Yesterday, a forest fire started very quickly near Wetmore, Co which is about 25 mi west of me. I can see the area from my window. It was very windy with gusts over 70 mph. The details are still coming in, but the fire moved quickly enough one group wasn't able to drive away from it on the road. They found an open area for the fire to pass over them and they were fine.

I think I'll check the wind more carefully on weather reports before I go out.

Ugh, what a season it's been. Still haven't had a wet fall storm yet? We (N. Calif) finally got our first one and it's effectively ended the 2012 fire season. So-Cal isn't in the clear, however, and the Santa Anas can hit at any time.

We've started to cool down and have had some drizzle the last couple days. Though... the Santa Ana's could come blowing back.

We've definitely gotten our "fire season-ending event" here in the PNW, although I haven't checked to see how much of it has gotten to the east side of the Cascades, which is where the worst fires were.

Jimshaw, have you gotten rain/snow in Bend?

A few weeks ago, a couple of hikers heading up the Eagle Creek Trail in the middle of the night came around a corner and were confronted with a wall of flame! They very quickly (!) retraced their steps to the trailhead, to find that the USFS had closed the trail after they left. I understand that the fire was contained before it could do too much damage, but I haven't seen any reports from the damaged area yet.

Gotta watch those winds!

Gershon's report is a bit ironic considering the name of the town....

Gershon, I hope you get some good rain/snow soon!

Fires are bad.

You seem to have changed your mind regarding fires, tobi. In another thread you stated that fires were not as bad as everyone seemed to think because they are natural, and we only object to them because they impinge on our lives.

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds"; R. W. Emerson in Self Reliance.