A few hours ago, the September sun set in a hazy blaze of red fire; for all intents and purposes invisible behind a thick layer of smoke.
After a week or so of very still sunny weather, a wind from Eastern Washington had picked up, blowing the smoke from 330,000 acres of wildfires our way.
330,000 acres in 24 hours. For you metric folks, that's 1335 square kilometers in 24 hours.
For perspective, 330,000 acres is more than 12 of the last 18 wildfire seasons in just 24 hours.
We had a feeling something was amiss when it smelled like the entire neoghborhood had let bonfires, late last night.
This morning, I woke up to a thick brown haze. Protection Island — across a narrow strait — was barely visible, even under clear skies at noon.
Indeed, our air quality was in the stay indoors, stay home range all day long.
I can't even imagine how horrible it must have been for those who are much closer to the fire zones. The smoke we're seeing is from... 150 miles (250km) away.
As I continue to contemplate this year of 2020, I keep thinking there's something almost Biblical happening here.
On the other hand, the power of these wildfires... serve as a poignant reminder that we're as much at the mercy of Mother Nature as we are at the mercy of some weird virus... no matter who set it loose.
It's also a poignant reminder that humankind's delusion that we can somehow "control" our environment and the planet is... well, just a DELUSION.
May you be safe and healthy, wherever you are... even if the world IS on fire, both literally and figuratively!
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Created at 20200909 00:25 PDT
0109/1336
