I first heard about the fire when the secretary told me Highway 90 was closed due to a fire. That is my route home. My other choice (which is 2 hours out of my way) was also closed due to high wind and blowing dust. Now, blowing dust and closed Interstates are pretty common place around her in the spring and early summer. It happens quite regularly.
BUT, 90 is never closed unless it's due to being snowpacked and icy. Not fires.
I quickly checked my voicemail and there was a message from Aaron saying he was going to a fire and I needed to pick up the girls at daycare. Ummmm....okay.
Now we have a problem.
Later on the phone I told Aaron to use his influence to get his wife past the closed road barriers. No such luck. Hmph.
I finally found someone to go pick up my kids and I also made it home since Highway had been reopened.
Ahhh...all is well. At my house. Elsewhere in town...not so good.
The news is showing houses that are engulfed in flames and has reported anywhere from 5-15 houses on fire. The entire area off Ridge Road has been evacuated...many of our friends live out there and are very worried about their houses and property.
Aaron has called me a couple times giving me updates from his end of things. Being wildland and not structural he is working on the opposite side of the ridge from Silver Acres, so he doesn't know what's going on with any structures. He's got a dozer and a crew working on line in that area between Ridge Road and Highway 90.
Like any good firewife and any responsible looky-loo, I stopped and took a few pictures on the way home. Unfortunately, I couldn't zoom very close since I was using my itouch. Aaron also sent me a pic on his phone a little while ago.
White smoke = good.
Black smoke = bad.
Regular fuels such as grass, brush, and trees produce white smoke. Structures produce black smoke due to all the chemicals in the the structures.
No, I didn't hang out my window as I was driving down the road to take this picture...I pulled over.
What a day.
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