Ever since I read that word in another blog it has stuck with me. I never knew that the word existed, and I still do not know how to pronounce it. I had to go to The YouTube to listen how to pronounce it.....Seeth U Rizum. But, what does it mean? In its most basic definition, it means the sound of the wind through the trees. One of my most favorite sounds.
Nothing relaxes me more than the peaceful sound as the wind creates a gentle rustling through the pines or a grove of aspens. A sound we hear often as we sit in the hot tub at the end of a busy day. Man, how I miss those moments when we are on the road.
It can also be one of the most terrifying sounds as any of you who have experienced a tornado or hurricane know all too well. This week we had a mix of both as Thursday brought another windstorm with gusts over 70mph, and a couple up to 90! This of course toppled trees, some of which fell on powerlines which started fires throughout the area.
One fire went from 120 acres to over 5,000 in a couple hours as the wind pushed the fire through the forest. Fortunately, none were within miles of us. Unfortunately, this big fire was near Dan and Bonnie's house, and they had to evacuate for a few hours. The firefighters did not even attempt to fight the fires at night with those high winds, and several houses were swallowed up immediately. By the morning the fire had reached 7,000 acres and was a mile from Dan and Bonnie's. I was over there helping him hook up some heating units as we watched the smoke on the other side of a large hill. We could not see the actual fire, but we could tell it was getting closer.
A bulldozer showed up around noon and cut a perimeter about 150 yards from their house. Hopefully that would stop the fire should it crest the hill. They pull trucks and personnel from the surrounding communities as there are not enough resources locally to a fight a fire of this size. Even with these additional personnel they can only fight the edges and their main priorities are trying to save homes, so they try and direct the fire and place personnel around the houses.
About 2:00 the fire crested over the hill behind their house and started coming down. Now it was time to panic. They gathered what valuables they could and a few days' worth of clothes and put them in the car. We then helplessly watched the fire creep towards their house.
There is really nothing you can do. We hosed down the house with water, probably didn't help but it kept us busy.
Finally, a half a dozen trucks showed up. The smoke was so bad we decided to get out of there for a while and went to supper.
This is what it looked like when we got back.....
They had started a back burn at the road and along that dozer path to keep the raging fire away from their house. Wildland firefighters have to be one of the most underappreciated jobs in the area. They work their asses off in hot, tiring and dangerous situation. While there are some fulltime fire fighters with the Forest Service, most are volunteers. This includes Kevin who spent several days and night driving a Tender Truck bringing water to the front lines.
We saw fire trucks from not on dozens of areas in South Dakota, we saw trucks from throughout Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. We looks up several of the names and the furthest one we saw was from White Sulfur Springs Montana, over 8 hours away.
Fire fighters checked on them that night and told them that they had over 20 personnel surrounding their house along that bull dozer line who would be there day and night for several days to make sure their house was safe and the fire did not flare up again and jump that line.
That was definitely enough excitement for this week. The fire is still going, over 7,000 acres, still 0% contained, the firefighters are still out there trying to save homes and other structures, but at least Dan and Bonnie are sleeping in their smoky house ever thankful for hard working men and women out there.
Oh my goodness!! What a story!! I had been thinking about you guys! Our friends in Rapid City had posted about the fire in the State Park. I'm so glad your friend's home survived, so glad!!
ReplyDeleteAll is well now, although not contained, I think at least the edges are under control.
DeleteOh Wow! Talk about scary. Wild fires are getting more and more prevelant everywhere. The mountain across the lake had a fire on the back side of it several years ago and we watched all the aircraft dropping on it. We were hoping that it stayed on the backside of the hill so we wouldn't get any embers over here. Luckily that is what happened. Glad their house was left alone.
ReplyDeleteDid they pull water out of your lake? Maybe that is where all the fish went, they scooped them all up!
DeleteIt is really scary how a tree just explodes so quickly.
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy how quickly a live pine tree goes up like a lit match!
DeleteI can see that you have been waiting a long time to use that word from your repertoire. I am glad that Dan and Bonnie's house is okay. Although I am a little curious about what you said. You said that they had time to grab some valuables and some cloths. What kind of cloths are we talking about? Loin cloths? Wash cloths? Sometimes your blog creates more questions than answers. Personally I would grab some clothes, but that's just me.
ReplyDeleteLoin cloth, they wanted them just in case they had to resort to living in the national forest.
DeleteWow, what a story. Thank God for the firemen/women who saved their home.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely!
DeleteThose wildfires are scary, especially in high wind conditions. So glad your friends property was saved. Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteThat wind was absolutely nuts. Our trash can was gone, nowhere to be seen. Found it down the road up against the neighbor's fence.
DeleteWhat an amazing story! Thank God for the firefighters! I also like the sound of the wind...and water flowing, like the ocean, waterfalls and fountains.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, waterfalls, creeks and the like can be very relaxing to listen to.
