In New York City, we were over at the sight of Ground Zero where the World Trade Center once stood. Today was a dark day. It was the 18th anniversary of the darkest day in the history of America: September 11th, 2001. On this day, terrorists armed with bombs highjacked commercial planes and used them to completely destroy the World Trade Center. Resulting in the deaths of 3,000 innocent people. It was a dark and grim time for everyone in the United States of America and ever since then, we were at war with terrorists over in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Middle East. For 18 years now, this war has raged on and thousands of soldiers have lost their lives and most of them were severely injured. But the war turned the tide in our favor when we killed the leader of Al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden on May 2nd, 2011 in Abbottabad, Pakistan in Operation: Neptune Spear when U.S. Navy Seals stormed his compound and killed him in the dead of night. It dealt Al-Qaeda a devastating and crippling blow. But the war is still raging on even after 18 years had passed.
Me: On this sight 18 years ago, this whole country changed forever because of those terrorists.
Nico: That was an awful sight. I remember seeing all that on TV. I wasn't here on Earth when it happened. It was terrifying. My dad was in the World Trade Center when it was destroyed. But luckily he escaped when it collapsed.
Me: That's awful man. Thank God he's all right.
May: Yeah. Me too.
Carmen: (hugs Maria while crying) Sis, why did all those people have to die?! Why!?
Maria hugged Carmen and comforted her.
Maria: Some people are just pure evil Carmen and they will follow their own selfish desires even at the cost of their own lives.
Liam: (Southern Accent) Yeah. That day was a nightmare back then.
Teresa: Brian I heard that at one time, you and Stewie went back in time to try and stop 9/11.
Brian: Yeah we did and we ended up destroying the timeline.
Teresa: Brian, I'm glad you wanted to help prevent 9/11. But messing with time can cause devestating consequences. That's why whenever we deal with past events, we use the simulator to go to alternate universes of those incidents.
Brian: That's true.
Nico: Yeah.
Reflector: I can't believe there's nothing we can do about this now.
Optimus Prime: You're wrong. We can do something about this.
Skywarp: And that would be?
Optimus Prime: We keep fighting the good fight. And make sure nothing like this ever happens again.
Me: Optimus Prime is right. We have to learn from the past to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Laney: That's right guys.
Naruto: Yeah.
Sasuke: What was the motive behind these attacks? Everything that has to happen has to have a motive.
Me: That's true Sasuke. The motive behind these attacks was crimes against the Muslim world. We provided Western support for attacking Muslims in Somalia, supported Russian atrocities against Muslims in Chechnya, supported the Indian oppression against Muslims in Kashmir, supported the Jewish aggression against Muslims in Lebanon, provided the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, Provided U.S. support of Israel, and conducted sanctions against Iraq. These terrorists want to shut down America by killing us all.
Lincoln: These guys are monsters!
Me: That's why we need to kill them before they kill us.
Nico: We'll worry about that later.
Me: Yeah. Lets pray to the people that lost their lives.
We prayed for those that lost their lives on that day 18 years ago today.
Luna played Amazing Grace on Bagpipes.
Some of us were crying.
We left flowers and wreaths for the people. We also made a special flag for the memorial that said "United We Stand, Divided We Fall. Never Forget 9/11." It had the World Trade Center on it before it was destroyed. Everyone saw it and it was perfect for it.
Laney then sang Sarah Brightman's Amazing Grace in front of the flag.
Laney: (Singing Divinely)
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind but now I see
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forgot to shine
But God, who brought me here below
Will be forever mine
Through Him many dangers toils and snares
I have already come
It was grace that brought me here thus far
And grace will lead me home
It was a gut-wrenching song and the sun shined from the heavens and Laney was standing in a beam of sunlight as she sang. Some of us were crying hard and I had tears streaming down my face. It was a dark day that will forever leave a scar on the people of America. Time may heal all wounds, but the pain they leave behind will never heal.
Later back at the estate we were watching one of my favorite childhood movies that I've known since I was little: Bambi from 1942 and we watched the Midquel film Bambi 2 from 2006. We paused the first movie at the part where Bambi goes with his father and started the Midquel movie from there.
The movie begins with a long camera shot through the forest at dawn, and all the animals waking up. Suddenly, a blue bird spreads the news about something. Thumper (a young rabbit) wakes up an old owl named "Friend Owl", who asks what has happened. Thumper and his sisters tell him that the new prince is born. Friend Owl flies off to the area where the young prince is born, along with many other animals. Upon reaching the area, the animals come across the mother doe and her newborn fawn lying by her side. The animals congratulate her. She then urges her new fawn to wake up and see everybody. He wakes up and takes a good, long look at all the animals surrounding him. At first, he is frightened by Friend Owl, who gives a friendly hoot but then manages to make a smile. He then attempts to get up, but due to him being very young, he can hardly keep his balance. Thumper comments that he is sort of unstable, to which his mother scolds him. The young prince then falls backward back into his resting spot, causing some laughter and delight among the creatures. The fawn then lies back into his resting area and gives a big yawn. Friend Owl says to the creatures that it may be time for them to leave. They all leave, except for Thumper, who asks the fawn's mother what his name will be. She replies that she will name him "Bambi." Thumper, liking the name, says goodbye to her and runs off to join his family. Happy with the name, Bambi's mother snuggles up with her sleeping fawn. The camera then pulls up from the small bush to reveal Bambi's father, the Great Prince of the Forest, looking down at them from a nearby cliff ledge.
A few days later, Bambi and his mother are taking a walk through the forest. Bambi falls behind a little bit, getting distracted by some greeting animal neighbors. When trying to catch up to his mother, he gets stuck on a tall, thick blade of grass and slips. Upon seeing him fall, Thumper and his family run over to the young prince, asking his mother if he is alright. She replies that he is doing fine. Bambi then gets back up onto his feet and is able to continue walking, with Thumper and his sisters journeying along side of him. They soon come across several birds eating some berries. Thumper then teaches Bambi how to say "bird", who does not get it right the first time, but with some encouragement from his sisters, he is able to say it, shouting out on the top of his lungs "Bird!" Happy with his success, Thumper and his sisters run off to tell Bambi's mother and their mother what the young prince's first word was, while Bambi runs off chasing a butterfly (thinking it to be a bird). Thumper tells him that it is not a bird, but a butterfly. The butterfly flies off, leaving Bambi into thinking that the huge yellow flower in front of him was the butterfly he saw. Thumper tells him that it is a flower. Bambi tries smelling the flowers of the small field but comes face to face with a young skunk. Bambi calls him a flower, which leaves Thumper rolling over his backside with laughter. The skunk, however, says that he's fine with being called a flower, which makes the baby fawn very happy.
