The squirrels of fire camp
When I get called to a wildfire, as I was recently, my job as a ground support driver is to navigate my pickup to wherever the managers need hose, pumps, tanks, lunches, or water. A run assignment can take me deep into the back country, to a parts store, or even to a nearby airport.
Even when I am away from home, I seem to run into critters who make my life interesting. Recently I was dispatched to the Holy Fire in eastern Orange County. At Irvine Regional Park, where the Incident Command Post was set up, our Ground Support Unit was situated among large sycamore and liveoak trees. This provided pleasant shady areas to rest between runs, as well as a comfortable place to eat our lunch.
Hot breakfasts and dinners are prepared and served in a kitchen area. Big awnings are set up with tables and several hundred chairs for the hordes of hungry firefighters. Sack lunches are also provided for everyone on the fire. All three of these meals are nutritious and high-calorie because the firefighters are expending prodigious amounts of energy and they need the fuel. However, those of us less-active support folks have to be careful, for these great meals can easily put on unwanted pounds.
In the shade of the trees around Ground Support near the eastern end of the park, we discovered a large population of squirrels, ravens, and blue birds. It was apparent these critters were used to being fed by the local folks who visit their park. Many were the common ground squirrel we see in our foothills.
One little perky guy was braver than the rest. He was smaller with a light red tint along the underbelly, extending into a very sparse, rather thin tail. With a little investigation online, we learned this was an Upper Desert Fox Squirrel.
This little guy would cautiously approach drivers seated under the trees, looking for bits of edible food. If they turned to look, he’d scurry away to safety. This soon led to sharing pieces of bread with him.
With the prize clutched in his teeth, he’d scurry up a tree. If he didn’t get to the tree quick enough, one of the bigger ground squirrels would try to steal the piece away from him. Then followed a series of rapid “zigging and zagging” until the bigger animal either stole it away, or the little guy scooted safely up one of the trees above our sitting area.
One afternoon, after a morning run to pick up parts followed by a good lunch under the trees, I leaned back in my chair. Then something hit me on the chest. It was half a small green shell with a white interior. The fox squirrel was directly above me on a limb enjoying his lunch, though I couldn’t identify the source of his meal.
At first I thought they were tiny immature live oak acorns. This little guy knew better though. Being that small, I mistakenly assumed they must not be fully formed. In our foothills, I am used to seeing the fruit of the live oak grow larger before they are fully filled. However, as you can see from my picture, they are fully mature.
Fascinated by his actions, we watched closely. He first split the acorn, carefully ate the nut in the middle, then chucked the half-shell off the limb, directly onto me seated in the shade of the large tree. Obviously his lunchroom was on the mezzanine, directly above ours on the ground floor.