Fire! - Well, OK, no evacuation this time


I was going to write about my getting back in the saddle and getting some more Holodiscus discolor cuttings going, this time in a little tent in the house, and let me tell you that horse just wouldn't stay still so it was no mean feat.

But instead I'm just going to post some photos of the fire we could see from our home when we woke up around 6 this morning.



Here's what the local paper says:

MOUNT MADONNA - Multiple strike teams are battling a 600-acre wildfire that broke out early about 3 a.m.

The area burning is the Maymen's Flat, which burned in the 2008 Summit Fire.

More than 200 firefighters are on scene, according to Colleen Baxter of Cal Fire.

There is no containment and no estimate of containment. There are 80 to 100 residences in the area between Summit Road and Highland, some have been evacuated.

The fire started in the Ormsby Cutoff area about 3 a.m.

(http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_13635655)

We called 911 and she advised us to be ready to evacuate.


Oh no, say it isn't so. To leave all this? (Below is the only hires shot in this set - please click)


The sun rose.


Where is my passport and important papers folder? Have I backed up all my data to the external hard disk? Does Mr Rat have his meds? Where can we take my dad? I have too many photographs! Better pack a toothbrush... I think we need to be more organized!


The sun lit up the banner of smoke streaming from the fire out to sea. The wind was blowing the fire away from us.

Above is a nearly 100X zoom (digital) with my Olympus superzoom on a tripod. We are far away. But it didn't look so threatening. We won't be evacuating this time.


Above with no zoom.


Above with some zoom.


Above with 100X zoom.

A strange experience, in which the author moves from panic and emptiness through anguish to resolution, thence rapidly to relief and nonchalance. Going shopping now.

Comments

Nell Jean said…
Scary, scary. Last summer there were fires over in Southeast Georgia, 200 miles away, but we got smoke all the way over here when the wind blew from that direction.
Randy Emmitt said…
Glad your pack of mice and rats are Ok. Could not imagine waking up to that. Glad the Piedmont of NC stays so green.
Christine said…
My goodness, at least it was a reminder to have everything prepared for an emergency! (It's reminding me that we don't have an earthquake kit yet). Sad that there's another fire when the last one was only 2 years ago on the same site. Must make things difficult for the natives to recover.
Amazing pictures! Scary situation! About being better organized - I thought the same many times...
Gail said…
Oh my goodness...that was harrowing and clearly paints the picture of what living in a fire zone must feel like. Glad all is ok with the meeses! gail