The day grows late and it is time for Thumper to return home, leaving Bambi back with his mother. Off in the distance, a rainstorm is gathering and coming closer. He is then awakened by the noise of some nearby raindrops, which then forms a small brook flowing right past his resting area. Soon, the whole forest is alive with raindrops dropping about. The creatures living in the forest run for shelter from the falling water. Suddenly, the violent part of the storm comes when lightning flashes about in bright flash of light and produces many loud noises, leaving Bambi frightened. Soon, the storm departs and the sunrise off in the distance is slowly seen. Bambi, now asleep next to his mother's side, snuggles up with his mother as the last drops of the storm fall into the nearby overflowing brook.
The next scene opens up a few weeks later when Bambi is now capable of speaking. His mother is going to take him to the meadow. Bambi, who has never been to the meadow before, is eager to go, but his mother stops and tells him that the meadow is also a dangerous place. She tells him to stay behind the thicket while she looks around to see if the place is safe. After a long moment of silence, the wide field appears to be safe. Bambi then runs out and tries to catch up with his mother, who runs off at a fast pace, playing with him. After a while, Bambi walks off and almost steps on a frog. He follows the frog over to a small pool of water, which the frog jumps in. Bambi, however, is left out on the shore, staring at his never before seen reflection. Suddenly, another reflection appears to his side. He looks up at the unknown source which turns out to be another fawn, a female fawn. Feeling frightened of the young fawn's presence, Bambi runs back up to his mother for protection. The young fawn's name turns out to be Faline. Bambi's mother encourages Bambi to say hello to her. Having no choice, he greets her. Faline suddenly breaks out in giggles and starts acting hyperactive. Gradually, the two of them start playing a small game of tag.
Suddenly, from out of the surrounding forest, a huge herd of bucks appears from out of nowhere. Faline runs away in fear while Bambi remains, filled with excitement while watching the bucks bound across the field. He even tries running alongside them but ends up almost getting trampled. Suddenly, they all stop. Wondering why Bambi walks over. The reason appears in front of him. It is no other than the Great Prince, Bambi's father (though Bambi does not know it yet). After a brief look at his son, the Great Prince walks off, leaving Bambi behind. Bambi then asks his mother why everyone stood still when the mysterious stag walked by. His mother tells him that he is respected by all. Thus explaining the why he is called "The Great Prince of the Forest".
The next part follows the Great Prince during his walk through the forest. Suddenly, the silence of the forest is broken when a flock of crows flies past, yelling and spreading out an alarm of certain danger. The Great Prince senses this danger and runs back towards the meadow. Once there, he warns the herd. Sensing the danger as well, the herd and all the other creatures begin to run towards the forest. Soon, the whole meadow is full of retreating frightened animals, running for their lives. Faline and Thumper unite with their mothers and manage to escape, but Bambi gets left behind, searching for his mother. His mother is also looking for him as well. Suddenly, the meadow is completely empty. Though everything is still, something dangerous and deadly is still approaching. Sensing the danger, but to still frightened, Bambi is left out in the open, still searching for his mother. Suddenly, the Great Prince appears from behind him and escorts him and his mother to safety of the forest. Off in the distance, a loud gunshot is heard. A few minutes later, Bambi's mother exits the entrance of their den and looks around. Seeing no danger, she tells Bambi that everything is alright. Bambi asks her what had happened, and why everyone ran. After a moment of silence, his mother replies "Man... was in the forest."
During the winter, Bambi discovers snow. While Bambi looks around the snow, he sees Thumper sliding on the ice. He teaches Bambi how to slide on ice. After that, they meet Flower, who is trying to hibernate. After a harsh winter, Bambi and his mother go to the meadow and discover a patch of grass, heralding the arrival of spring. As they eat, his mother senses a hunter and orders, Bambi, to flee. As they run, many gunshots are heard. When Bambi arrives at their thicket, he discovers that his mother is no longer with him. He wanders off in the forest calling for her, but she does not answer. His father appears in front of him and says "your mother can't be with you anymore," revealing to Bambi that his mother is dead, then leads him away.
His father, the Great Prince of the Forest (Patrick Stewart), finds him and leads Bambi back to his den under a fallen tree, the Great Prince asks Friend Owl (Keith Ferguson) to find a doe to raise Bambi, but Friend Owl points out that due to the harsh winter season the does can barely care for themselves. The Great Prince has no choice but to look after Bambi until the spring. Spring is slowly beginning to return to the forest (the song sequence "There is Life") The sun breaks through the clouds and the ice and snow begin to melt. Hibernating animals wake up and migratory birds begin to return. On top of the fallen tree that makes the Great Prince's den, a small green plant begins to grow.
