On June 21, 2008 lightning sparked the Basin Complex fire, which evenutually burned 163,000 acres of the Los Padres National Forest in Monterey County. The fires damaged a condor sanctuary where the rare birds are fitted with radio transmitters and released. At the time of the fire, there were 43 condors from the Big Sur-Pinnacles flock flying wild in the area. Radio signals remain silent on two of the birds—a 6-year old male, hatched at the San Diego Zoo, and a 3-year old female, hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo.."We think the fire or the smoke overtook them," Kelly Sorenson, executive director of the Ventana Wildlife Society, said. "The bodies were never recovered, but it's been long enough now that we presume they are dead" (San Jose Mercury News, 2 September 2008). Three condor chicks undexpectedly did survive. One a "miracle" chick, born in the wild without any biologist intervention, survived in a cavity at the very top of a 200 ft coastal redwood tree. In the direct line of the fires, the tree showed evidence that the flames had shot up its trunk for 100 feet. Biologist, Joe Burnett, was able on September 3, 2008 to climb to the top of the tree with ropes and confirm the survival of the condor, at that time estimated to be about 5 months old. .

The two photos below, used with permission of the Ventana Wildlife Society, show the scorched redwood nest tree and the treetop cavity with the "miracle" chick, almost full-grown, to the right.
"The reflection of the wildfire is seen in firefighter James Hughes sunglasses as he uses a water hose on a backfire at the Ventana Inn campgrounds in Big Sur, Calif., Friday, July 4, 2008." (AP Photo/ Tony Avelar)

Primary Sources

Burnett, Joe. Senior biologist at Ventana Wildlife Society, phone conversation with Doris Schoenhoff (MRC) on 11 September 2008.

Seconday Sources

Rogers, Paul, of San Jose Mercury News. Published in Press Democrat, 2 September 2008, "Big Sur Condor Sanctuary to Rebuild," at http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080902/NEWS/809020417/-1/archive&title=Big_Sur_condor_sanctuary_to_rebuild.