Thoughts

Stop, Drop and Roll

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Yesterday, Labor Day here in the U.S., we had stopped in at the McDonald’s in our town to get some recipes so we could go grocery shopping for the week. When we left to drive across the street to the store we noticed a fire to our north west that had just started within thirty minutes. By the time we left the store thirty minutes later it was flaring up even more.

We didn’t think anything of it, not that it would get bad or even come closer to our house which would be several miles away by now. We went home and I took a nap and while we were having dinner Chris noticed it was getting further south. In fact at about 7pm when I left to go get a RedBox at the McDonald’s and attempt to come up here and blog the fire was due west of us. These are the photos from our backyard at that time.

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It continued to get worse but we didn’t think anything of it because the wind was blowing the fire and smoke the other way.

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Chris’ mom was calling very frequently and for some reason my phone doesn’t want to ring with incoming calls so I had no idea my parents had called twice. That paired with a decrease in cell service due to the massive volume of emergency services going around we didn’t get as many calls as we thought.

As we went to bed it was getting cooler out and the wind died down and by 10pm there was a reddish glow in the distance but thirty minutes later it was gone. This morning it seemed to be under control and for most of the day at work, only four miles from my house, I barely heard any sirens. Then after lunch the wind picked up and the sirens returned. We were allowed to leave early because the wind switched to blow to the south and east and to alleviate breathing difficulties the workers could go home. It didn’t matter to me, I was planning to stay because what was home versus work only four miles away? Then Chris called and said that I should probably come home because ashes were falling around the house and the smoke was coming closer but you really couldn’t tell if the fire was closer or if it was just the smoke. We don’t have internet or tv so we’re getting information via phone or our neighbor.

So I went home early. We gathered stuff up at the door and now it has died down yet again. So. We wait. Hopefully that will be it and things will get under control.

News on the fires in our area.

Keep us in your thoughts!

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