We all expected that this would be a bad fire season because of the lack of snow and moisture this winter. But when I came out of a movie yesterday and saw that black plumes of smoke rising to the west, it frightened me.
These photos were taken with my iPhone and were taken from near my home. My home is not in any danger, but we are surrounded by forest and this could easily be us. There were 170 homes that were evacuated as of last night and many more on alert.
With no moisture on our radar, this could be a very long summer.
Maralee
Through My Lens 
Maralee, this is truly scary …. so close by !!! Every year you go through this. Please, stay safe and I hope for a good soaking and very wet rain.
Thanks, Viveka. The fire is now 25% contained but there is no rain in sight.
Glad that they have it under some control. Every year you have fires like that .. over there. Scary stuff – feel so sorry for the animals and people that loses their homes.
Oh dear Maralee, seems so bad and fearful, be in safe dear, my heart with you, I hope and wish the fire stop soon. Love, nia
Thank you, Nia. They should have the fire under control soon.
Yeah, it’s not looking like fun, again.
It’s why we’re looking to move to areas that have different problems.
Stay safe.
Thanks, Emilio. They have determined that the fire was human cause. While they haven’t used the word “arson” yet, it is highly suspect to have two fires start at the same time about a mile apart.
For goods sake we do not have such wildfires here in Germany (it’s mostly too moisturous) – but this is really frightening! The poor people! I really feel with them. I hope it’s obvious, that my like comes for you photographs and not for this dangerous situation…
We go through this every year because we live in an area that doesn’t get much moisture during the summer months. But we didn’t get much snow this winter so it is quite dry. We don’t usually have fires like this until July or August.
Stay safe, Maralee! We had a bad week of fires in San Diego last month. They’re usually in the fall, so it makes me worried for our summer. Hope they get the fires near you under control quickly and we all get some much needed rain!
Thanks, Connie. The whole west is pretty dry right now. I think it’s going to be a bad summer.
Looks far too close for comfort, hoPE you weather summer okay.
We need to get some moisture but as of now there isn’t any in the foreseeable future.
Hard to put a ‘like’ to this. Agree with a previous comment that it’s your photos I like, not the fires. I think this is shaping up to be a very, very bad summer.
I agree that this will probably be a bad fire season. We can only hope for some moisture.
That must be very unsettling. I will complain less about our rain.
I’ll give you a little of our dry weather if you want to give us a little of your rain. 🙂
We have plenty to spare.
Interesting, Maralee. We had a similar early start to our season in September, about which I wrote a post. Those fires proved to be the worst we would experience for the season – 200 homes lost in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. Subsequently, summer 2013/14 was not as bad as forecast. I hope that the same applies there.
I hope you’re right. So far no structures have been lost here although there are still a few areas under evacuation.
I so hope you and your family stay safe. Fire is terrifying and so destructive. Thinking of you. Su.
Thank you, Su. I live on the opposite side of town so I’m safe, but I worry about the summer ahead. It could be any of us if we don’t get some moisture.
I watch in horror every ‘fire season’. In NZ we have been fortunate so far; much more than our Australian cousins. I hope you get enough rain to hold the destructive forces at bay. I’m writing this in my car; the only place I can charge my phone after an all-night storm that has cut power off to thousands in Auckland. And as inconvenient as it is, I am grateful not to be in Christchurch where flooding has become an inevitable consequence of the 2011 earthquake. Stay safe.