Yesterday ended up being a bit more stressful than expected for a planned mellow Sunday.
Mostly because the ridge above my home caught fire.
Well, I guess the...draw? The mini not quite canyon? the slight valley? Who knows the name of it. But the fire started in the next draw over from my home. So if the fire had climbed up and over the ridge it would have come straight down the mountain for our homes basically.
In any case.
I wasn't home at the time the first started.
I only knew it was occurring because one of the roomies texted me a picture of the fire at the very beginning stages...as she'd just been leaving to go see family when all these fire and police vehicles came roaring by and she saw the smoke.
And like....there's still a lot of anxiety...involving fires in my household.
For good reason since the house nearly caught fire what was it....8 years ago now?
And any time a fire starts anywhere near our area ... my roomie tends to get a bit tense and anxious about it.
Which there seems to be a fire that happens every 2-3 years here.
As there was a fire on the same mountain just a couple of years ago it feels like. Just slightly further south.
In any case.
Seeing the picture and knowing how close it was to our home --though still a handful of miles away-- I knew I would need to come back to support my roomie as the anxiety kicks up high in these sort of situations.
Especially when you know that if the fire breaks over the top of the ridge it could come straight for us.
And I have to say it was a bit nerve wracking as I came around the point of the mountain and made my way back into Happy Valley to see this giant plume of smoke rising into the sky. Knowing that it was near my house. Knowing I was still a good 30 minutes away from being able to be home to check in.
But my worries lessened the closer I got to my home and I could see where the fire was.
Could see that it was being contained to inside that draw area. That it hadn't broken over the ridge. That it looked like the fire was moving up the mountain and south away from us rather than down and north towards us.
And with how mellow the winds were --compared to the nasty wind storm we'd had Saturday night...I had little concern that the fire would come at us.
There was minor concern come sunset as I knew the winds would shift a bit as the winds usually do with the setting of the sun. But if the fire had burned south enough by that point....then if the winds shifted it would have nothing to burn north at because it would have already burned everything.
So overall my worries had been quelled upon seeing the fire in person.
Were they fully gone? No. But was I stressing about it? No.
My roomies though?
Not so much.
And a lot of it was due to past experience with how close our home came to nearly catching fire nearly a decade ago.
My evening ended up being a lot of reassurance and soothing to both roomies.
Thankfully we have a neighbor who has had experience fighting fires in the past so he was able to explain what was going on and show how unlikely it was due to the terrain that the fire would come at us and what would most likely happen if it did and how unlikely it would be to come at us anyways.
Like
1. Rocky ground outcroppings on our side means less foliage to burn.
2. There's a trail that cuts along the mountain that's a natural firebreak that the firefighters can use to stage more hoses and such, but could also use as needed to set back fires to prevent the main fire from coming at us.
3. There's like 4 rows of houses and a wide road between us and the mountain so less of a threat to us specifically.
Though yes, I do understand that flying embers can make the fires worse and cause them to catch wherever they land.
But again. With barely any wind in the air.
Less of a concern.
Still. We ended up camping out on the lawn with neighbors and family that came by to support to watch the smoke --as we couldn't see any of the flames as they hadn't crossed the ridge-- and watch the various helicopters and planes come in with water and red slurry to treat the fire.
And really, by sunset when the plane and helicopters got grounded....the fire had mostly been put out....
Like it was still burning and embery looking for sure. But like huge towering flames didn't seems as likely.
And the firefighters had done a good job in trying to contain the fire into just the draw. Putting down slurry barriers on our ridge and at the bottom of the draw to stop the fire from coming at us and such.
So again. I knew we were safe.
The roomies took more convincing though.
And honestly I don't think they were ever fully convinced because the brain does love to do those 'what if' scenarios when the unknown is unknown and danger is on the literal horizon.
But there seriously was a moment where I would reassure one roomie, they would leave, the other would come up I would reassure then, they would leave, the first one would come back to be reassured again lol.
And honestly...I think we would have had a more peaceful night because the fires were obviously smaller the smoke much less crazy....
But then the bishop sent out an email.
That basically was like "Hey, no formal evacuation has been declared, but they can't fight the fire with air crews at night so it's best to be prepared. Make sure you have everything you need ready just in case you need to evacuate."
*exhales*
Which started a further panic in the roomies of what should we take what should we bring.
And it definitely started that tug of war of like "We don't need to pack anything because I can tell nothing is going to happen." with "Well it's best to be prepared just in case" but also like "it's just stuff guys. Literally everything can be replaced."
