We are safe at home, but the State of Oregon is burning up. Government authorities have reported over a million acres have burned. It is hard to believe that a week ago today (Sunday) my weekly blog post talked about how dry and hot it was, but we had spent that last week doing our usual things. Usual in the age of Covid anyway — we took walks, we visited outdoors with family, went to the grocery store and Farm Market…. just the normal.
But that was last Sunday and I was blogging about the previous week. On Monday night (September 7), the Holiday Farm Fire started up the McKenzie River — in an area about 50 miles east of us. It has now burned to about 15 miles from us, as well as further north and south. Conditions were hot and dry and there was a strong 40 mph wind (very unusual for here) — it fanned the fire out of control very suddenly. People who lived up the river got no warning — some of them awoke to flames against their house. Several small communities were destroyed. It is not yet known how many lives have been lost. People have been evacuated to high schools in Springfield, the twin city to Eugene where we live. Fire fighting conditions improved Friday, and the fire has slowed, though still is not controlled.
These two pictures were taken from our front door on Tuesday morning, September 8 — the only time all week I've stepped out of the house. We, and our Oregon family, are not near the flames and in no danger of having to evacuate, but air quality is at a dangerous level.
The Holiday Farm Fire is just one of several climate fires that are burning out of control in our State, all caused by the same conditions. But it is the closest one to us. The Upper McKenzie River has been our mountain playground for years. I made the collage below from the last time we camped there.
Memory of Blue River — from last April.
We stayed at the Blue River RV Park on the last night of our trip home from Florida. It is practically certain that this beautiful little RV park has been destroyed. We have so many memories of staying along the River in years back. This was just the latest time. We used to go camping with our kids up there, we often took carloads of Boy Scouts and supplies to camp, and every summer we have taken at least a day trip up the river to walk or hike. It will be a while before anyone is able to do that again — and it will never be the same.
Sun on Tuesday morning
Climate change has come home. It is heartbreaking to think of the people who have lost everything in these fires. We hope for happier times and better days to come… and soon.
LINKING this week to: MOSAIC MONDAY; NATURE NOTES; THROUGH MY LENS; OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD; and SKYWATCH FRIDAY .
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