
Photo by Jenny Kirchner
What was that helicopter up to?
By Idyllwild Town Crier
You may have noticed an unnamed black and gold helicopter flying for 30 to 45 minutes over Idyllwild last Friday afternoon. The helicopter is leased by WaveRider Helicopters of Oceanside from November Alpha LLC. Kurt Dawson, owner/pilot of WaveRider, said his company was contracted by a surveyor to survey the power grid in our area. “The surveyor was probably hired by SCE,” he said, and Dawson and an employee were given a map to survey problems in the grid such things as trees in the power lines.

“… [L]arge fire potential will likely remain above normal across Southern California well into November,” was the conclusion of the latest “National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook” from the Predictive Services unit at the National Interagency Fire Center. Despite the very wet winter, the high pressures during the past month have returned very warm and…
This past summer’s forecast of a strong El Niño has been somewhat disappointing, perhaps, for Hill residents. While last year’s precipitation washed away the drought conditions, so far this water year (Oct. 1 to Sept. 30), precipitation has been sparse and far less than average. For the first four months of the water year, the…
To judge from the attendance at last Tuesday evening’s presentation ofthe concert honoring the achievements of Idyllwild’s own guitarist andluthier extraordinaire David Pelham, the event served as both acelebratory and devotional function. Under the sponsorship of theFriends of the Idyllwild Library, the attraction was equally a stimulusto the curious as well as the knowing. The…
Update 2:28 p.m. Thursday June 6: SCE Media Advisor of Corporate Communications Mary Ann Milbourn also confirmed today that the helicopters have been hired by SCE to survey lines and poles in the area to not only prevent catastrophes, but to protect residents and visitors to the mountain communities. She also said that depending on…
Peter Lent, deputy director of Riverside County’s Office of Emergency Services (OES), has long warned Hill residents to be prepared for a long overdue giant quake (magnitude 8 or more) on the San Andreas Fault network, or a lesser one on the San Jacinto (between 6 or 7M). OES advises local residents to be prepared for no outside assistance for a minimum of 10 days and possibly longer, depending on the severity of the devastation on the valley floor.
3:21 p.m.: The Cal Fire helicopter was released from the fire. 3:05 p.m.: TC photographer Steven King reports “it looks primarily like ground fuel, they have a handle on it, heli[copter] circulating but not currently dropping.” 2:47 p.m.: Indian Fire incident commander has started canceling resources, a good sign. IC is requesting an arson investigator….