Washington Fires

I'm sure everyone has heard of the horrific wild fires in Washington State. It has just been an awful year. We are in SW Washington but have had a few fires here as well. It has kept us on our toes. Never in all the years that we've lived here have I seen it this bad. We have had a long, hot dry summer. At this point anything is capable of starting a fire. Outside a small town in Oregon a huge grass fire was started when a small pickup blew a tire. Sparks from lawnmowers and chainsaws are starting fires. In all the National Forests in Washington there is a ban on all campfires, bbqs, etc. For now there is a halt to most logging being done.

It is sad to see the devastation of so many homes and so much land. And the loss of lives has been incredibly sad. Four firefighters have lost their lives battling the blazes.

We had a fire start about 4 miles from us. Thankfully they had it under control by the next day. We were not in any danger. It was unnerving to see helicopters w/water buckets flying over our house. There have been a few more fires in the forest areas farther from our home. We live in an area that is on the edge of the National Forest. Our home is surrounded by fir trees and forest vegetation.

We decided to have a plan, just in case. We discussed with our boys what the game plan would be if we had to leave due to fire. What we would take and where we would go. It has been a sobering thought.

It all has given me a lot of food for thought. I find it interesting that we spend a lifetime amassing 'stuff'. Some of it necessary for daily living, some needed for certain times of the year, some sentimental, and frankly some of it that really has no need or meaning. But if ever faced with the situation of having to leave your home quickly, and only taking what could fit in your vehicle, you quickly narrow down what has the most value. No great gems of wisdom to share, but how the perspective changes on the things we have when seen through a situation such as this.

As of now, we are in prayer. Prayer for the firefighters, prayer for families and people in threatened areas, prayer for those who've lost so much, prayer for rain to end this horrible season. And praying for the Lords safety for all.


These are pictures taken from my deck last Saturday afternoon. The smoke is so thick you can't see the mountains on the other side (this is the smoke from the fires in the north of our state). The sun barely showed all day. When it did, it was an eerie golden color.

Here is what it normally would look like on a sunny day (this pic was taken a while back)...