Scorched Earth

Today was a day off for me, spent mostly unpacking my suitcase and puttering around the house. Later in the afternoon my husband suggested we take a drive and look at some of the areas that had burned during the raging fires last week. At least three of the fires were on the military base situated on the west edge of town. The base also borders a major interstate freeway, and we could see from charred remains where the fire had come right up to the edge of the road. In fact, the freeway was closed for a period of time while firefighters fought to extinguish the fire and reopen the highway.

Once on the base, the devastation was much more evident. Large areas were blackened and devoid of vegetation, making the scenery look much like I imagine the moon's surface to be. There were much worse areas than this, but there are few places along the roads where you are permitted to stop. A smaller part of the base, the weapons storage area, appears to be more than half burned out. Fire is said to be nature's way of renewing itself, but it will certainly take a great deal of time before we see that happen.