It started with lighting over 14 days ago and our little community has been literally 'under fire' ever since. Sun Valley, Ketchum, and Hailey have all been effected with the closest neighborhoods evacuated. People have had to take what they could in a few hours and then find a new place to stay. Nobody knows when the fire will be out. They can only say it will be gone when the first snow falls in a couple of months! Schools are shut down and friends/family are making lists of things that matter most when faced with the terrible possibility that their house may burn down. So far there has been no structures lost or people injured on the fire! That is the best news. There are over 1,400 fire fighters & crew on this 41,000+acre fire that has changed our lives. It is not the biggest fire currently burning or that has burned but it is so close to home it is impossible to look the other way. Current information: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/952
We know sleep with all the windows closed even though we don't have AC and it's 80 degrees when falling asleep. When looking outside it seems like it is going to rain but as soon as you open a door, a rush of smoke invades your lungs and you want to gag. Thankfully, the conversion helps lift the smoke in the afternoons so we get some relief. Working in Ketchum has been hard, knowing that our mountains are quickly changing outside.
Despite all this change and fear, I am ever more impressed with our community to stand together! Over 1,800 people were displaced in the last two weeks and the hotels were not full. This means that all these people have been absorbed back into the community with family/friends along with their pets, livestock, and belongings. I look at the mountains and feel sad because they are changing from green to gray but I am almost relieved in an odd way. I know that they will be green again and when they are the Wood River Valley will be stronger for surviving the time we thought we might lose our beloved home!
The pictures posted are curteousy of one of the local newspapers Mt. Express & two photographers Will Cook & Michael Mathewson.
3 comments:
What a mess! I used to carry the fire hose just like those firefighters. Make sure everyone is taking their Xango, to help with the smoke ; )
Is this going on right now??? I haven't heard anything in the news. That is so sad to hear--are you guys okay and safe? It really makes you want to be prepared for diasters.
I know scary! Yes, it's going on right now but we are all safe. They aren't publisizing it that much and I thought the same thing...why? I have a feeling that the local business's don't want people to be scared away for the ski season. So far no structures burned and no people injured. And today it's 55% contantained! We just need to survive a windy upcoming weekend....
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