today, ben told me there was a fire just south of town. i walked outside to smoke in the air
and i texted ben, "it smells like the world is on fire"
he texted back, "it kind of is"
"how many acres are burning?" i asked
"200, 500, 80, and 20 going on now"
i got in the truck, and headed toward the fire closest to town
the thermometer for the outside temp on the truck read 104 F
and this is what i found, 12 miles south of town
i was quite a ways from the fire - but close enough to sometimes see flames, to smell the smoke, to see the helicopters dipping from the river and dropping water on the fire, to see the LAT drop retardant, to see the SEATs making passes, to see engines and buggies headed in.
this fire was caught at 2500 acres today, even with pretty high winds and the very hot, dry air.
and i will continue to be amazed by fire and the people who fight it . . . i wish you could have been standing on the pavement by me when the helicopter flew right over my head to land and refuel, standing on the pavement in the hot, dry wind, smelling the smoke, watching as probably a hundred people worked to catch this fire. it is an amazing thing to be close to.