Autumn and Fires

 Not a lot of fall color here yet, it’s been horribly hot and we haven’t had any rain in 6 months.  The fires have, so far, left me alone, thank goodness. 

The nearest fire was only a half mile from my house, way too close, but our fire fighters are amazing.  They immediately put several water dropping helicopters and fixed wing fire retardant bombers on it and it was contained and out within a few hours!  The two biggest fires near me, the El Dorado and the Bobcat fires are 15 to 25 miles away but still burning.  The El Dorado fire was arson and, horrifically and tragically, one firefighter has been killed fighting this fire.  

This is a photo of the El Dorado fire when it started.  

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, and having a great autumn.

Sunset, Moonrise

Looking west at a smoky sunset...

When I turned in the opposite direction, I saw a tree holding the moon in its branches! 

The Pilot fire is 80% contained and I'm cautiously optimistic that all here in these mountains are out of danger.  I'll be 100% optimistic when the fire is 100% out...

Linking with Skywatch Friday

A Flower and A Fire

A poppy (Argemone pleicantha) that a bug has been enjoying snacking on.  I love these poppies; their blooms can reach 6 inches across, and their petals are so ruffly and delicate.

The following photos are not mine, but from Twitter and Lake Gregory Weather.  It's burning right over the ridge from where I live.  Right now, it's burned over 6,000 acres.  So far, the winds have been in our favor up here and have kept the fire moving away from the mountain communities.  Even though the winds are not strong, the fire fighters have not been able to get it contained.  Not for lack of trying!  There are hundreds of fire fighters heroically battling this blaze and many water-dropping helicopters and fixed wing fire retardant and water bombers.  It's the terrain that's making containment so difficult.  At least the temperatures aren't in the triple digits like they were last week.  If you have any spare prayers and/or good thoughts please send them to the fire fighters and pilots...and to those of us who live up here.

Looking east across Lake Silverwood.

Looking from the Summit Valley side or the desert side of the fire.

You can see the smoke right behind the trees at Lake Gregory. 


Linking with:  Through My Lens

Yesterday...

What is being called the "Lake Fire" started just outside the San Gorgonio Wilderness in the San Bernardino National Forest where I live.  It's now burning in the Wilderness.

It spread rapidly - everything is so dry up here.  200 people have been evacuated from campgrounds.  I wish there were some way to evacuate the animals.

It's burned nearly 10,000 acres so far.  Cal Fire is saying it will jump to 50,000 acres by tomorrow. (Update: it's only grown by 1,000 acres, thank goodness, and the winds are calmer). Air tankers and helicopters are temporarily grounded because of winds.  It's only 5% contained but, so far, it's burning away from our homes and little towns up here.  If you've got any to spare, thoughts and prayers for safety for the animals and firefighters, and calm winds so the tankers and helicopters can get back in the air would sure be appreciated.

(These aren't my photos, they're from various news websites).

Hit and Miss

I found this photo on the local ABC station; I can't give credit to the photographer as ABC had it listed as "photo from viewer." 

Anyway, this is of Highway 18 winding up into the mountains with a huge rain cell dumping rain on Highland and Redlands (I think).  It really shows how storms here in the Southwest can be so 'hit or miss.'

We had a little rain yesterday that was accompanied by terrible thunder and lightning.  Several tiny fires were started by lightning strikes; one of them struck a house down in Crestline and set it on fire.  Thankfully, no one was hurt and all the fires were quickly put out by our firefighters and the rain.  Also, thankfully, there was no wind blowing. 

It really terrifies me to look at photos of the fires in Northern California.  If the trees and brush up there, which are so much more hydrated than the ones here, can burn so viciously...

I wish so much that we would get enough rain to put an end to fire season soon.  And I pray that they get enough rain in Northern California to put out those terrible fires immediately.

Strawberries and Hope

There are little wild strawberries blooming everywhere.  They're even popping up in the ivy.  Hopefully, there will be lots for the birds, mice and skunks as they all love strawberries.  I love them, too, but I only eat one or two of the beyond-delicious little wild ones because there just isn't that much food for the little wild cousins up here anymore.  My sister always has lots of strawberries to share, so I content myself with those. 

