Grassfire

Yesterday was clear and calm. Today was clear. hot, and windy. The high was about 85 degrees, quite remarkable when you consider that there are still patches of snow in the north facing hollows.

About 4 o'clock I was working inn the yard when I heard sirens. The firechief's truck came in from 204 and headed up French Road. Another fire truck followed. I was thinking it was probably a wildfire, hopefully not a car accident, when I realized that I was smelling smoke. And seeing smoke! It was a stiff southwest wind, enough to move any fire back down French Road in a hurry.

I dropped the yard work and started the next plan. I called Anna and told her to put shoes on and find the dog's leash. I phoned Richard, who was visiting a friend up French Road, and told him we were leaving. We knocked a screen out so the cats could come and go and left the door unlocked with a note saying the house was unoccupied.

The fire was actually about a mile away, just past Dufek Road. By the time we located it and drove home the back way to stay out of the firetrucks' way the smoke had stopped blowing past our house. I think it was a run-of-the-mill grassfire, but we didn't go close enough to see much.

Later I laughed to think of how little I had taken with me. People always talk about what they would take with them if they had to evacuate. I took the kid and the dog, that's all.