Artist presents print of 2007 Rice Fire portrait

PALA – On Wednesday, May 25, artist Richard Stergulz presented Pala Tribal Chairman Robert Smith and Pala Rez Radio 91.3 station manager John Fox with a print of his 2007 portrait of the fire chief of De Luz Volunteer Fire Department, Michael Manchor, entitled “In the Line of Fire.”

The painting is significant in many ways. When created by Stergulz, it brought community together and paid much due tribute to firefighters who put themselves in harm’s way to protect lives and property in the devastating Rice Canyon Fire of 2007 in which over 400 homes were lost, including that of Fox's mother, Evelyn.

The license for KOPA FM, known as Pala Rez Radio 91.3 was sought by the Pala Band of Mission Indians in large part to provide the kind of emergency information to the Pala community that was lacking that October day in 2007.

In addition to the other significant connections, Chairman Smith is a former firefighter. So, the displaying of “In the Line of Fire” in the studios of Pala Rez Radio brings many emotions about the events of October 2007 full circle.