The wildfires in San Diego County are terrible.  I heard on the news tonight that a badly burned body has been found, poor soul.  And when I think of all the animals that have perished, which the news never mentions, my heart hurts more.  135,000 homes have been evacuated across the county.  Fires have never, never been a problem in Southern California in May.  I am terrified of what months of hot, dry weather will cause in the autumn.  But, since we're having Santa Ana winds now, which is unusual, maybe they won't blow in the autumn.  It's the hope of that which I hang on to. 

Interesting Times

This isn't what any place in my garden looks like right now (I took this photo in June of '07), and I'd be ashamed to show you what my poor garden does look like right now!  But...the weather has been so strangely (horribly) nice that while I was outside puttering around today I found myself thinking, "Hmmm...maybe later today I should check the garden center and see what they have in stock."  Then I caught myself and realized they would have nothing in stock in January! 

We've had a couple of little earthquakes in the past week, the nearest centered about 30 miles away.  There is a fire burning to the west of us in the Glendora foothills.  It poses no threat to these mountains at all.  However, a fire that's burned over 1,900 acres and destroyed several homes is unheard of in Southern California in January.  In a normal January in California, there might be flooding in some areas...never wild fires. 

I was watering the trees that my hoses will reach today because the Governor has declared a State of Emergency due to our on-going drought (several years now), rapidly shrinking reservoirs, and only two feet of snow pack in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, which is where Southern California gets most of its water.  Normally at this time of year the snow pack is twenty-five feet deep, in a good rain/snow year it's not unusual for it to be fifty feet deep.  So I was watering the trees while I can, because I'm pretty sure the next step the Governor takes will be to implement mandatory water rationing. 

What keeps going through my mind is that old expression/curse: May you live in interesting times.

Wednesday's Winding Road

This was taken in April of 2011.  It's not quite this green right now in these mountains, but we have gotten smidgens of rain.  The best news is that the mountain range to the south of us, the San Jacinto range, where the huge fire is still burning got quite a bit of rain yesterday.  The little town of Idyllwild is safe, thanks to heroic efforts by over 3,000 firefighters.  The fire came within one mile of the village and, as everyone knows who lives in areas prone to huge wildfires, a mile is waaay to close for comfort.

Although the fire has burned over 27,300 acres, it is now 85% contained.  Contained doesn't mean 'out' but it does mean that the firefighters have a line around 85% of the fire and that is good news indeed.  It is expected to be completely contained by tomorrow evening and expected to be completely out within a couple of weeks. 

The best news of all is that the evacuation orders have been lifted and folks can go home.  Having been forced to evacuate in 2003 and 2007, I can say I truly know the joy, thankfulness and elation these people are feeling.  And I know that their hearts, like mine, go out to the people whose homes were lost. 

The Almost Full Moon of July

She looked very ominous as she rose above the thick clouds of smoke from the huge, 23,000 acre fire burning in the San Jacinto mountain range in Riverside county.  I can't remember seeing a moon this color before; is this what is meant by the saying "blood on the moon?"  Over 6,000 people have been evacuated and the fire is only 25% contained.  The cause wasn't lightening, but human.  It has yet to be determined if it was arson or accidental. 

We got a tiny smidgen of rain today.  It lasted for about 60 or 90 seconds, as if someone took a giant plant mister and waved it back and forth above us.  There have been a few little spot fires that were started by lightening in the mountain range I live in, but our fire fighters wasted no time in bringing in the water dropping air tankers and fire retardant bombers.  Most of the little fires are out, the others have lines of fire retardant around them and fire fighters will be watching them throughout the night to make sure they don't escape those lines.  Everyone is dreading later in the fire season when the Santa Ana winds will come.  Just a few years ago fire season started in the middle of September and ended in mid-November.  Maybe we'll get early, heavy rains in October...it used to happen regularly.  We've even gotten several feet of snow by mid-October.   Cross your fingers for us....

Beautiful Sunset?

Not really. It's caused by all the smoke in the air from all the fires here in Southern California. Everyone has sore throats, noses and eyes from breathing the smoke, although it had cleared quite a bit when I took this. Everyone is on edge. County Fire Units have been patrolling the mountains and foothills, and will continue to do so until fire season is over. Local people are also patrolling, very much in "vigilante" mode. I think if they (the locals) caught an arsonist, the state would not have to worry about the cost of a trial...

And speaking of trials, the arsonists who set the 2003 and 2006 fires have been caught, tried and sentenced to death. People died in both of those fires.

Usually we don't get this sort of thing until late October. I hope the rains come early, and I hope that the Santa Ana winds, or Devil Winds as some call them, never come at all.