5:19pm—the view from our street. This was taken three and a half hours after four separate fires simultaneously started (or were started—arson is rumored to be the cause). Two were quickly extinguished, the other two combined to form this wildfire, burning hundreds of acres in just a few hours. Note the flames on top of the hill in the zoomed image below.
The larger of two planes on continuous loops dropping water and fire retardant. Helicopters and as many ground forces as we can muster are aiding the fight. We're very rural, so all of our fire departments are volunteer forces.
(Zoomed to show the bird. Looks like a swallow to me.)
6:56pm—the smaller plane making a pass. Flames no longer visible at the top of the hill.
Ahem. . . waiting for the planes to return. They didn't make it back before I needed to be home to tuck in a pair of kiddos.
7:57pm—the larger plane making a drop. I had to run to catch it before it disappeared behind the trees. Flames not visible, but the fire is still spreading. Residents of Snowden (the town north of us) have begun evacuating.
The fire is not expected to head our way, but this is the closest one yet in almost seven years living here. One more reason I despise summer. Some surprise rain would be very helpful tonight.