DeleteWhat a lovely home they have, all those windows! So glad it was able to be saved! Grandson is a wildland firefighter for the Forest Service. He's been in Arkansas the last 2 weeks working on prescribed burns. Yesterday the goal was 6,000 acres! He's happy to be going home after a short visit with his parents! I'm sure he'll enjoy the paycheck LOL Ken and Shirley
ReplyDeleteI remember reading when he got that job! That is a job for the young and fit for sure.
DeleteThe smell of pine trees as the wind breezes through is definitely my all time favorite. Except pollen time. We lived in the mountains and wildfires are the scariest! I’m so glad their home made it safe. Hoping not too much burned on their and surrounding properties.
ReplyDeletePollen time sucks! Nothing burned on their property as they cut that fire line before it got that far. Their views are going to change for sure though.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteWhat a scary story. I am glad your friend's home was safe. I am scared of wildfires, we are surrounded by forest and it has been dry from the drought. I am thankful for the firefighters risking their lives to put out these fires. I hope you and everyone there stays safe.
We have a forest on our west side; this has made us look at our forestry practices and cut back a little further from the house.
DeleteTake it this is the Qury Fire...love where you live, but fire is the devil behind the beautiful scenery where you live. Seems there is nowhere that is 100% safe. Live on a Island, you have Tsunamis, live in central California or towards the Ocean, you have Earthquakes, live in Florida, you had Hurricanes, live in mid-west and south, you have Tornadoes, just a fact of life... Glad they are safe.
ReplyDeleteIs anywhere safe from some kind of natural disaster? You are probably right, they are not. It was the Qury fire. There were actually two initially, but then they merged.
DeleteI just posted on another site that I believe fire is the scariest physical issues there is because it's so unpredictable. Glad to hear that your friends' home survived.
ReplyDeleteWe were watching it thinking it was going one way, then a slight change of the wind and it was off in another direction!
DeleteOh my gosh, fire is so scary. I had to call 911 on a fire around the corner this week. This one was out fast though.
ReplyDeleteI just read your post, what the hell. At least the fire station was close.
DeleteFire is so scary I am pleased your friend's house survived Mother Nature can be a right bitch
ReplyDeleteThat she can. In this case the actual fire was somewhat manmade, she just took over from there.
DeleteMy brother moonlights on a wildfire crew every year. They save a lot of houses but not always. Hopefully your friends end up in the win column.
ReplyDeleteWhat does he do? I assume he is not a young man. I for one would have a heart attack wearing all that equipment and attempting to do anything physical.
DeleteThat’s enough excitement for much longer than a week.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, that is enough fire excitement for a lifetime!
DeleteGlad to read you friend's house was saved. That had to be scary to watch the fire crest the hill. Thank God for the fire fighters who came and saved their house. Praying all the firefighters return home safely when this job is done.
ReplyDeleteAs intense as it was for me, it had to be 2-3x more intense for Dan and Bonnie as they watched the fire creep towards their house.
DeleteVery scary the fire came that close to your friends home but thankfully they still have it. Sounds like some darn good firefighters working hard trying to keep Dan and Bonnie's home safe.
ReplyDeleteSue
We were not sure if they had an action plan. We thought that they would show up right away after it started coming down the hill, but they were probably somewhere else fighting the fire. They showed up in plenty of time and kept it away from their house.
DeleteThat is a scary time. Thankfully their house was saved but most of all they were not injured. Fires are certainly not fun, like floods.
ReplyDeleteLove that word at the top of the post, never heard of it.
We were ready to move at a moment's notice, but the wind had died down from the previous day and the fire was not moving nearly as fast.
DeleteThat's so scary. I agree. Firefighters are definitely unsung heroes. My nephew fights forest fires in Alaska.
ReplyDeleteI would imagine that firefighting in Alaska would have its own challenges with huge tracts of land and limited resources.
DeleteBack fires are your friend. It's scary to be sure. We sent our cats and heavy equipment to fires in the Sierra Mountains all the time. Those Cat Drivers ... they've got nerves of steel. They went places I would never go. I'm so glad their house survived. Always good to keep that 150' space well cleared even in good weather. So sad to see the forests burned down.
ReplyDeleteWe talked to several of the fire fighters. There were a fair number of them that were contracted companies that provided services like the Cat, water trucks and even fire fighters themselves. Here I thought they were all municipal or the like.
DeleteWow. That must have been frightening. I've seen fire smoke far off while roaming around the west, but never that close. They were so lucky not to lose their house. You had quite the adventure, and I agree, those firefighters are the unsung heroes of large scale fires.
ReplyDeleteWe would prefer not to see smoke at all, but if we do see it, far away is the best for sure.
DeleteThis is just terrible -- how quickly that fire moved and how big it became. I'm grateful their house has been saved and that firefighters are staying near. But the photos are shocking. I'm glad you were able to be there for them. That's frightening and I hope they suffer no physical damage from the smoke. I'm sure they were grateful for your help. I know I would be.
ReplyDeleteOur cars and clothes were smoke filled when we left. I suspect their house will smell like that for several days.
DeleteI'll never think of that word again without picturing that fire slowly coming down the rise....
ReplyDeleteMe neither. Interesting thing about it cresting that hill, it was raging going up the hill, but once it hit the top it more or less creeped down.
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