rejectomorph | Hover through the fog and filthy air.

A fire truck from Monterey County just cruised up my block and back down. Then it headed east, following the path of the other fire trucks which have passed along the road leading toward the canyon. I haven't been down there to see the firebreak they bulldozed last night. I don't know how much clearing they could do in so short a time in what is essentially solid forest, because it would take a long time to bring down and haul away enough big pines to create a strip much wider than a city street. There are a few open fields inside the town which could be cleared of brush, and those could be decent firebreaks, but they would not be continuous, and a line so far from the canyon would doom dozens of houses along the very edge of town.

But as far as I know the fire is still east of the river and a couple of miles north of the nearest buildings in town. The north winds expected last night never got very strong so the fire has moved only a little way south from where it was yesterday. That also means the smoke didn't dissipate as much as expected either. I opened the windows before midnight, as the outdoor air was then no fouler than the indoor air, but it got pretty thick again this morning so I had to close the place up again. Most likely the smell had gotten into everything in the house and will be with us for weeks after the fires are out. Should the house survive, maybe it would be a good idea to get the drapes and carpets cleaned, at least.

I do not recommend fire as a cleansing agent. It stinks.

Edit: The town is doing a pretty good job of keeping its website updated.

Yay Internetz.