everything is burning.

[threeplusfire]

When I opened the front door just now, I could smell smoke in the air. Looking over the trees to the east, you can see the haze in the sky from the fire burning on the other side of I35. That one is about 200 acres now. Another round of sirens just passed by and it seems like resources are spread terribly thin. There are fires in Pflugerville, Cedar Park, the Steiner Ranch subdivision near the lake, Bastrop, everywhere. It's been happening since this morning, made worse with the high winds. One of the neighbors lost a medium size tree limb that's currently balanced precariously on the corner of the fence. Nothing was damaged and I don't think anything could come close to hitting our house. Still. It's hard to watch the trees swaying, knowing the drought renders them brittle and more prone to break than bend.

This is like some cruel, last fuck you by summer. Our 80th day of 100+ degrees, and hopefully the last as a "cold" front comes through to drop our highs into the 90s. I was almost excited about it this morning, until everything started burning. People are losing their homes right now. There's a big fire burning out off 71, in my beloved country. The wind is helping the flames jump roads. It's frightening, even though the actual fires are a few miles away. Hundreds of acres are on fire right now. It's so bad that they are using the STAR flight helicopter to carry buckets of water to the major fires in Pflugerville. All the departments are out now, spread thin with so much happening all at once.

It's really just sad and scary and there's absolutely nothing to do but hope it doesn't come nearer to us.

Comments

[fiatincantatum.livejournal.com]

Drop wossname with the hair in the middle of the burning area and see if he can pray his way out of it?

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

If we dropped Gov Good Hair Perry in there, all the product on his head might cause him to melt.

[tla]

Um, crap. My mother is in Bastrop and my brother lives in the Steiner Ranch subdivision. I just talked to Mom around midday and she didn't mention a thing...

[tla]

Just called my mother back; she had no idea that Steiner Ranch subdivision was on fire. Brother and girlfriend are out at a beach somewhere, so they're about to have a nasty surprise. She says that she's safe so far, outside of Bastrop with the winds keeping the fire away.

My thoughts are with you all, obviously. Good lord.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

The fire out at Steiner started late this afternoon, around 5pm I think. I really hope your family stays safe and unharmed!

[razorart.livejournal.com]

Oh no :(

I hope it doesn't come closer to you guys.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Me too. I found myself looking at my lovely hedges, which run alongside the house and are probably a tremendous fire hazard right now.

I read somewhere that one of today's fires was started by some kid burning love letters. I laughed, even though it is horrible.

[halfacork.livejournal.com]

Hugs.

Fires are terrifying. I hate when we have them even if there is a sort beauty in orange skies and a snow of ash. I can never breathe though.

Not that I ever do.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

While I'm relatively safe from the current fires, I am so afraid of one starting in my neighborhood.