Aerial Assault

Day 4: These are a few of the scenes I captured yesterday of the DNR staging area for their aerial assault on the 8 Road Fire. Two helicopters were bucketing water from a nearby lake, and another was carrying retardant tanks. The support crew for the flights remained on the ground until sunset and then pulled out, despite the fire having grown from 30 to 150 acres during the day. I do not pretend to understand the logistics of wildland firefighting, and I know there are aviation rules which must be followed regarding night flights. However, I did expect to see the crew back in the pasture this morning, but there is nothing out there presently except cows and a lot of smoke. The wind has now shifted and is carrying it into my valley. I cannot see the hills through it. While I still don't believe my valley is in any danger of being evacuated, I have my go-bag by the door and a kitty carrier within easy reach. We are not expected to get precipitation until Sunday, and even that won't be much (if any).