Fires and Smoke

We had 2 day heat wave on Friday and Saturday. It was accompanied by dry electrical storms. That means fire. I saw one of the fires burning in the hills as I drove home from Fresno on Friday. Other than flames as high as the trees, the thing I noticed was the absence of firefighters. Later that night I heard that there were "more than 400" wild fires raging in California. Sunday night I could smell the smoke. Yesterday the number was "more than 700". This morning the number is "more than 800". Oddly, the map doesn't show that many. The fire I saw on Friday isn't on the map. The 7 square mile in the the vineyards of Napa doesn't show. only one of the "more than 40" fires burning in Mendocino County is on the map. Probably, no one has updated the map since Friday. Thankfully, yesterday and today are cooler. And the coastal counties, at least, are getting damp ocean air blowing in from the west.

Just now on the radio I heard instructions to "avoid being outside because the smoke from the fires has made the air in the bay area unhealthful". Well, I have a better idea. Instead of spending all day in a little apartment with two little boys, I am going to take them to the coast where there is no smoke.

Bye bye.