Today I had to change a belief I’ve had for a very long time.

For as long as I can remember I have repeated the story of how the ArrowCreek Fire occurred right as we were in the process of buying our lot in ArrowCreek. It was a great story of how lucky it happened before there was a house on the lot and how more than half of it had burned and, and, and….I always put it in 2001.

Today the ArrowCreek Fire came up again in a discussion about fire abatement. I googled ArrowCreek Fire 2001. I found a list of fires from the Reno Gazette Journal archives stating “August 2000, ArrowCreek Fire: Lightning causes a racing brush fire that consumes nearly 3,000 acres and damaged six homes in south Reno.”

“That can’t be right!” So, I looked at another item that my google had returned.

Here is an article about a fire restoration grant. That will have truth. I remember returning a letter granting permission for restoration people to be on our property (even though we never saw any new plants).
“The largest project area belongs to the Arrowcreek and Skinner Fires). The Arrowcreek Creek Fire of 2000 burned through 2,788 acres of land. The Skinner Complex Fire of 2008 (AKA East Lake Fire) devastated 960 acres of land. ARRA funds will employ a minimum of 16 people in varying job titles and skill sets on the Arrowcreek Project and a minimum of 18 people in varying job titles and skill levels on the Skinner project. The proposed ecosystem restoration project will include defensible space principles near development, the mapping and eradication of noxious and invasive weeds that will be competing with the native plants, the planting and reseeding of native shrubs and trees for wildlife habitat improvement, water quality improvement and soil erosion control and reducing the risk of repeat wildfire in the region.”

….Hmmmmmm…”No, I know it was 2001!” So, I looked at another item from Washoe County Board of County Commissioners and another from FEMA.

“Nevada Arrow Creek Wildfire (FM-2316)
Incident period: August 1, 2000 to August 5, 2000
Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on August 1, 2000
August 2, 2000
News Release
Federal Funds Authorized To Help Fight Nevada Wildfire
Washington, D.C. — Federal funds have been made available by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help Nevada battle the uncontrolled Arrow Creek fire located in Washoe County.”

..and another Galena Volunteer Fire-Rescue – well, they should knooooooooooooooooow, oh, wow, here’s a photo…

Gee, looks like I was mistaken about the year. I know I took pictures, too. I’ll have to root them out. So, I delve into my storage of paper photographs… “Oh, my God! They ARE from 2000, not 2001!”

“But…but…I SWEAR we closed in 2001!!” Where ARE those papers….. So, Ron digs through the data.

“We closed in 2000!”

“Well, I’ll be! …Guess I have to change my story! I have to admit that I was wrong! I now have new data that proves I have to change the way I have always looked at it for a very long time.”

“Hmmmmmmmm…”