Bambi wakes up late. He eats, and the two go to the forest. The prince eventually lets Bambi go with his friends. While walking, Bambi tells Thumper that he and the Great Prince are "best pals," though Bambi has doubts about the Great Prince's affection. They wake up the hibernating Flower (Nicky Jones) and go to see the Groundhog together, where Friend Owl is presiding over the event and it is here that Bambi meets Faline again. The nervous Groundhog (Brian Pimental) is eventually coaxed out of his hole, only be scared back in again by Ronno (Anthony Ghannam), an older fawn. Ronno laughs, but the other animals leave. Ronno catches up to them and ends in an argument with Bambi. Ronno's mother eventually calls Ronno away, and Bambi is left alone to sleep under a tree and wait for the Great Prince to return after Thumper, Flower and Faline leave with their families. Bambi finds himself in a shining golden meadow and begins chasing butterflies. As he does so, he hears his mother's voice calling him. Overjoyed, he runs towards her and begins to nuzzle her lovingly. His mother comforts him, telling him that she's there even though he can't see her. As the dream fades Bambi continues to hear her voice saying "I'm here," which confuses him. He begins to believe that the voice is his mother's after it says "It's me!", so he follows it out onto the meadow where a flock of crows flies past screaming about Man. As Bambi looks towards the source of the disturbance Hunter Dogs runs towards him, causing Bambi to freeze in terror. Elsewhere, the Great Prince hears the crows and suddenly becomes concerned for Bambi. He runs to where the crows were flying from and arrives in time to fight the dogs and save Bambi. As the dogs run back to their master, the Great Prince sees the glint of a rifle and yells at the still frozen Bambi to run. After a nudge from the Great Prince's antlers, Bambi snaps out of his trance and the two escape to safety. Bambi explains that he heard his mother's voice. The Great Prince angrily says that it was one of Man's tricks. Bambi tries to apologize, but the Great Prince is very cross and reprimands Bambi for freezing in the face of peril. He calms down and orders Bambi to immediately return home with him and possibly never come back to that place ever again, where the realization of his mother's death begins to dawn in Bambi's mind. The Great Prince leaves to reflect on the situation and finds Friend Owl. The Great Prince notes that winter is coming to an end and that Friend Owl should have no trouble finding a doe to be Bambi's new mother, meaning that Bambi is possibly an orphan.
The next morning, the Great Prince orders Bambi to stay in the den where it's safe since he would not trust him to go out on his own again. Bambi is crestfallen, as he wants to be with his father. Thumper and Flower ask Bambi what's wrong, and Bambi says he wants his father to see how brave he is. Thumper decides to teach Bambi how to be brave (you have to be scarier than what's scaring you), and Bambi, Thumper, and Flower walk through the forest practicing their new skills until they come to a log guarded by a grumpy porcupine, which terrifies them. They flee back to the bank, and Thumper sees the Great Prince. Since Bambi is supposed to be back at the den, Thumper suggests they leave. But Bambi realizes that this is a good opportunity to show his new-found bravery. The Great Prince turns to leave and Thumper goes to distract him and bring him back. Bambi goes to confront the porcupine. Bambi leaps over the porcupine, angering him. The porcupine stiffens his quills and begins chasing Bambi backward and forwards across the log. Thumper brings the Great Prince to see Bambi "being brave", but when he notices Bambi in trouble he leads the Great Prince away. After a short struggle, the porcupine is propelled into the air by a piece of wood and lands quills-first on Bambi's rear. Bambi yells out in pain, causing the Great Prince to go and investigate the noise, much to Thumper's dismay. Bambi ducks down under the water so as not to be seen, and the Great Prince begins to pull the quills out of Bambi's rear. Ronno and Faline are nearby, and Ronno is showing off to Faline until she hears Bambi cry out in pain. Bambi cries out again and Faline runs to see to see him. Ronno yells after her, seemingly hurt by losing her attention. Faline and Ronno go and see Bambi, and Ronno teases Bambi after the meadow incident where Bambi froze. Ronno decides that he and Faline should leave, but Faline wants to stay. Ronno tries to force Faline to leave and Bambi stands up for her. Ronno comes back to confront Bambi and tease Flower and Thumper, causing Thumper to push Bambi so that he headbutts Ronno. Ronno is furious and chases Thumper and Bambi through the forest.
Bambi comes to a large jump, and to his surprise he clears it with ease. The Great Prince appears and begins to tell Bambi off for leaving the den, but interrupts himself when he notices that Bambi cleared the jump, saying that he didn't make a jump that far until he had antlers. Bambi is delighted at the positive attention, but the Great Prince composes himself and the three leave. Ronno tries to clear the jump as well but falls and lands in the mud. The next day, Bambi practices his jumping with Thumper. The Great Prince sees this and smiles but becomes serious when Friend Owl arrives and says that the search for a new mother is going well. The Great Prince does not concentrate and is more concerned with Bambi's jumping. Friend Owl notices this and slyly hints that the Great Prince might have changed his mind. The Great Prince, annoyed, confirms that he has not. He then walks past Bambi's jumping lesson, seemingly taking little interest in it. Bambi is confused as his jumping drew praise the day before. Bambi says that the Great Prince has been standing around and contemplating a lot. Thumper suggests that Bambi should go and ask the Great Prince about it. Bambi does so, and the Great Prince says that he is observing - looking, listening and smelling for danger all at the same time. The Great Prince says that Bambi should try to "feel the forest" (feel vibrations through his hooves for abnormalities in forest activity). The Great Prince leaves and Bambi turns to head back to the den, but the Great Prince wants Bambi to come with him. The two journey through the forest and join the stags as they participate in their annual run. Through this, the bond between father and son deepens (the song sequence "First Sign of Spring").
The next morning as Bambi and the Great Prince play, Friend Owl arrives with Mena, the doe he has found to be Bambi's new mother. The Great Prince now seemingly regrets the decision to pass on his parenting duties, but resolves to do so despite Bambi's protestations. After saying goodbye to his friends and the Great Prince, Bambi, who seems to accept the change even though he's upset, leaves with Mena. Ronno appears and continues to tease him about Bambi's father sending him away. This causes an enraged Bambi to charge at Ronno and the two fight. Mena disrupts the fight but Ronno charges into Bambi, causing Bambi to knock Mena into a trap attached to jingling bells. As Mena struggles, the bells jingle and alert Man and the hunting dogs to her position. Ronno flees in terror screaming for his mother, and Bambi freezes again. He quickly snaps out of it and begins to run as well, but as Mena is encouraging him to run, she unknowingly quotes Bambi's late mother's last words, saying "Faster Bambi, don't look back! Keep running! Keep running!" hearing this he pauses and doubles back to distract the four dogs away from Mena. The Great Prince arrives and frees Mena from the trap before going after Bambi. Bambi manages to lose some of the dogs (one with the help of Flower's scent glands, and another with help from the grumpy porcupine) and begins to climb a steep, rocky cliff. One of the dogs slips and falls, leaving only one chasing after Bambi. Bambi climbs to a high ledge and dislodges some rocks, which do nothing to the dog. As the dog closes in, Bambi kicks it in the chest, causing it to fall to the bottom of the cliff. The Great Prince sees this and is relieved. Bambi goes to join him, but the ledge beneath Bambi gives way and he falls. The Great Prince goes to him and believes the prince to be dead. He nuzzles his son tenderly and sobs. Friend Owl, Mena, Flower, and Thumper arrive to see what is happening. As the Great Prince gets up to leave, Bambi wakes up. The Great Prince, relieved, begins to nuzzle his son again, causing Bambi to smile at the attention. Mena turns and leaves, knowing that the Great Prince wanted to take care of Bambi after all. A while later, Thumper tells the exaggerated story of how Bambi defeated the dogs. Bambi arrives, now with a pair of antlers starting to grow in and without his spots. The porcupine pricks Bambi's legs with his quills, causing Bambi to leap forward and accidentally engage Faline in a kiss. Ronno arrives and swears revenge against Bambi, but also steps on a turtle who bites him on the nose, making him run away, screaming for his mother. Bambi leaves as his father is calling him. The Great Prince takes Bambi to a forest glade, saying that this was the place where he first met Bambi's mother. Bambi asks what the Great Prince was like when he was Bambi's age, and the Great Prince says that he was a lot like Bambi.
