Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
A High Sierra Creek Fire Rescue Fit for an Opera
gvw_david_taub
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 4 years ago on
September 8, 2020

Share

Harlan Hays wanted to unwind and disconnect from society for the weekend.

“I looked forward to not having cell phone service,” Hays said.

The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t been kind to his job as a singer with the San Francisco Opera.


Listen to this article:


With friend and fellow opera singer Reid Delahunt, the pair planned a five-day hike on the John Muir Trail.

The men met six years ago at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and have been “best buds ever since.”

The Creek Fire forced a change of plans and an emergency evacuation. The pair returned to Fresno on Tuesday morning in a Chinook helicopter.

Watch: Stranded Hikers Become Family Before Rescue

Seeing Smoke

Hays and Delahunt were two of hundreds airlifted Tuesday by the California Army National Guard. Several families and friends of those rescued gathered at the base in east-central Fresno near the airport to reunite with loved ones.

Rescue choppers pulled out 164 people from the Sierra National Forest through the morning and were working to rescue 17 others, Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a briefing on Tuesday. The governor described pilots wearing night-vision goggles to find a place to land in the darkness of the early morning hours for the initial evacuation.

“We noticed the big cloud of smoke out to the west. We figured, oh, that’s probably pretty close to where our car is, we should probably hike out. So we did. On the way, we met many people saying it’s time to evacuate. This whole area is going to be evacuated. You have precious little time to make it to the boat to get out,” Hays recalled.

Hays and Delahunt were directed to shelter at the Vermilion Valley Resort on the western shore of Lake Edison.

Thank you, Vermilion Valley Resort for everything you’ve done for us,” Delahunt said.

From there, Hays made the most of the experience.

“We made a whole bunch of friends. It was a wonderful bonding experience,” Hays said. “Being deprived of any type of community for the past seven months because of COVID-19 — finally being able to be around people again and make friends — it was wonderful.”

Hays put to use his new ukulele skills, taught to him by his fiance. He also regaled the trapped campers with his opera singing.

Hays said he wasn’t scared but on edge.

“We’re all working together. We all knew that the worst could happen and hoping it didn’t, and it didn’t. We were able to get here from the help of our wonderful fire department, and our fire department and Fresno sheriff’s department,” Hays said.

Reunited with Fiance

Hays’s fiance, Emily Shumway, drove from San Francisco to reunite with her loved one and his friend.

I did not sleep much for the last few days,” she said. She said friends and family helped keep her calm.

While sheltering at the resort, Hays was finally able to contact Emily.

“That was the hardest part, not being able to call,” Hays said.

A Helicopter to the Rescue

Seeing the Chinook land provided great relief for Hays and Delahunt.

“It’s a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to be in a helicopter, flying into the Sierras in an emergency evacuation. Like, that’s so epic. I can tell the story forever now,” Hays said.

Because the smoke obscured the sky, the hikers experienced cold conditions. Even the exhaust from the helicopter provided a relief.

“It just felt amazing. Exhaust kind of smelled nice after all the forest fires,” Hays joked.

Photo of interior of a California National Guard helicopter jammed with people rescued from the Creek Fire at Mammoth Pool on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020
California National Guard shows dozens of evacuees being evacuated to safety on a Cal Guard Chinook Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, after the Creek Fire left them stranded at Mammoth Pool. (California National Guard via AP)

Battling Poor Air

The smoke diminished the air quality.

“It was getting harder to breathe. There was some ash falling from the sky and they made it a little hard to be in the moment,” Delahunt said.

Hays said the air was so dry and smoky it gave him bloody noses.

“The Sierras are no joke. You got to be on your toes,” Hays added. “It’s a dangerous place. That’s why I go.”

