And so it begins: next week we get our first heat wave of the year, temps here in Glen Ellen, Sonoma County, climbing to at least 100 degrees by Thursday and into Friday. But read what is happening east of us, in Arizona and Utah:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/06/10/record-heat-wave-southwest/
Record breaking heat. It's only June. What is it going to be like in July, August, September? I already have a bag packed, ready to evacuate. It's not complete, it needs dog food and shampoo and a few other things but the fact that it's ready is an indicator of our need to be vigilant and a sign of our powerlessness in the face of fire.
For those of us living in Sonoma Valley, every siren we hear creates a line of alarm in our minds. In 2017, the houses around my cottage burned. The property fence 15 feet from my cottage burned. Last year we were evacuated for ten days during the Glass Fire and the fire came a couple of miles from my street. The danger is incredibly real and frightening.
People talk about grilling and barbeques in the summer. But unless you have a gas grill, no one in the valley lights their Webber charcoal grill past Memorial Day unless the temps are down in the 70's. It's simply too dangerous. I grilled a great dinner about three weeks ago but that's probably it until November. It's a huge part of summer that I miss but it isn't worth the worry and the danger.
Right now fires are burning in several southwestern states. Fire season currently has no "season." Because of increased temperatures, the season is every month of every year in every state west of the Rockies. Unless you live here, it's impossible to understand the severity of the situation and the fear that invades our lives. Most of us sleep with a window open near our bed just to be able to smell smoke if it comes near.
Be careful out there.
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