Years later, a young adult Bambi is reunited with Thumper and Flower as the animals around them begin pairing up with mates. Though they resolve not to be "twitterpated" which Friend Owl taught them like the other animals in love, Thumper and Flower each leave with newly found mates. Bambi is disgusted until he runs into Faline and they become a couple. As they happily dance and flirt through the woods, a slightly older buck, Ronno, appears and tries to force Faline to go with him. Bambi and Ronno then begin to have a duel, each of them competing for a mate. Though he initially struggles, Bambi's rage gives him the strength to defeat Ronno and push him off a cliff and into a river below.
That night, Bambi is awoken by the smell of smoke. His father explains that Man has returned to the forest and that there are many of them now, and they must go deep into the forest. Bambi immediately searches for Faline, but she is being chased by hunting dogs. Bambi finds her in time to fights off the dogs, allowing Faline to escape. With Faline safe, Bambi runs but is shot as he leaps over a ravine. The Great Prince finds him there and urges him back to his feet. Together, they escape the forest fire (which the hunters have started) and go to a small island in a lake where the other animals, including Faline, have taken refuge.
At the end of the film, Thumper and Flower, now fathers, and all the other animals, including Friend Owl, went into the thicket for a big surprise. Faline has recently given birth to twin fawns: a boy named Geno and a girl named Gurri. Bambi stands watch on a cliff, and the Great Prince silently turns and moves away from Bambi's place, as he allows him to take his place. And the New Great Prince looks on proudly watching his newborn children, just as his father did to him at his own birth.
When both movies were done we cheered wildly.
Me: That was awesome! I've known this movie ever since I was little and it's amazing.
Luan: Bambi sure is a critter most DEER. (Laughs to rimshot) Get it?
Most of us laughed.
Me: (Laughs) That was a good one Luan!
Varie: (Laughs) That was funny!
Qin: (Laughs) That was funny.
Abigail F.: That was a good one.
Eddy: (Laughs) That was so funny.
Rachel S.D.: It sure was.
Eion: Yeah.
Me: But the scariest part was that the hunters accidentally caused that forest fire.
Lori: That fire was literally scary.
Me: But that fire was nothing compared to what happened when we were evacuated because of the Hayman Fire.
Luna: Hayman Fire, dude?
Me: It was the largest wildfire in Colorado's history.
I showed everyone on the computer.
The Hayman Fire was a forest fire started on June 8, 2002, 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Colorado Springs, Colorado and 95 miles (153 km) southwest of Denver, Colorado and became the largest wildfire in the state's recorded history at over 138,114 acres.
Hundreds of firefighters fought the fast-moving fire, which caused nearly $40 million in firefighting costs, burned 133 homes, 138,114 acres, and forced the evacuation of 5,340 people.
Smoke could be seen and smelled across the state from Vail, 108 miles (174 km) northwest, to Burlington, 188 miles (303 km) east, and from Broomfield, 50 miles (80 km) north, to Walsenburg, 130 miles (210 km) south.
The Hayman Fire burned from June 8th, 2002, until it was classified as contained on July 18, 2002. The cause of the wildfire was found to be arson.
When then-Governor Bill Owens responded to a reporter's question following an aerial tour of the fires ("What does it look like up there?"), Owens said "It looks as if all of Colorado is burning today." Many western slope residents blamed Owens for driving away tourists with the press's truncated version of the quote ("All of Colorado is burning.") The '''Hayman Fire''' was named for a mining ghost town near Tappan Gulch.
Impact
The fire resulted directly in the death of one civilian, $39.1 million in suppression costs, total private property losses valued at $40.4 million, and indirectly led to the death of five firefighters. Overall, 600 structures were burned in the fire including 133 homes, 1 commercial building and 466 outbuildings. While the fire burned, record amounts of particulate matter were measured in the air.
As a result of the fire, flooding in the burn area increased. Consequently, many roads and bridges in the area were washed out. This included State Highway 67, the main highway that runs through the area. Other indirect destruction included sediment runoff into a reservoir that is used as a water source for Denver. The removal of this sediment cost $25 million.
Most of the burn area is inside of the Pike National Forest. The fire caused the closure of a large part of the national forest land as well as nearby Eleven Mile State Park and Spinney State Park. Tourism saw a sharp decline in the area and it is estimated that local businesses lost 50% of their seasonal revenues as a result of the fire-induced closures.
Fatalities
Ann Dow, 50, suffered a fatal asthma attack on the evening of June 10, 2002 when heavy smoke from the fire drifted over the Dows' home south of Florissant. She quickly lapsed into unconsciousness and paramedics could not revive her. Her death certificate lists the cause as "acute asthma attack due to or as a consequence of smoke inhalation."
Five firefighters died from injuries sustained from a June 21, 2002 traffic accident en route to the Hayman fire from Oregon: Zach Zigich, Retha Shirley, Jacob Martindale, Danial Rama, and Bart Bailey. They are listed in the memorial to fallen firefighters on the Wildland Firefighter Foundation's website.
