Another fire a mile from home

The fire I posted about yesterday has about 12,000 people under mandatory evacuations. There isn't much new information about it but as of 7am they evacuated an area that's a 12 minute drive from our place.

Snagged this from the local newspaper website

This one as well, I wasn't going out to get my own last night

The worst thing was the NEW fire yesterday, 1 mile up the trail on a hiking patch. Some asshole left a smoldering campfire... yes, it's 97 degrees in the hills under the shade but I guess they were just too cold or wanted to be nostalgic and have a fire. The nerve.
When the trucks raced up the canyon we got everything into the dining room, had the in-laws do the same and waited. An hour later the fire was completely out (hopefully) but it goes to show that all it takes is one idiot and everything can collapse around you.

Being a prepper or being prepared can be a lot of talk but it's times like this when you know how set you are, and we are 100% set. All the pictures that are up in the house are in a bag and we will grab the painting that have been handed down 3 generations. Several days of clothes, the week buckets, get home bags, trauma bag, ar-15's and ammo. That gets loaded up first, anything else is just that. I did toss my favorite cookbook in with the pictures. I got it as a gift in 1994 from my best friend, it's all the recipes from the Montana Bar and Grill on Flathead lake. It's out of business for about 12 years but it was my favorite place to eat when I visited up there.

The buckets have a week worth of food for us and the dogs as well as toiletries. The last thing I want to have to buy is a toothbrush when it's so easy to have everything ready in advance. The buckets work well since they stack and are easy to carry.
We have a bag next to the safe for all of the handguns and can just carry the rifles, if there is time. The biggest concern is the in-laws, I'll move slow when I'm in my 80's as well, if I make it that long.

Normally an evacuation order seems really early and silly, but if you haven't seen a fire in person then you wouldn't understand how fast it can move. It was 1994 or 1995 that I helped on a fire in California as a volunteer from Ft. Carson, it's amazing and horrific when you are there working to keep it from spreading and making fire breaks.


Life goes on, the yard is getting water and I've got 4 racks of ribs cooking. The plan is to go around the block for a BBQ tonight and I can't slack on the food. I nailed out a cheesecake late last night when it was cooler outside, the ribs are boiling (for about an hour until the bones stick out about 1/2 an inch). Later the ribs will go on the grill for 15 minutes and whatever sauce will be slathered all over them.

I need to get some baked  beans going later but first we are heading to get some coffee/tea and see how the smoke from the fire is looking. There isn't any wind right now but it's already getting really warm. I'm not really worried yet, it won't do any good if I am but we still want to check on the progress.