This story is so familiar to me. There's been years when all we can talk about is the heat and the prospect of fire - we talk about when to leave and what to take, have bug out bags and a sense of trepidation fills the air. This year El Nina has brought more rain, which is great, but also more tinder, so when there is a dry spell it's a real worry. Saying that, in our area we haven't had the scorching temperature we can have some years that lead to disastrous fires, like the one in 2009 where we lost 200 people in a hell fire whose particular set of events led to it being impossible for people to escape. I'll never forget sitting under the gums in hammocks with an esky of ice and beer - all we could do was drink as we were living in the bus at teh time and it was 40 plus celsius, windy and dry - horrifying. The magpies were sitting up the trees with us which was insane... twas like they knew we could help. Luckily for us it wasn't in our area, although when I was a kid one fire did rip through that entire coast and we lost lots of homes and some people. Of cours the Australian fires - along with California - are famous, though nothing to brag of.
An evocative post, dear Buckaroo. May the rains come soon.
It's terrible @riverflows but when I think WILDFIRE, I think Australia. Its just something that happens there. I can't even imagine being living with a bug out and knowing that you may have to flee a fire. Life has settled here today finally. But it is wierd that fire would be a threat in our area, considering it is so desert like with the patches of green where the different farms are
That's why we live just on the outskirts of a town as they save those first. The forest is only 10 minutes away but we have more open farmland here which would protect us better. We nearly moved to a forest but the risk is too much. I don't know how people don't think about it.. fires DO and WILL come.. it's just a matter of time!!