Criminal prosecutions
A forestry technician with the U.S. Forest Service, Terry Barton, set the fire in a campfire ring during a total burn ban triggered by a National Weather Service red flag warning. Barton's claim that she was attempting to burn a letter from her estranged husband was disputed by one of her teenage daughters who testified that a psychology teacher had told Ms. Barton to write her feelings in a letter and burn it. Many locals believe she set the fire on purpose so she could stay home and fight a local Colorado fire instead of being called to fight fires in other states, such as Arizona or California. This would enable her to be with her kids that summer. According to radio talk show host Glenn Sacks, investigators also speculated that Barton started the fire so she could be a hero for putting it out and saving the forest. The fire quickly spread out of the campfire ring and eventually torched over 138,000 acres (560 km2) and burned across four different counties. A federal grand jury indicted Barton on four felony counts of arson.
Barton pleaded guilty to two charges: setting fire to federal forest land and lying to investigators and was given a six-year sentence in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch refused, however, to impose the $14 million restitution asked for by prosecutors, saying he would not sentence her to a "life of poverty." Additionally, the State of Colorado sentenced Barton to 12 years in prison to run concurrently with the 6-year federal sentence. The state sentence was overturned on appeal, however, on grounds that the presiding judge had "the appearance of prejudice" because smoke from the fire had motivated him to voluntarily leave his home for one night. In March 2008, Barton was re-sentenced by a different judge to 15 years of probation and 1,000 hours community service.
Several insurance companies filed a $7 million suit against the government in the fall of 2008, claiming that Barton was negligent in her duties. In November, Judge Wiley Daniel ruled that the government was not responsible for Barton's actions because she was acting as an angry spouse and not as a government worker.
In August 2018, Barton's sentence was extended another 15 years in the form of unsupervised probation (the unsupervised probation was ordered to save legal fees that would then be redirected towards restitution). Judge William Brian ordered that Barton continue to make payments toward the $14.5 million in restitution she owed as of the 2018 re-sentencing. The judge also ordered that Barton get a full-time job.
Lola: Whoa! That's awful!
Lana: I didn't know you were evacuated because of that fire.
Laney: And it burned 138,114 acres? That's a lot of land.
Lisa: That's the equivalent of 558.927528 square kilometers in size.
Qin: Wow! That's a huge amount of acreage.
Lincoln: How are wildfires usually started?
Me: Well there are two main causes. 60% of all fires are sparked by lightning. Lightning is pure electricity that burns at 50,000Ëš Fahrenheit and it can ignite trees. But 40% of all fires are started by man either on purpose or accident. It can be a number of causes because of us: Someone carelessly tossing a cigarette out the window, down sparking power lines, sparks from a train, matches, fireworks, anything that's combustable.
Lana: Wow! That's dangerous.
Lucy Loud: Fire is a very dangerous and destructive force.
Me: That's right Lucy. Remember when I thawed Lori out when I showed you all my Fire Powers?
Lori: That was literally amazing.
Lynn: I remember that. That was awesome!
Me: It was. But fire is a very destructive and dangerous force. Fire destroys and burns everything it touches.
Laney: Yeah. It's dangerous.
Lincoln: I know.
Lola: What was the largest wildfire ever?
Me: That is an easy one. That was the Great Fire of 1910. It burned over 3,000,000 acres.
Everyone: WOW!
Lisa: That's 12,100 square kilometers.
Me: That's right.
I pulled up its information.
The Great Fire of 1910 (also commonly referred to as the Big Blowup, the Big Burn, or the Devil's Broom fire) was a wildfire in the western United States that burned three million acres (4,700 sq mi; 12,100 km2) in North Idaho and Western Montana, with extensions into Eastern Washington and Southeast British Columbia, in the summer of 1910. The area burned included large parts of the Bitterroot, Cabinet, Clearwater, Coeur d'Alene, Flathead, Kaniksu, Kootenai, Lewis and Clark, Lolo, and St. Joe National Forests.
The fire burned over two days on the weekend of August 20–21, after strong winds caused numerous smaller fires to combine into a firestorm of unprecedented size. It killed 87 people, mostly firefighters, destroyed numerous manmade structures, including several entire towns, and more than three million acres of forest with an estimated billion dollars worth of timber was lost. It is believed to be the largest, although not the deadliest, forest fire in U.S. history. The extensive burned area was approximately the size of the state of Connecticut.
In the aftermath of the fire, the U.S. Forest Service received considerable recognition for its firefighting efforts, including a doubling of its budget from Congress. The outcome was to highlight firefighters as public heroes while raising public awareness of national nature conservation. The fire is often considered a significant impetus in the development of early wildfire prevention and suppression strategies.
A great number of problems contributed to the destruction caused by the Great Fire of 1910. The wildfire season started early that year because the winter of 1909-1910 and the spring and summer of 1910 were extremely dry, and the summer sufficiently hot to have been described as "like no others." The drought resulted in forests that were teeming with dry fuel, which had previously grown up on abundant autumn and winter moisture. Hundreds of fires were ignited by hot cinders flung from locomotives, sparks, lightning, and backfiring crews. By mid-August, there were 1,000 to 3,000 fires burning in Idaho, Montana, and Washington.
The Big Blowup
August 20 (Saturday) brought hurricane-force winds to the interior Northwest, whipping the hundreds of small fires into one or two much larger blazing infernos. Such a conflagration was impossible to fight; there were too few men and supplies. The United States Forest Service (then called the National Forest Service) was only five years old at the time and unprepared for the possibilities of the dry summer or a fire of this magnitude, though all summer it had been urgently recruiting as many men as possible to fight the hundreds of fires already burning, many with little forestry or firefighting experience. Earlier in August President William Howard Taft had authorized the addition of military troops to the effort, and 4,000 troops, including seven companies from the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Regiment (known as the Buffalo Soldiers), were brought in to help fight the fires burning in the northern Rockies. The arrival of the Buffalo Soldiers troops almost doubled the black population of Idaho.
Smoke from the fire was said to have been seen as far east as Watertown, New York, and as far south as Denver, Colorado. It was reported that at night, five hundred miles (800 km) out into the Pacific Ocean, ships could not navigate by the stars because the sky was cloudy with smoke.
The extreme scorching heat of the sudden blowup can be attributed to the expansive Western white pine forests that covered much of northern Idaho at the time. Hydrocarbons in the trees' resinous sap boiled out and created a cloud of highly flammable gas that blanketed hundreds of square miles, which then spontaneously detonated dozens of times, each time sending tongues of flame thousands of feet into the sky and creating a rolling wave of fire that destroyed anything and everything in its path.
