THE LIVING RAINBOW
Mt. Lemmon, Arizona
This is the Store before the Aspen Fire.
Shortly after 1:00 PM on the 19th of June, 03, the Aspen fire came roaring out of Marshall Canyon, over the ridge into Carter Canyon and then swept through the village of Summerhaven. 360 structures, including the Living Rainbow store were totally destroyed by the Aspen Fire. This photo was taken at approximately 1:30 PM, from the safety zone near Spenser Canyon 3 miles from the village, just as the fire was sweeping into the village.
This is the first photo of the Living Rainbow Store, taken around 6:00 PM that same afternoon. Nothing was left except the block foundation walls. Notice the glowing coals at the base of the foundation.
Surprisingly, not everything was totally destroyed. The ceramic beads used to make the wind chimes and bell strands survived, huddling together in a massive pile under the ash of the building.
