Carmel Fire: All but a dream up in smoke
(WorldNews Environment)

CARMEL VALLEY — Jen Phillips had returned home from her environmental stewardship work at MEarth, and was out tending the animals — 70 chickens, seven goats, and 30 beehives — on her organic family farmstead when she noticed an enormous plume of smoke in the near distance. Moments later, she saw flames and knew she barely had time to get her three Great Pyrenees guardian dogs into her Subaru and escape before the fire blocked her exit. “Running toward the house,” said Phillips, “I jumped inside just before a plane dropped fire retardant on our home. We have an earthbag roundhouse (her husband Rob Officer) and I built from scratch, with durable materials from our land.” Phillips, with her...