Tuesday, September 6, 2011
In Case You're Wondering...
Our state seems to be on fire. Texas has spontaneously combusted over the last few days, and it looks like there are lots of fires in Oklahoma too. Louisiana, New Mexico, Colorado, and the Northwest U.S. also have fires.
My husband and I own a house in the Texas county that has been in the news. Luckily, about a week ago we moved everything out in the process of selling the house. Unluckily, the closing was delayed. Don't know how that will turn out. So far, the house and neighborhood are just fine. The uncontained, out-of-control wildfire that has burned 25,000 acres is just to the south, and the wind is blowing from the north and shooing the fire away from the subdivision.
We now live on the coast, several hundred miles to the south of that area. No fires here, but the smoke has arrived.
The state park that's near our old house is 2/3 burned... majestic pine trees, beautiful lake, historic park buildings. I think the buildings have been saved so far. The park rangers say that as long as loss of life and property can be avoided, the burn is actually good for the land. I guess we have to keep things in perspective as we live on this Earth.
Today is much cooler than yesterday... like 20 degrees cooler. It feels and smells like Fall. Maybe the fires will end soon.
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Having grown up in Colorado and spent some time in southern CA, I know how devastating wildfires can be, but the park rangers are right. Some species of tress have seeds that won't germinate unless they have been exposed to fire. Fires are an important part of nature.
ReplyDeleteI hope that no one is injured and that the loss of property is minimal. I certainly hope that your old home stays untouched.
Thanks, Susie. Actually today 2 bodies were found, having died in the Bastrop fire. I think we're up to 550 homes lost and some of the Conservation Corps-built park buildings have now been damaged. The sheriff says they're not letting people go back to their houses because thousands of pounds of water is being dumped on the neighborhoods--that could really hurt someone in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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