From Judith's Facebook post:
This photo is of John Bermel in the shop at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. He went to the work periods at Tassajara starting in the 1980's, helped during the summer at Tassajara if they were stretched, and went to the work periods at Green Gulch Farm. He died in the Klamathon Fire.
Klamathon Fire Wikipedia page - As David Silva pointed out, John was the only fatality of that fire, listed as John Karl Bermel dying of fire related causes.
I posted this comment: Thanks for sharing this Judith. John was a very close friend, He used to come work on our home with Dennis Samson and me in Sebastopol and latter at John Tarrants when I was in the barn there. Katrinka and I are sad to hear the news.
Renshin Bunse wrote: Oh wow. I remember him. He told me the fig tree down by the suburbs came from a slip off a tree in his family's yard. Nice nice guy. He was one of the ones who'd sleep in the parking lot the night before work period started.