Fire rips through historic area in O.C. forest

The Holy Fire in the Cleveland National Forest has burned more than 4,000 acres since Monday afternoon. It’s called the Holy Fire because it started near Holy Jim Canyon. The canyon has a long and colorful history, which started in the 1880s when a foul-mouthed beekeeper named Jim Smith moved there.


"Holy Jim" Smith. Courtesy of the Jim Sleeper Collection.