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Annael
Immortal
Jul 24 2014, 4:00pm
Post #1 of 3
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report from the wildfire front lines
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I'm sure most of you have heard about the gigantic wildfire in Washington state that has now burned 400 square miles of pine forests and scrubland and destroyed about 150 houses, including the town of Pateros which is mostly gone.
I used to live in the area & have good friends there. I got this e-mail from one couple yesterday after not hearing from them for days:
The fire came within four-tenths of a mile of our house--way too close for comfort. Basically everything the other side of the mailboxes is charred. We were amongst the lucky ones as many have lost their homes. The Valley has definitely taken a beating on this one, particularly down-valley. I'm sure you've all seen the maps and have seen the horrible footage from Pateros.
Cell service is spotty and we have tried not to tie it up too much since our tower is amongst the last standing and the one the firefighters are using. Power is out throughout the Valley. The fires have taken out miles of poles and lines and we are being told that it may be a few weeks before service is restored. Some people are getting by with personal generators. We were lucky enough to score one a couple days ago and Jason, our licensed electrician, came by to tie it directly into the house panel. So the pump is once again running and we can get water, charge our phones, and operate the lights in the house.
Right now we are dealing with a lot of smoke and keeping a watchful eye on the small patch behind us that is still being referred to as "uncontrolled." (The map shows that the whole dang thing is pretty much uncontrolled, but there is a small nob near us of particular interest to our hood.) It's a heavily wooded area up behind Fish and Wildlife [office] and they don't really have an effective plan for how to deal with it yet. There are many capable people on site now and we hope that they, along with the rain from today, can stamp this thing out.
We just had a wild storm move through with buckets of rain, 3/4" hailstones, and unfortunately more lightning. Glad we got the last 25 lbs of cherries in this morning--don't know what it's done to the rest of the fruit...
Bottom line, the most amazing thing is the way the community has come together. There have been countless acts of kindness, goodwill, protection, and caring amongst Valley dwellers, those who were caught out here as visitors, and those attending the big Rhythm and Blues Festival out here. Within hours of the first blaze behind us we had phone calls and texts offering everything from a place to stay to trucks and help to come evacuate. These people really have our backs and it is an honor to be part of such a community.
To be sane we must recognize our beliefs as fictions.
- James Hillman, Healing Fiction
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
(This post was edited by Annael on Jul 24 2014, 4:13pm)
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jul 24 2014, 4:39pm
Post #2 of 3
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I'm sorry the community has had to go through this, but I'm glad to hear everyone is helping each other out. I hope the fires are extinguished very soon now!
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow....
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Mikah
Lorien
Jul 25 2014, 2:28am
Post #3 of 3
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Thank you so much for sharing this. I grew up in Oregon and my favorite Aunt lived in Washington throughout my childhood. Such a beautiful place. My heart breaks to think of one of the most beautiful parts of the United States going through this. I will pray for your friends and their wonderful community. My husband and I dream of moving there one day.
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