It’s July, the hazy days of summer. In Wisconsin, the haze comes from the humidity. Out here in the West, the haze comes from wild fires. In both cases the amount of haze changes from day to day and both can be difficult to live with.
Yes, I know occasionally there are wildfires in Wisconsin. The call goes out first to the local (usually volunteer) fire department who then calls in the DNR for equipment and organization in calling in surrounding fire departments until the fire is out. The process takes a day at most with some fire trucks staying around a bit longer just in case something flares up. Out here the fires can take weeks to put out and the smoke travels a long way in that amount of time. Some of the smoke we have here in North Reno is actually from a fire in California. When the mountain right behind our house “disappears” into the haze we know it’s going to smell like we are inside a campfire and we may not see blue skies for a week or so at least. Professional “hot shots” do most of the dangerous work with the fires. They are the ones who look they are wrapped in tin foil carrying axes and small emergency canisters to spray water if a quick shot of it will get them out of a jam. The local (also sometimes volunteer) fire departments are charged with keeping pumper trucks full a safe distance away and sometimes setting controlled back-fires around homes in hopes of saving the structures. Many of those homes are on ranches. It’s easy enough to get people and most pets to a high school when there is an evacuation order, but what about the cows and horses? I think that is why they have the big Reno Rodeo in mid-June, usually before fire season is in full swing. The Livestock-Convention Center is all set up with stalls for larger animals and is in an urban area, so not likely to be in the evacuation zone of a wildfire. Organizing the transportation to and space in the facility takes some time. Usually the “get all the animals out” order goes out early so those with a lot of cattle can arrange for transportation and space for their animals. A friend of mine has three horses and someone who said they can use their space any time so she is always frustrated that she is ordered to move her three friends well before there is a real threat, which often doesn’t come to fruition – only her frustration. Back in Wisconsin I used to love watching thunderstorms. The cool rain and natural fireworks were welcome every summer. Out here it is more of just thunder (and lightning) storms – with little rain. The lightning often sets off new fires in wilderness areas that aren’t detected until they are burning out of control in a forest of dry trees and tumbleweed ready to roll. Summer out here means the sky takes on an orange glow, mountains disappear and reappear in the smoky haze, and we wonder when we will be able to breathe clean air again.
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October 2021
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