Driving into town this evening, was passed by a horde of fire trucks and other safety vehicles. As I crested Skyline Drive, the reason became apparent – a significant forest fire had broken out right on the outskirts of town.
As we are a few short hours before a red-flag warning with high winds and severe fire danger, the authorities appeared to have pulled out all the stops. In addition to a host of fire trucks, I saw a massive bulldozer being brought into town on a flatbed truck. (As a matter of fact, right now, we’re being buzzed by a water-dumping helicopter and the firefighting aircraft you see to the right…check that shot out at the original size for the full effect.)
Update: At 7pm, the fire was 70% contained. As of right now, the air assault seems to have stopped, the smoke has dissipated, and the sirens have stopped, so it appears they have things under control.
Update 2: At 8:30pm, the fire was 100% contained.