Goal line stand prevents disaster

"Ils ne passeront pas!"

Before Henri Pétain became the traitorous head of Vichy France, he uttered those famous words in 1916 in response to the German advance on Verdun.

"They shall not pass!"

On Friday night, we saw an example of that spirit among our fire services battling the Sleeping Elephant fire in Topaz Ranch Estates.

With flames racing across the plain toward the south county community, firefighters had just moments to put themselves in the way and stop the fire that was getting ready to cross Highway 208.

There were flames threatening both the sheriff's substation and the volunteer fire department as law enforcement officers went door to door to encourage those residents who needed the hint to flee for their lives.

And then the flames receded back across the plain to Wild Oat Mountain where they could be pinned against Topaz Lake and extinguished.

After three good hours of hard work, 320 homes that were threatened were safe.

Saturday was 7-7-07, a date that could be looked upon as fortuitous.

But luck is with the prepared, and we credit our firefighters and law enforcement officers for the swift reaction that prevented a repeat of the recent disaster in South Lake Tahoe.