fire on Aug. 18.

“I was looking at a vantage point on Laureles Grade Road and I actually saw this one start. I saw the column of smoke that was coming up from this area,” McHale told The Epoch Times.

“Twenty five years I never get used to seeing that kind of destruction, ever. But I do know what keeps firefighters going is that even though losses and the destruction is real and palpable, we also have to consider the value of what’s been saved by our efforts,” McHale said. “That’s what keeps us going.”

This is usually a busy time for firefighters, McHale said, but this year is unprecedented because he’s never seen so many incidents statewide happening at once.

McHale said one of the worst things to work with is poison oak. He pointed to the three-leaf plants on the roadside—”It’s our nemesis,” he said. When it burns, the particles get into the air and it’s toxic to inhale.

He explained the firefighters have four priorities when tackling wildfire. The first is human safety, including the crew and residents. The second, is structure protection. The third is fire suppression. The fourth is environmental protection. Sometimes, they’re working on all at once.

He reminds people living in fire-prone, remote areas to have an evacuation plan. This includes knowing what to take, where to meet up with family, and what to do with pets.

Sean Pyorre, a bulldozer operator with Santa Cruz CalFire, was present when the River Fire first broke out on Aug. 16.

For 10 days, he tried to stop the flames with dirt so the fire wouldn’t continue to burn. “So I was trying to get to ahead of it and get dirt in between what it was burning and the flames itself,” Pyorre told The Epoch Times.

He is new to this, but—“if I hadn’t been in a dozer, I would probably be a lot more scared of the flames coming at me, I wouldn’t feel safe.”

Cooperative weather, including higher humidity last week helped crews contain the fire.

On Aug. 26, the River Fire was 48 percent contained, so he was demobbed and was preparing to be deployed to the next assignment.

Hot Meals

Carmel Valley Village residents were taking turns every night to prepare meals for firefighters battling the fires.

“They have these great full meals that support them and are high calorie, 24-hour meals, but then they don’t really get hot food. So we took some hot food out to them,” Alondra Klemek, a Carmel Valley resident, told The Epoch Times. Her husband is a firefighter.

She was on her way to help prepare dinner—polenta and pork stew with vegetables—at Jerome’s Carmel Valley Market. They fed 58 firefighters on Aug. 26.

“It’s already a close community. But I think it’s going to get even closer,” Jerome Viel, owner of Jerome’s Carmel Valley Market, told The Epoch Times.

His friend, Michael Jones, who also runs his own catering business, has been helping with delivery and support.

Jones told The Epoch Times: “Jerome did 45 hot, beautiful brisket meals. … They weighed a pound and three-quarters, and they were still steaming hot. I got to go up in the mountains like Santa and hand them out to fire crews that hadn’t eaten a hot meal in a long time.”

He said they are tough guys, but one was so touched he was speechless—”I could tell he was trying not to cry.”

With reporting by Nancy Han.

Focus News: Carmel Valley Firefighters Touched by Community’s Kindness

Schiff: House Could Subpoena Officials to Testify on Election Interference

House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Sunday it is possible the House could issue subpoenas to federal intelligence officials to testify on alleged election interference, coming after Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe told members of Congress that he won’t deliver in-person briefings on election interference because of rampant leaks to the press. Schiff said on Sunday that “I can’t speak for what decision ultimately we’ll make. That’s a decision that will have to go to the speaker,” referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Schiff served as the lead House impeachment manager and has frequently accused President Donald Trump of colluding with Russia to secure the 2016 election. “This intelligence paid for by taxpayers doesn’t belong to Donald Trump, it doesn’t belong to the intelligence agencies, it belongs to the…