Aug 29, 2017
We now have the answer
My post yesterday wondered where all the smoke was coming from. It appears that our neighbors from the south are having some serious fire issues.
The Diamond Creek fire is 32,000 acres and is burning right at the US/Canada border. As you can see by the dark grey outline of the direction of the smoke, we here in Kelowna are in the direct path. Of course my friends in Osoyoos are in the thick of things as well as my readers in Oliver, Pentiction, Summerland and Peachland and my many local readers.
I have heard and have no idea if this is true, that the US does not fight fires as we do here in Canada. They rather tend to let them burn themselves out. Of course they are there to protect homes and cities, etc. I’m sure that my many US readers will have some input on this. Just in late today, the province/state of B.C. in which we live has spent well over 404 million in expenditures just fighting these horrific fires. They also say that it is likely that the fires may continue well into the fall as hot dry weather is the forecast. I apologize to you that I am spending so much time on these fires but seriously folks, our entire life is affected, not to mention the hundreds of thousand of others who live here in B.C.
I took this at noon today, looking directly at the sun. It was dark and eerie.
At 5PM the sky has a pink orange cast to it. It is dark enough that we have had to turn lights on inside our home.
In all our years living here and dealing with a variety of fires this is the first time we have seen it like this. I can’t imagine what it is like closer to the actual fire.
Just now at 6PM we are seeing ash on our vehicles. We just washed our cars late Sunday so we know it is not dirt.
So the mystery of where the smoke came from late yesterday has been solved. But where do we go from here?
Thanks for taking the time to check in. I promise to change the topic next post.
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Well that sure isn’t going to work for any photo jobs for Colin. My kids in Missoula are so sick of the smoke also. Wish there was a way to ship rain from Texas.
I said the same thing earlier today, I so wish that all that rain could just come on over us and dump. We would be ever so grateful.
I almist dread returning to Montana because of the smoke. It may be hot down here but you can breathe the air. People are praying for that first snowfall because there is no rain in the forecast. And the floods in Texas. Sure hope winter gives us all a break.
Yes we can taste the smoke. I feel sorry for all who are so affected. You have to be a part of it to understand how awful it is.
The US had a huge no forest fire thing going for years (Smoky the bear campaign) until they had that huge fire (at Yellowstone, I believe) that taught them that wildfires are normal, a good thing, and that not letting them happen causes way more issues. They do fight them hard in populated areas (like Southern California), but it makes sense that they’re letting them burn in unpopulated areas.
Your fire posts are reminding me of my first Klondike summer. If anyone has told you to quit obsessing over the fires, they need to get over themselves and come visit you. What you’re experiencing might not be as devastating as a flood, but the poor air quality and constant fear that a fire will get to you are all justifiably all-consuming.
Well having been evacuated due to flooding just this past May, I do have to say that it was rather devastating. We have been subjected to fires off and on these past years but this year has been beyond anything we have dealt with in the past and yes it is stressful.
I should clarify that what we went through last May was no where near what the people in Texas are having to deal with. Nothing can be more devastating than that. It is not just the possessions but the entire gamut of emotions that one has to deal with.
I am ready for the rain to start, it usually happens in October here, would prefer September 1 to wash all the smoke and dryness away. We have some smoke but not much so you can no longer smell it.
If only we could get some of that Texas rain.
Just this past Monday our yougest son who is a reserve in the Army left his job to go with his group to Williams Lake to assist with the fire fight. We keep hoping to hear something from him. He should be there for two weeks but who knows. Yesterday here in Langley our mountains dissappeared from sight completely and all very suddenly. Hoping this all stops soon.
I’m sure that you are worried about your son. Hopefully he will contact you soon. I don’t understand how the reserve works. Does he just get a leave of from his job with no pay and the Army pays him instead? I assume that the job will be waiting when he gets back. You know that there is a lot of smoke when you lose that beautiful view.
Good luck again wth those wildfires.
I think at this point we need a miracle. Luck left us over a month ago.
This has been a summer I hope you never have to repeat. The thing about the fires in both the USA and BC is the smoke does not respect borders – it has been a hard summer for so many. Disasters have always been but these days we watch it as it happens and sometime the devastation we watch nearly overwhelms me. Thanking God for our safety and donating through UMCOR for those in Texas. I hope you will have a better September and soon you can turn your thoughts to returning to your beloved Isla.
for those in Texas
Thank you Sandy, my dear friend. You seem to be so safe down there in Virginia. I wonder how much a part global warming has in all this destruction. The Isla is a haven and I do hope that it stays that way.
Close, Contessa, we are in West Virginia! Close to Virginia, only 17 miles and even closer to Maryland and Pennsylvania and only 100 miles from our nation’s capital. Quite an interesting location and little town. We have a small WV State Park right in the middle of town and it even has a gazebo!
I’m intrigued by your posts about the fires. It’s just another reminder of how connected we really are to nature. The hurricanes, fires, droughts have a huge impact on flora and fauna and that includes us humans. The economic impact is being felt around the world.
Yes the world is suffering. I am beginning to think that this might be the new normal. There was an article in the local news mentioning how all the food that the bears need to eat in order to hibernate has been burned. That will have an affect in that they may end up coming into more contact with humans to get their food. The eco system had been disrupted.