Firefighters
At least 78 firefighters were killed while trying to control the fire, not including those firefighters who died after the fire of smoke damage to their lungs. The entire 28-man "Lost Crew" was overcome by flames and perished on Setzer Creek outside of Avery, Idaho.
Perhaps the most famous story of survival is that of Ed Pulaski, a U.S. Forest Service ranger who led a large crew of about 44 men to safety in an abandoned prospect mine outside of Wallace, Idaho, just as they were about to be overtaken by the fire. It is said that Pulaski fought off the flames at the mouth of the shaft until he passed out like the others. Around midnight, a man announced that he, at least, was getting out of there. Knowing that they would have no chance of survival if they ran, Pulaski drew his pistol, threatening to shoot the first person who tried to leave. In the end, all but five of the forty or so men survived. Pulaski has since been widely celebrated as a hero for his efforts; the mine tunnel in which he and his crew sheltered from the fire, now known as the Pulaski Tunnel, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Aftermath
The fire was finally extinguished when another cold front swept in, bringing steady rain and some early snowfall. Several towns were completely destroyed by the fire:
Idaho:
Falcon
Grand Forks
Montana:
De Borgia
Haugan
Henderson
Taft
Tuscor
In Idaho, one-third of the town of Wallace was burned to the ground, with an estimated $1 million in damage (equivalent to $26,900,000 in 2018). Passenger trains evacuated thousands of Wallace residents to Spokane and Missoula. Another train with 1,000 people from Avery took refuge in a tunnel after racing across a burning trestle. Other towns with severe damage included Burke, Kellogg, Murray, and Osburn, all in Idaho. The towns of Avery, Saltese (MT), as well as a major part of Wallace, were saved by backfires.
Legacy
The Great Fire of 1910 cemented and shaped the U.S. Forest Service, which at the time was a newly established department on the verge of cancellation, facing opposition from mining and forestry interests. Before the epic conflagration, there were many debates about the best way to handle forest fires—whether to let them burn because they were a part of nature and were expensive to fight, or to fight them in order to protect the forests.
One of the people who fought the fire, Ferdinand Silcox, went on to become the fifth chief of the fire service. Influenced by the devastation of the Big Blowup, Silcox promoted the "10 a.m." policy, with the goal of suppressing all fires by 10 a.m. of the day following their report. It was decided that the Forest Service was to prevent and battle every wildfire. More recently, this absolutist attitude to wildfires has been criticized for altering the natural disturbance mechanisms that drive forest ecosystem structure, which paradoxically increases the destructive potential of forest fires.
Lori: Wow. That is literally awful.
Nico: It was.
Me: Yeah. It happened 110 years ago almost. Sora, you know Bambi right?
Sora: I sure do. Bambi was one of my first summons when my adventure began.
Donald: I remember that.
Goofy: Yeah. He sure is an amazing deer.
Kairi: He's really cute too.
Riku: I thought so too.
Syd: Deer are such amazing creatures. I can't believe we hunt them for food like that!
Lana: Me neither Syd. They need to be protected under us.
Me: I think so too. Lets head to the simulator and save Bambi's mother and meet Bambi in his world.
Ratchet: That's a great idea.
Sora: I wonder how he's doing?
Me: We'll find out. Lets head to the simulator.
We went to the simulator.
We were getting ready.
Ash: (to his Noctowl) Noctowl, when we get to Bambi's world, do you want to fly around?
Noctowl agreed.
Shanan: Looks like he is ready.
Ratchet: When we get to Bambi's mom, I'll heal her wounds before she succumbs to them.
Me: Right.
Shanan: Okay. Me, Laney, Lana, Maria, Nico, Syd, Jack Landors, Eion, Eddy, Luan, Lensay, Teresa, Ash, Riley, Sora and Kairi are gonna go into the Simulator and Ratchet and Reflector are gonna be in their compact state. We invented an awesome shrink device that can turn them into compact size.
Ratchet: It's true.
Reflector: This is gonna be interesting.
Me: Good luck guys.
Shanan: Thanks dad. Not that we'll need it but thank you.
Laney: This is gonna be interesting.
Lana: I can't wait to meet Bambi.
Syd: Me too.
Shanan: Lets go.
They went into the Simulator and it activated and they found themselves in Bambi's forest. It was a beautiful forest and it was loaded with all kinds of trees and plants and all kinds of animals. But it was cold and covered with snow.
Shanan: Wow. So this is Bambi's forest.
Lana: It sure is cold.
Laney: Luckily I brought our winter clothes.
Laney unpacked them and they put them on.
Nico: Good thinking Laney.
Syd: Thanks Lanes.
Ratchet and Reflector went into compact size and they were the size of Hot Wheels cars.
Lana: It's so beautiful here during the winter.
Laney: It sure is. Did it say where Bambi's forest takes place?
Shanan: It says that it's over in Maine near Mount Katahdin in the Appalachian Mountains.
Lana: Wow. Over on the eastern side of the country.
Shanan: Exactly.
Teresa: That's 1,000 miles from Michigan.
Nico: It sure is.
Syd: I was here on Vacation to enjoy the scenery. But I was too little to remember.
Eion: It's beautiful though.
Sora: So Bambi's world is on Earth.
Kairi: Looks like it.
Nico: Not only that but I remember that this forest is also perfect for hunting during hunting seasons.
Laney: I remember that.
Shanan: Yeah. It's not right. Animals have feelings too and they deserve to live whether they like it or not.
Laney: I agree Shanan.
Luan: Same here.
Shanan: Lets find Bambi's mother.
They walked on and the ground was covered in snow and it was beautiful.
Lana: The winter is beautiful here though.
Shanan: You all should see what Maine looks like during the Fall turn. The leaves turn many different beautiful colors. It's just as beautiful as Connecticut.
Eion: I know. I heard about that.
Then they heard gunshots.
BANG!
Shanan: Gunshots!
Laney: The Hunter's are here!
Lana: Look!
They saw Bambi's mom and Bambi run fast.
Then they saw Bambi's mom get shot!
BANG!
Shanan: Oh no!
Ratchet: I'm on it!
Ratchet came out and healed Bambi's mom.