DON'T MISS

Fuzzy Little Adeline Will Purr You to Sleep

DON'T MISS

Boeing’s Financial Woes Continue, While Families of Crash Victims Urge US to Prosecute

DON'T MISS

Police Tangle With Students in Texas and California as Wave of Campus Protest Against Gaza War Grows

DON'T MISS

Meet the Valley Republican Predicting a November Win Over Esmeralda Soria

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: Construction Workers on 2018 Fresno Unified Project Still Not Paid

DON'T MISS

Slumping California Risks Losing World’s ‘5th Largest Economy’ Title

DON'T MISS

Ukraine Uses Long-Range Missiles Secretly Provided by US to Hit Russian-Held Areas, Officials Say

DON'T MISS

Upward Bound: Edison High’s Garcia Headed to Johns Hopkins

DON'T MISS

Boxing Star Ryan Garcia Wants to Meet Netanyahu, Pledges Aid for Gaza Children

DON'T MISS

Fong Won’t Debate Boudreaux, but We Get Hot Topic Answers Anyway

UP NEXT

Meet the Valley Republican Predicting a November Win Over Esmeralda Soria

UP NEXT

Wired Wednesday: Construction Workers on 2018 Fresno Unified Project Still Not Paid

UP NEXT

Slumping California Risks Losing World’s ‘5th Largest Economy’ Title

UP NEXT

Ukraine Uses Long-Range Missiles Secretly Provided by US to Hit Russian-Held Areas, Officials Say

UP NEXT

Fong Won’t Debate Boudreaux, but We Get Hot Topic Answers Anyway

UP NEXT

Ancestry Website to Catalogue Names of Japanese Americans Incarcerated During World War II

UP NEXT

Fresno County Appoints New Librarian. What’s Her Favorite Book Genre?

UP NEXT

Costa Seeks Legislation to Prevent Reedley Lab Repeat

UP NEXT

Fresno Home Care Workers Threaten Civil Disobedience Over Low Pay

UP NEXT

Sacramento Bee Accused of Mangling the Facts About Fish Caught in Pumps

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Meet the Valley Republican Predicting a November Win Over Esmeralda Soria

13 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Construction Workers on 2018 Fresno Unified Project Still Not Paid

14 hours ago

Slumping California Risks Losing World’s ‘5th Largest Economy’ Title

14 hours ago

Ukraine Uses Long-Range Missiles Secretly Provided by US to Hit Russian-Held Areas, Officials Say

16 hours ago

Upward Bound: Edison High’s Garcia Headed to Johns Hopkins

Local Education /

17 hours ago

Boxing Star Ryan Garcia Wants to Meet Netanyahu, Pledges Aid for Gaza Children

18 hours ago

Fong Won’t Debate Boudreaux, but We Get Hot Topic Answers Anyway

18 hours ago

Legislation Pandering to Tribal Casinos Is a Bad Bet for Fresno Cardroom Employees

19 hours ago

About 1 in 4 US Adults Over 50 Say They Expect to Never Retire, an AARP Study Finds

19 hours ago

Biden Signs a $95 Billion War Aid Measure With Assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

20 hours ago

Fuzzy Little Adeline Will Purr You to Sleep

Beautiful little mama Adeline once had a home, a warm bed and food, people to love her. But her humans failed to have Adeline spayed and whe...
Animals /

51 mins ago

Animals /
51 mins ago

Fuzzy Little Adeline Will Purr You to Sleep

13 hours ago

Boeing’s Financial Woes Continue, While Families of Crash Victims Urge US to Prosecute

13 hours ago

Police Tangle With Students in Texas and California as Wave of Campus Protest Against Gaza War Grows

CA District 27 Assembly candidate Joanna Garcia Rose
13 hours ago

Meet the Valley Republican Predicting a November Win Over Esmeralda Soria

14 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Construction Workers on 2018 Fresno Unified Project Still Not Paid

14 hours ago

Slumping California Risks Losing World’s ‘5th Largest Economy’ Title

16 hours ago

Ukraine Uses Long-Range Missiles Secretly Provided by US to Hit Russian-Held Areas, Officials Say

Local Education /
17 hours ago

Upward Bound: Edison High’s Garcia Headed to Johns Hopkins

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend