We have a large and dangerous fire in our area. Started on the Mexican border and is heading toward a city of 50,000, a major military base and has already taken, as of yesterday, plus forty nice homes and well over 10,000 acres.
Today, it blew over a major road, away from the mountians and headed into a highly built up area.
Local officials called for an area with about 2000 homes to run!
I'm sitting 300 yards from the mandatory run area, just north of it and we're fine, for now.
Tomorrow, we'll see.
I work 50 miles from the house, a normal 45 minute drive, this is Arizona
Took me nearly three hours to get home due to traffic heading away from where I was going. Was nearly hit twice, as people got crazy, motor home drivers more worried about their RVs than people.
One guy with a huge boat, tore down his gate and fence as he raced out heading north without slowing down. That boat will not float with the hole in its side!
When I got home, my wife had both trucks pulled up to the carport, bags were packed, all important papers in the truck, cat carrier, and the Rottie were ready to go.
We stood there and watched the neighbors racing away and after it got quiet, took a look at the fire to our south, checked the wind direction and decided to go in and take a look at the TV.
Fire was headed AWAY from us. It was close by, but it was being pushed AWAY from us.
As she made dinner, I knocked down some dry grass in one of the pastures with the tractor, set up a spinkler system to wet down the south side of the house,and turned on the Braves game.
Saw panic today!
Saw people in full me, me, me, state and it was ugly.
Got a call from a young man (200 miles away) who grew up near us, worried about his parents. Said he spoke to them, and their TV was going in and out and they didn;t own a radio and the one in their car did not work.
Assured him, if I left area, they would leave with my wife and I. Checked on them, they are elderly, and said, if I show up, be ready to jump in and we'll
move out.
The older gentleman asked if I knew the Braves were beating the Mets, assured him I did
Checked on a couple more older couples, they were fine, talking about everyone running away in a panic and wondering where in the hell all of the boats came from.
All of the older folks were listening to the radio, watching TV, and checking the wind direction, ready to move out, IF they had too.
All had weapons at the ready, had their papers, food packed, their bags packed and many commented, it was not good to run with the mob, better to wait a little while, check things out, gain a little information, and then proceed with a plan.
Don't get me wrong, if fire is coming up the lawn, its time to run.
But running because everyone around you starts to run, is not a good thing.
All of the older folks around us, that stopped, looked and listened and also checked the wind direction for themsleves, are ALL retired military.
And all of us are sleeping in our own beds tonight, dreaming where in the hell all of the boats came from.
Tomorrow the winds will return, say a prayer for us, might get ugly, we'll see. If we need to leave area, we have a plan, will leave together, and will leave no one behind!
Fire to the west, south, and heading this way!
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