9.8.24
This has to a be a year for the record books. It seems as if wildfire season started early and still is raging on. Our own Grant County and neighbouring Wheeler County has seen more than its fair share of what has officially been termed, Mega Fires of late. The Lone Rock Fire scorched over 137,000 acres while the fire that raged around us, the Battle Mountain Complex, torched over 183,000 acres and is still not 100% contained. Now, a fire is on the go near the town of Mitchell to the west of us and the Rail Ridge fire, which has been growing in leaps and bounds and was 122,000 acres as of last night, is threatening ranches and homes near the small community of Dayville to the east of us.
A short while ago I woke up, well before dawn, to the distant flashes of lighting and the faint rumble of thunder. Now, as I sit in my easy chair with the first cup of tea by my side, I hear large raindrops splattering on the roof and deck of the house. A brief but welcome sound even though it will also be splattering on the nice dry wood cut by Darrell yesterday. Thunder rumbles again in the distance.
I used to love thunderstorms. Watching the amazing light show in the sky, counting the time between flashes and the grumble of thunder in order to calculate how far the storm was from us. The involuntary jump of surprise and momentary thrill when a flash and boom come almost simultaneously. My how that has changed! I can still appreciate the beauty of the searing flashes of light across a dark sky but now, since living where we do, my mind goes immediately to the thought of fire. Will the storm come with a deluge of rain, or will this be a dry-lightning event? If there is a brief downpour, will it be enough to quench any tree struck by lightning or will winds whip about and fan the flames into a fast-moving wall of fire?
The threat of wildfires is something to be dealt with each and every year for those who choose to make our homes on the dry side of the state as east of the Cascade Mountains is commonly referred to here in Oregon. We love the spring rains that bring on lush grass yet know they are both a blessing and a bane. A blessing for the rich grazing provided for browsing animals yet this occasional overabundance of grass can rapidly dry out when Mother Nature turns the heat up before the green goodness has been munched down. Then, the land becomes ripe for fast moving fires.
We were so blessed when our little farm was spared from being scorched last month like sadly, some of our neighbour’s places were. The somewhat small horseshoe shaped pocket of land where we and adjoining ranches to the north and southeast sit were, and still are, a little island in a sea of charred ground. During the last round of thunderstorms that rolled over our area, the same storms that sparked the new fires near Mitchell and Dayville, a tree was struck just across the road from us and burst into flame. By the time we saw the glow on the ridgeline and realized there was a fire and started heading down the driveway to see if we could help, the fire had been quickly extinguished by local landowners. However, to the southeast of us, just across the river and also in an area previously untouched by the Battle Mountain Complex blaze, a lightning strike started yet another fire which thankfully has not increased for the past few days from its 250-acre size.
Yes, living with the threat of wildfire is a way of life out here. Many years go by without undue cause for worry yet we are always prepared. Darrell diligently sets up his firefighting truck each season well before things start to dry out. The large tank on the back is always filled with water, the pump, hoses and shovels ready and waiting should the need arise to put them to use. As the weather cools and the late autumn rains come, when it seems as if fire season is over, he will dismantle the firefighting equipment, and the empty truck bed will be ready to carry hay for the feeding of our cattle through the winter.
I am looking forward to winter this year. Not that I want to wish my life away, life is too precious, but I will gladly take the cold, the rain and snow and mud and not complain about them. I want this fire season to be over and done with. I want all who are in the path of these behemoth blazes, locally and across the country, to be safe and rest easy in their homes at night. Not asking for much am I?
To those who are out there on the front lines battling these fires, and our grandson Evan is one of them, we thank you. To all the locals who jump in to help save their neighbours farms, ranches, livestock and more, there are no words to express the gratitude we feel. At times like this little communities come together in amazing ways. It may not always be easy living where we do when wildfires threaten, but there is nowhere else I would rather be.
