Wildfire!

While cruising the 101 on the way to lunch. I noticed that we had smoke in the air. Almost immediately we could smell the woody smoke. It seemed to be coming from an area in front of us. As we turned off to get to the restaurant I could see the billowing cloud coming from the base of the fire on a hillside several miles in front of us. After lunch we headed to the mall to get Debra's watch resized. We passed the mountain side where the fire had been contained, but was still smoldering. The policemen were limiting the traffic across the overpass closest to the fire. We could see the helicopters dumping their load of water and then going to a nearby urban lake to refill. On our way back, it was obvious that the fire had started at the road. The footprint on the shoulder, a vehicle sized black smudge gave a clue to the cause. And when I found the newsreport, sure enough, a burning truck had ignited the hillside. Firemen in their bright yellow protective gear were spraying the remaining smoldering areas to be sure the fire was completely out. The air was clear again. Only ten acres burned . . . . . this time. But it is only June after one of the wettest years in California's history. The underbrush is tall and drying out rapidly as the weather begins to warm. And the hottest months in California are yet to come.

If you are paying attention, you can see that firebreaks are ready. Strategic strips mowed or plowed. We should be praying now for God to protect California from another horrific fire season.