Every summer, folks in parts of southern California face the threat of wildfires, especially in rural areas. Homes, businesses and roads can quickly find themselves in jeopardy from fast moving fires when the weather is dry.
Now, a fire being described locally as the Rim Fire near Yosemite has forced the popular Strawberry Music Festival out of its long-time home at Camp Mather for its scheduled Labor Day run. Officials have been watching the fire’s path for the past few days, with the Governor having declared a state of emergency, but came to the conclusion yesterday that such a large event could not be allowed to go on.
The official announcement read as follows:
“Due to the ongoing State of Emergency and the potential adverse effects of the wildfire on public health, safety and welfare, the County of Tuolumne cannot allow the Strawberry Music Festival to occur at the site as originally permitted on the dates of August 29 through September 2, 2013.”
At this point, festival organizers have not determined whether they will look for a new site, or postpone the event until a later date.
This year was slated to be the 32nd annual Strawberry Music Festival. They expect to post more details about 2013 early next week on their web site.
