More fires

[Preston]

At the height of the Butte Fire on 9/11-12 it looked like the apocalypse was bearing down on us. I actually got to the point where I staged some things so I could get out quickly even though the southern flank was still some miles away. Fortunately, that threat is now over and the fire is 75% contained. It's still putting up some smoke, but at least we're breathing more easily now.

In over twenty years of fighting fire here before I retired, I have never seen a fire move that fast, and honestly, I was scared, and I don't scare easily.

I am hopeful Autumn will arrive soon with cooler days and (prayerfully) bring some rain.

--P

[Drew Wiley]

The Rough fire burned over 150,000 acres total. A few giant sequoias were scarred, but their bark is so thick they easily survive fires. What is a bigger risk is the
destruction of surrounding forest and how it gets drier overall due to lack of vegetation and shade. Although I managed to hike above the smoke, and then had clean air coming back down after the rainstorms, I've sneezed and wheezed for these past several days because I spent a couple nites in the Mineral King formal
campground before coming back home. Just ordinary campfire smoke drives me crazy. Even a wood fireplace does. Seems I got permanently sensitized to smoke from all those huge forest fires I survived or fought as a kid.