As the clouds lift and the sun comes out, hundreds of firefighters are in the Mother Lode to say goodbye to a fallen comrade today.
Firefighter Eva Schicke was killed one week ago Sunday, as a fire overran the spot where she and her fellow firefighters had been dropped from a helicopter.
This morning, as the sun comes up over Sonora, dozens of CDF fire trucks and fire fighters are in town, to honor the memory of the first female CDF firefighter to die in the line of duty.
While travel times are expected to vary slightly, mourners can hope to spot the procession leaving Sonora from 10 until 10:20am
They´ll pass through Columbia from 10:30 to 10:45, Murphys from 11:30 to 11:45, and are expected to hit Angels Camp starting around noon.
For those attending the funeral, there will also be a viewing area at Calaveras County Fairgrounds to watch the procession as it enters the grounds.
All drivers are asked to use extreme caution and drive with care while the memorial and procession are in progress.
In addition, patience will help, because Highway 49 from the north end of Angels Camp to the south gate of the Calaveras County fairgrounds will be closed from 11:45am until 1pm.
Funeral attendees are advised to arrive at the fairground no later than 11:45am to avoid running into the closure of Highway 49.
Additionally, a Memorial Fund has been established at Merchants National Bank. Checks should be made payable to the CDF Firefighters Eva Schicke Memorial Fund.
The bank´s address is Merchants National Bank, PO Box 747, Sacramento CA, 95812.
This post was last modified on 01/31/2009 4:42 pm