The Hunters ran away and Ratchet went back into Shanan's vest.
Riley: (to Bambi's mom) Don't worry. You're safe now.
Bambi's mom: What happened?
Sora: Are you all right? I'm a friend of your son Bambi. I'm Sora.
Bambi's mom: So you are Sora. Bambi has told me so much about you.
Sora: I'm sure he did.
Bambi's mom saw them.
Shanan: We are friends of Sora.
They introduced themselves.
Bambi's mom: It's a pleasure to meet you all. Thank you all so much for saving me.
Shanan: You're welcome.
Laney: I'm glad we arrived and scared off the hunters.
Lana: Those guys are monsters.
Luan: They sure are.
Bambi's mom: My name is Vina. Where's Bambi?
Shanan: Pleasure to meet you Vina.
Nico: He went back to the Thicket.
Eion: I think the Great Prince found him.
Vina: I'm glad he's in good hands.
Ash: We are too.
Shanan: We'll keep our eyes peeled for more hunters just in case.
Vina: Thank you.
They continued to explore the forest.
Spring later came and it was time for the mating season. Hundreds of birds were doing mating calls and it was a glorious time.
Shanan: (Inhales) Ahh. Spring is in the air and it's mating season.
Kairi: It's so beautiful.
Jack Landors: It sure is.
Syd: The beauty of Spring is amazing!
Nico: It's so beautiful.
They heard the beautiful songs of the birds and they were pretty.
Nico: Maine sure has a lot of beautiful birds.
Laney: It sure does.
Lana: We may have to come here for vacation someday.
Syd: You guys will love it.
Later they saw Bambi and he was all grown up.
Sora: Bambi!
Bambi: It's good to see you again, Sora!
Sora: Same here, Bambi. Look at you. You're all grown up!
Bambi: It feels like forever ago. You have changed a lot yourself.
Sora: I know.
Vina: Bambi.
Bambi was reunited with his mother and he was overjoyed to see her again.
Maria: I'm glad they're reunited.
Shanan: Me too.
Ash: It's a great reunion.
Laney: It sure is.
Bambi: My father taught me so much over the years and he is a brave deer.
Later they follow Bambi and met Faline and she was grown up too and she was beautiful. Then Bambi became Twitter pated because of it and he was now on Cloud 9. But just as he was about to follow her, out of a bush came his old childhood rival, RONNO!
In Bambi II, Ronno is given much more personality and unlike in the previous film, here he has dialogue. When Bambi and his friends were watching the Groundhog, Ronno scares him back into his hole with a "BOO!" and laughs while the other animals leave in disappointment, but he stops them and tells them that he saw a man, and butted him with his antlers. This is clearly a tall tale he pulls just to garner respect. Faline, who knows that it is impossible for a fawn to defeat a man, politely and without offending, says it was unbelievable, though with noticeable sarcasm in her voice. Bambi, who really believes that Ronno had done such a feat (as a testament to his innocent naivety), thinks it is unbelievable too, though he says it in awe. Ronno, who thinks that Bambi doesn't believe him and is hinting at him being a liar, challenges Bambi to a fight. Thumper tells Bambi to clobber him. Ronno continues to goad Bambi by insulting his name, "Bambi? Isn't that a girl's name?" and laughing, insisting that Bambi spar with him while backing the smaller fawn up against a tree. Just before the two fawns get in a fight, Ronno's mother calls him and he reluctantly returns to her before he could fight with Bambi, though he scolds "MA! How many times do I have to tell ya, don't bother me when I'm trying to make new friends!" to which his mom replies "Sorry, dear!"
Later in the film, Ronno, who has become infatuated by her beauty (or the fact that she is the only doe beside the mothers that we see), tells Faline about himself, but Faline still believes Ronno isn't what he claims to be and shows clear displeasure in his company. She hears Bambi screaming and rushes to check on him. Ronno, upset about Bambi garnering Faline's attention away from him, shows up to insult Bambi and says that he witnessed Bambi freeze with fear out on a meadow when Man's dogs arrived, right in front of his father The Great Prince. Ronno tells Bambi not to feel bad as if there weren't cowards, you wouldn't tell who the brave ones were. Bambi replies that he's not a coward and "roars" at Ronno. When Ronno tries to get Faline to leave with him, Bambi comes to her defense to which Ronno starts to tease Bambi again this time about being with Thumper and Flower. Thumper pushes Bambi forward, trying to encourage him to stand up to Ronno, only for Bambi to accidentally knock Ronno down into the mud. Angry, Ronno starts to chase Bambi and Thumper and while chasing them, Bambi jumps over a chasm and then Bambi runs into his father while Ronno backs away into the bushes. Bambi's father is impressed by the jump and father and son start making their way back home. Ronno tries to jump over but falls into a mud pit.
He shows up again during the "First Sign of Spring" musical number, running with the other bucks, taunting Bambi with a raised tail and a haughty stance before taking off to join the bucks. When the Great Prince runs past him, he gives an awed "Woah!", his expression to change to anger and jealousy as Bambi runs past him. He speeds up, trying to overtake Bambi and keep up with the Great Prince, only for Bambi to easily overtake him and run alongside his father, both outdistancing Ronno and leaving him well behind with the rest of the bucks.
Later on, he shows up and taunts Bambi while Mena is taking Bambi to his new home, saying that he wanted to say goodbye, thought they were pals, and really felt sorry for Bambi having a father that was so ashamed of him, he'd give him away. This makes Bambi angry enough to attack, and in the fight, they mistakenly push Mena into a snare. She tells them to get out of there immediately in a panic, the bell on the trap immediately alerting hunters to their location and the barking of dogs clear in the distance. Ronno, revealing his cowardice, runs off crying for "Mommy" but Bambi stands where he is, frozen in fear.
Ronno shows up after Faline and Bambi kiss and swears revenge for stealing Faline, vowing to return but he trips on a turtle, which snaps his nose, with him screaming "GET IT OFF!" repeatedly and jumping around in a panic, which incites Flower to say "See? I told you turtles were scary."
