Fire Aftermath

The fire burned just to the edge of this yard.

The fire moving further up and over the edge of the mountain

Wow!

Yesterday the evacuation order was lifted, and everybody got to go back to their homes. My aunt left first thing in the morning, and we came up a little while later to bring back her stuff. Wow is all I can say. 

The fire got closer than any wildfire has ever gotten to that town. Yet, somehow the town was practically untouched. Only one vacation cabin was burned, and a couple sheds and a porch. The Eyewitness said that when the fire got to the town, it was like there was a protective bubble around the houses, and the fire split around the town. Yes. I think it was a miracle.  And yes, I think it also had something to do with the amazing firefighters we have. They did tons to protect the houses, and everything else. I guess some people stayed in town and formed a bucket line to protect some of the houses that were threatened. The cemetery, which is at the beginning of the town, was saved.  I kinda wish I could have been there to see it.

Just driving through the town, you could feel the heat radiating from the smoldering embers surrounding the city. Smoke, and ash were floated over the town like a lingering ghost, casting an eery feel over the land.

Seeing how close the fire got, and seeing how the town was saved, I'm pretty much at a loss for words. The town has a lot of rye-grass and old buildings that could have went up (poof) and devoured everything. 

But amazingly, it wasn't. 

The wind picked up a lot yesterday, so the fire went northeast over the mountain, devouring most of the canyon, and threatening other towns. I hope they will be okay. 

They won't let anybody up onto the canyon for obvious reasons, but I saw a picture posted on the net of the amazing Ponderosa's trees that got burned in the canyon. They looked pretty toasted. Yet the news states that they still are alive. But the sure don't look like it. I'm very sad about that. They were really old, tall, beautiful trees. The canyon was a fun place to go to when you wanted to get into nature. I'm afraid that the canyon will never be the same. But, I'm hoping that maybe, that the canyon will spring back. Also, because the ground has been burned off, if it does rain, flash floods will probably buffet the town. Yet, I'm so grateful that the city was spared. 

Since the fire has moved northeast, and fires are still raging everywhere over the mountains, and other towns, the firefighters are starting a camp city in the park in Oak City. When we were up there, someone was hauling a bunch of outhouses around, and the park/town hall, was bustling with firefighters.

I'm posting some pictures I took yesterday, of the growing fire/smoke that was billowing over the mountain, and the path of destruction the fire made. 

 

They're not really pretty pictures, as burned ground looks more like the surface of the moon than anything. But when you consider  what could have happened, it is a helpful to reminder of  providence, and the goodness in human nature, (those that helped save the town) and how in times of disaster, the best of human nature sometimes surfaces. 

 

It's cloudy-ish today. So I'm hoping it rains and douses the other fires that are raging. Many homes in other towns and cities have been lost. So please pray for the firefighters, and those who have lost their homes. 

 

The fire burned all the way around the cemetery

Famous TV Hill (Sledding holdup for many people) Hold your breath, you are entering the valley of smoke. 

The fire moving northeast. Look at those thunderheads created from the heat.

Desolation

You can see the pink fire retardant on the grass.

I'm not sure if that house is originally black?

Entering the city

Nice row of potties

Entering the town. The fire was on both sides of the roads. A little ways north is a large dairy. I have no idea how they saved it---as cow manure is highly flammable.

Looking west

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Burned power line

I have no idea how that old shed is still standing.

The famous rock.

TV hill

Smoke, and dust