...well not everything. They were mostly focused on the irreplaceable stuff. Sentimental items and the like.
But it did bring to mind the "what would I take?" if I did need to evacuate.
Because seriously...it's just stuff. Most of it can be replaced. Would I be sad to lose some things yes. But it's just stuff.
And maybe I'm just a bit apathetic about it because I've had one too many dreams in the past where it's the "the house is falling down grab stuff!" or "the house is on fire! the house is sinking! The house is being sold!" and I always end up bogged down with like...bins of stuffed animals I want to bring when honestly...it's just stuffed animals.
And maybe it's just weird because I'd had a dream a handful of nights ago where I was at my Dad's old home (as my dad sold our childhood home last year) and we were going through various rooms and in my old bedroom there was old jewelry and pictures and such that had been not yet taken where I was like "Why haven't I grabbed this yet?"
But yah...
Things to take now in the real life?
Probably my contacts/glasses. Meds -since Migraines I don't want to suddenly stop those. Important documents. Clothes --which I just grabbed everything on my floor and shoved them in a waste basket. Laptop. A couple of my favorite stuffed animals. And then I was like "well if I had time." there are some of my mom's cross-stitches as well that I would also do my best to bring out.
But yah....it is an interesting perspective to just see what I would and wouldn't want to bring with me if I had to evacuate.
Like that list was just the quick "just in case 5 minutes before I try to go to bed" things I gathered.
If I had a couple of days to plan the items would probably be different.
Like...I suppose the main question would be....would I try to save my fish?
I have 4 tanks of fish currently. 3 smaller ones that could be easily moved. But then I have this large 125 gallon tank. Can't really move that when it's full of water.
And like....it's full of water....water is the opposite of fire....but the tanks are on wood stands...which fire burns....
So yah....like would I make the effort to try and save the fish? If I had 2 days to plan? Probably.
If I had 5 minutes? No. They're fish. In water. I'll leave them to their chances.
But it does make you look at your home a bit differently.
Like....with all the stuff you've gathered over the years....what actually matters in the end?
Honestly....the important things for me would be. 1. My phone which has my wallet and hopefully with a charger. But if not. 2. My car w/ keys which my car has a charger in it. So yay charger. 3. Laptop if possible because laptop! but again can buy a new one if needed. which leads to 4. Being able to see so Contacts/glasses. (but I can always contact my eye doctor and be like...heeeey can I get some temporary contacts until I can order more in lost all mine in a fire) and 5. Migraine medicine. But that one is ...lesser because I'm on a low enough dose that if I miss a day or two it's no big deal and I could always contact my doctor and be like "heeeey I need more meds. Lost mine in a fire." and I could get them rather quickly.
And then 6 would be like....sentimental stuff. Things I would like to keep with me. Things with memories. Things with value. Like at this point a lot of stuff from my mom would have higher value to me if I could keep that near.
It does bring to mind too like....there's always talk about 72 hour kits or bug out kits of "if you have to leave fast take this!"
And like...part of me is like....I should keep a change of clothes at work. A set of meds at work. An extra series of contacts at work... just in case. So that if for whatever reason I can't get home to grab anything. At least I have /something/ there so I'm not totally destitute and I have back ups just in case.
It's also interesting how the mindsets vary in the face of potential disasters or actual disaster.
Like what my roomies focused on wanting to bring with them just in case is similar but also different from what I would take.
It's also interesting because one roomie is like "I know it will cost money but maybe I should go get myself a storage locker and keep all my most important things there so they're not at risk!"
Like...one of those storage facilities people rent to store their stuff.
And like....yes....you can do that. But 1. Why spend the money on that? 2. Is it actually any safer? The storage facility could catch fire too and you could lose all your stuff in that as well. If the things are really that important to you...invest in like a fire proof safe at home maybe? 3. Why lock it away where you can't ever see it and enjoy it? 4. What's the point of even having it if you're not going to be able to see it and enjoy it whenever you want?
In any case.
The fire smoldered through the night and the firefighters have been fighting it all day.
No idea how it's doing now though the smoke has faded some I'm hoping it's mostly if not all contained at this point.
In any case. Still safe. Fire never made it over the ridge. And I think my roomies have been able to relax a bit more today with the fire obviously getting smaller and further away from us.
Still.
It does make you think.
What would you take....if you had to leave suddenly in the face of disaster?
Until you next find these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi