Wind and the Wallow Fire

Wind Blown Willow and Barn

June 18

I was hoping to have nothing but good news on the Wallow fire. But I guess I was ahead of myself. The fire is 500,000+ acres with 44% containment. We still have no rain in the 10-day forecast and now there is another issue. Winds are terrific and that really hampers fire fighting. Here at the cabin it blew my clothesline down. I have used extra clothespins on everything for weeks. If something light like a facecloth blows off the line, it is history. It probably will be in New Mexico by dark. But since the wind couldn’t loosen clothes off the line, it just broke the line and dropped everything in the dirt. Oh well, such is life without regular electricity. Solar won’t run clothes dryers.

But rewashing laundry is nothing compared to trying to control a huge fire in this wind. We are expecting 60mph gusts all weekend. That creates a safety issue for the fire crews as well as making their already hard jobs much more difficult. I see on the updates that there are 10 injuries to date. That amazes me actually. With 4300+ people working round the clock on a 780 square mile fire, 10 is a very small number. It goes to show that the crews are well trained and competent. Bless them.

It seems early mornings at the Double Circle are not windy. Doug is trying to finish a new barn roof tomorrow before both the heat and the wind. You just can’t roof in 100 degree temps with a 60 mph wind- not happening. Personally, I try to avoid any job that put me higher in the air than the saddle on a tall horse. Heights are not my strong suit.

We all are hoping that this wind storm won’t let the fire breach fire breaks and spread even further. Eagle Creek is still not entirely out of danger. We do have helicopters hauling water to dump on the south and southeast lines, but I haven’t heard them all day. I suppose they can’t fly in this wind. Hopefully they can make a few early morning runs before the wind starts back. Meantime we keep looking north and watching the smoke plumes. That is an entertainment I would like to do without.