Fire at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center

You may not have heard but there has been a serious forest fire at Yokoji Zen Mountain Centre where Tenshin Roshi is abbott.  The centre, in the mountains west of Los Angeles, was given 3 hours notice to evacuate on Monday and the community watched with alarm as fire spread up the canyon.  Thanks however to Tenshin & ZMC’s hard work in creating fire breaks, and heroic work by the local fire crews, the Center was saved.  Here is the latest news from Roshi:

Dear All,

I sweet-talked my way into Yokoji today! There were still fires burning
around the perimeter of the property and Jokai and I put out one by the
diesel tanks by the electric shed. Fire crews are still fighting and
backburning around the main perimeter of the center i.e. above the
water tanks and below the wood shop. They are still worried about the
wind changing and burning from above the water tanks downwards.
However, they are confident they can prevent the fire unless high winds
come in. There is a threat from possible lightening storms Sunday and
Monday. Yet, if there is rain, that may be a God-send. Jokai took some
photographs with his phone and the link is posted below.* Thank you for
all of your prayers and good feelings. Please keep them up, it seems to
be working! The main mystery is why the firefighters chose to save the
property rather than what they told us a few years ago, “once the
people are out, it is too dangerous and we will have to let it burn.”
The Fire Captain of one crew suggested that because of our thinning they
were able to have a safe area to fight the fire, otherwise they would
not have bothered. Also, there are connections in town with the Fire
Department and the crews. We are safe, and very grateful!

Love and Best Wishes,
Tenshin

*http://db.tt/2Wa6EhjH