In the original movie, Ronno first appears at Bambi's daydream with Faline. He appears from a bush where Faline disappeared into, Bambi still in his daydream nearly runs into him when his daydream ends off suddenly when Ronno appears. Though he has no lines in the film, his intentions are clear. He immediately began threatening Faline away from Bambi until Bambi charges at him. The two begin combat, Ronno overtaking Bambi at first. At the end of the fight, Ronno is thrown over a cliff and falls into the water below and leaves. It is unknown if he survived the wildfire, as the only scene he appears in was the fight scene.
Bambi: Ronno!
Nico: I remember him. He was bad news.
Syd: He sure is.
Ronno: Hello Bambi. How nice to see you again and trying to steal my mate!? You are a monster Bambi!
Bambi: I wasn't trying to steal your mate! Faline chose me over you!
Shanan: You have a lot of nerve Ronno. You are just as bad back then as you are now.
Maria: (to Ronno) I thought you were a jerk when you were a kid. But now that you're an adult, you've really reached a new low!
Nico: Ronno, you have failed this forest!
Shanan: And he has failed as a deer.
Ronno: I'll show you!
Ronno then charged and Lana did as well and she hit him head on like a bighorn sheep and it caused him to fall off a cliff and into the river.
Bambi: Nice job Lana.
Syd: Lana that was so cool! You charged him like a bighorn sheep!
Lana: Aw it was nothing.
Maria: That was really clever.
Lana: Thanks guys. I always think I'm one with the animals.
Later they were over in the meadow and Bambi and Faline got to frolicking around. The song Looking For Romance played in the background.
I bring you a song
And I sing as I go
For I want you to know
That I'm looking for romance
I bring you a song
In the hope that you'll see
When you're looking at me
That I'm looking for love
I'm seeking that glow
Only found when you're young and it's May
Only found on that wonderful day
When all longing is through
I'm seeking that glow
Only found when a thrill is complete
Only found when two hearts gently beat
To the strains of a waltz that's both tender and new
I bring you a song
For I'm seeking romance
You're by my side
There's a moon up above
It shines with a light that's so mellow and bright
It's easy to see that tonight we shall fall in love
I bring you a song
For I'm seeking romance
And you
Later they smelled smoke.
Shanan: Uh oh. (Sniffs) Smoke. From a campfire no doubt.
Syd: I smell it too.
Lana: The hunters are back.
Bambi: Where is he?
Shanan: Lets find out.
They all went to a nearby cliff and they saw smoke coming from a campground.
Shanan: A campground. There's a lot of hunters here.
Stag: It is Man. (Crows caw) He is here again.
Nico: We know.
Stag: There are many this time. We must go deep into the forest. Hurry. Follow me.
Shanan: No. We're gonna fight.
Lana: We won't let those hunters hurt you all anymore.
Laney: That's right.
Shanan: Great Prince, you get all the deer and hide. We'll handle all this. Lets get them!
They went to face the hunters. They saw them sneaking around in the forest.
Shanan kicked a hunter in the face.
Jack Landors (to the hunter): Hey, asshole! Didn't you hear?
Eddy: Laser guns are the rage these days! (he and Jack fire their blasters)
They fired lasers at the hunters and they dropped their 12 Gauge Shotguns.
Lana froze them in ice.
Laney: As animal rights activists, the deer of Maine have a right to live and be free!
Shanan: Lets get them with combos!
Ratchet: You got it Shanan! CYBER KEY POWER!
The Autobot Cyber Planet Key went into Ratchet's back and it enhanced his laser scalpels 100-fold.
Ash: Time for action Noctowl! ANIMATRON CYBER KEY POWER!
The Animatron Cyber Planet Key went into Ash's right arm device and it enhanced his Noctowl's abilities 100-fold.
Ash: Noctowl, use Zen Headbutt!
Ratchet and Ash's Noctowl: LASER HEADBUTT RAM!
Ratchet threw his laser scalpels and Noctowl's head glowed green and he rammed the hunters and they were cut.
Reflector: Lets do it! CYBER KEY POWER!
The Autobot Cyber Planet Key went into his back and it enhanced his blinding camera flash power 100-fold.
Teresa: Right behind ya. EARTH CYBER KEY POWER!
The Earth Cyber Planet Key went into Teresa's right arm device and it enhanced her Sonic Powers 100-fold.
Reflector and Teresa: VERTIGO SONIC FLASH!
Reflector released a powerful blinding flash and the hunters were tired and disoriented and the sonic blast hurt their ears.
Shanan: Final Smash time!
Riley: You got it! BRAMBLE WHIPSTORM SURPRISE!
Riley formed a bunch of bramble vines and they lashed the hunters all over the place.
Bambi: This is for my mother and for the animals of the forest! DEER STAMPEDE RAM!
Bambi charged with the power of 1,000 deer and slammed into the hunters and knocked them out.
Lana tied them up and Laney put out their campfire.
Laney: Whew. That was a close one. Good thing I put out their fire or the whole forest would've burned.
Eddy: Good idea.
We sent the hunters to prison for illegal hunting.
During the fight, Nico caught a Deciduoeye and Niovern.
Riley: (To the viewers) All animals have a right to be protected no matter what.
Laney: That's right. (To the Viewers) And only you can prevent wildfires.
Later, Bambi and Faline now have two baby deer. A Boy named Geno and a girl named Gurri. They were so adorable. We put Bambi's forest under our protection in a special nature preserve under our name. Earlier today I caught the Move Card. 移 The Move's true form has been seen only on its Card form. It seems to be a small triangular basket or pendulum with a red gem at its front, and two long 'Clow Wings'. Move resembles a pair of 'Clow Wings', which appear on whatever object it inhabits just before it moves it. It was moving a book around very fast all over the city. We only had 2 days left until the Great Anti-Fairy Holocaust and the war was right around the corner. 2 more Clow Cards were left. The Change Card and the Earthy Card. Yue's test was approaching fast.
THE END
Another Fanfiction complete and another Disney Movie covered.
September 11th was a dark day for all of us here in the U.S.A. and I was in Middle School when it all happened. It was terrifying. Nico's dad being in the World Trade Center when it was destroyed is all true. Luckily he wasn't hurt. Also I was really evacuated during the Hayman Fire in 2002 and it was awful. It's true. I watched Bambi all the time ever since I was a little kid and it was so cute! NicoChan11 gave me the ideas for this one. Thanks man. The next card is the Change Card. Let me know what you all think.
See you all next time.