The news here is filled with stories and film footage of wild fires burning in Washington, Oregon, and California.
First, let me assure you that we are safe, and so far all of my scattered family members are too. But it is a scary time, and many of my relatives live in areas that could be hit by wildfires.
We heard news of a fire near my old home town of Molalla, Oregon, and sure enough, a large lumber mill is on fire. We lived just a few miles from there and passed this mill every time we went to school or to town or to church. With limited water to fight it, the local fire departments are just keeping it confined to the large mill site, and putting out any fires that break away to nearby farm property. They just have to let the log piles burn.
Fire also struck just south of Rockaway Beach on the coast highway, and there were photos of Rockaway full of smoke. Homes are being destroyed.
Closer to home, a large fire was burning south of us near Sumner, a town we visited often because of a great nursery there. We know people who live in Bonney Lake, where evacuations have taken place and some homes are lost.
These are not fires on open range land or forests, but on hillsides near populated areas, and there are way too many of them.
Our weather is still hot. We'll hit 90 again today, but the dry east wind had slackened, so we hope it will be easier to get the fires under control. The smoke here in the city has mostly cleared and breathing is easier. But we are the fortunate ones.
Tom has most of the clean up done from the windstorms, and we were lucky not to lose power. We have been walking earlier in the mornings, before it gets hot. So far, there isn't much promise of rain or respite, although the temps should moderate a bit.
We continue to count our blessings, and make donations to help those not so blessed.
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Update, 3:00 PM Thursday: My hometown of Molalla has just been issued an evacuation order. Up to 30,000 people in the area are under evacuation warnings as three fires rage out of the foothills and down into the Willamette Valley.
It is devastating to watch reports from the the entire western portion of the country. I don't ever remember the wild fires being so bad and so widespread. Of course the news doesn't show what isn't burning, but to see the homes and businesses that are completely destroyed is horrific. I have family in northern California. They and all are in my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to believe that Sumner and Bonney Lake are at risk. This never happened before.
ReplyDeleteFires seem to be larger and much wilder They are very dangerous these days.
ReplyDeleteIt's a scary time for so many people. It's sad to see the devastation that the fires cause. I hope your various family members and friends will be safe and their homes safe too. A lot of smoke is hanging around here and there's an air quality warning out. For some reason my breathing is more affected in the evening.
ReplyDeleteWe’ve been watching the fires on the news each evening. It’s so scary. My sister in law lives in California and she says the air is very bad too. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for all of you.
ReplyDeleteHalf a million people evacuated in Oregon! We had a prepare to evacuate order on Monday, but fortunately the fire, started from downed power poles in the high winds, was stopped downriver from us. The situation is frightening!
ReplyDeleteSo much danger with wild fires now on the west coast. In my county in California since August 16 925 homes were destroyed by fire and now the air quality is very poor where I live. I am staying inside.
ReplyDeleteSo sad about all the fires...my baby brother says the smoke is bad in Oregon...he is there to help his Grands get settled into a school schedule such as it is online. Hope you and your family stay safe:)
ReplyDeleteScary times.
ReplyDeleteWhat a distressing and scary time we are living through. I know the air will degrade today and for the weekend, but at least the weather is changing to be a little cooler. I hope you and yours will remain safe during this awful time.
ReplyDeleteIt's a challenging time for many...sad tragic as we are still battling the pandemic!
ReplyDeleteThis year has just been awful. I'm so sorry for all who have been impacted by the fires. Hopefully the winds die down and the weather cools soon.
ReplyDeleteTake care and stay well!
Terrible! It seems there is always a wildfire on the west coast every year without fail.
ReplyDeleteThe news is terrifying for the West Coast and I am glad to hear that you have been spared. My heart goes out to those completely wiped out. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteOh Linda! What a nightmare -- I've been checking your weather daily -- hoping and praying for rain. We seem, meanwhile, to have gotten your weather. Stay safe. Oh -- and walking 1.7 miles is commendable!!
ReplyDeleteIt is so scary. I can't believe this is becoming a common thing during the summer. When will it ever end?
ReplyDeleteSuch a scarey tragedy. There is a fire that threatened my birthtown in Colorado, but several inches of snow seemed to have subdued that.
ReplyDeleteWe're about 5 streets away from the mandatory evacuation area here in Bonney Lake, so we spent most of this week waiting to see if the police would come knocking on our door telling us to evacuate too. We packed the car with what we would need and figured out our evacuation route. We could smell the smoke even inside the house with all doors and windows closed. It seems to be moving away from us, so we're a bit less worried today.
ReplyDeleteKeep us posted. I'm worried for you.
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