FIRE!

We thought we smelt smoke this morning, but we couldn't identify the source.  Soon, though, smoke was rising in big clouds from somewhere deep in the valley below.  It waned, it waxed again, it became quite dense.  Then the first fire tender came thundering down the road, all blues and twos.  Others followed accompanied by little red vans and a big blue one with Gendarmerie on the side. They didn't seem to know where to go at first and all ended up in the centre of the village, which is effectively a cul-de-sac.  After much reversing and more sirens some wailed off down the road whilst the chiefs set up mission control in the centre of the village.  All day long they have been coming and going with klaxons blaring.  This evening they brought in water tankers.  It seems that quite a big fire is/was burning in the scrubland about two miles away down the valley. I'm not surprised as the whole place is tinderbox dry.  As I write this it is well after 11pm local time and the water tankers are still filling up at all the hydrants up and down the road.  The smoke seems to have dampened down and it looks as if everything is under control.  I guess they have to keep damping the source of the fire for quite a while to ensure that it doesn't flare up again.  We had some neighbours over for a meal this evening and enjoyed food, wine and laughter sitting at the big table in the garden.  We seem to have adjusted already to the fire fighting machines that continue to rumble up and down the road.  Hopefully all will be restored to normal by morning.