The Big Fire

2 weeks ago today, we had a pretty large fire that got about 300 yards from our house.  It was really pretty scary and I hope something like that never happens again!  The day before, Tuesday Aug 30th, the same fire was going but stayed about a mile away from us.  They actually had the kids in the gym at Connor's school and we had to pick up a little early due to all the smoke.  After I picked up Connor on Tuesday, we headed home to start to load up our cars if we had to evacuate.  This was a little un-nerving... what do you take from your house in case you come back home and everything is gone?  After a few minutes of freaking out and a phone call to Kenton I got to work!  I got pictures off the wall, tax information, important papers, clothes, computer, camera.  Whatever I could think of.  Thankfully, we didn't have to evacuate that night.  The next day the fires had been contained somewhat.  I left my house that Wednesday, 8/31 at 2:40 to run to Braum's to get some milk before I picked up Connor from school.  No sign of fires anywhere... after I picked up the milk and headed to Connor's school I saw dark black smoke that appeared very near our house.. it turns out it was about a 1/2 mile from our house.  I picked up Connor, rushed home to turn on the news and started loading up again. (luckily I only unpacked my car to the utility and Kenton didn't unpack his car at all).  I think when we got home the police major was driving through our neighborhood giving us the "warning evacuation".  I went upstairs to get a few more clothes for the kids when I looked out Ashley's window and saw flames shooting over the trees to the east of our neighborhood.  YIKES... I freaked out again.. called Kenton to get home (NOW) and did he answer?  No... so I called his work number and one of the ladies at the bank answered... I politely told her (without sounding like I was freaking out) that we were being asked to evacuate and I needed her to interrupt his meeting with a customer.  :)  He had seen me call on his cell phone and when that lady outside his office took the call he knew the fire must have flared back up.  He came home and we packed some more.  At this point, we felt realtively safe because the fire was a little south of us but about 1/4 of a mile east of us.  The wind was blowing straight south so fingers crossed it would stay to the east of us.  We decided to take the dogs to the kennel where they normally go since we had lost power and it was starting to get a little toasty in our house (it was still 100+).  At about 5:40 we kissed our house goodbye and figured we might as well take Connor to football practice since we didn't have power and it was starting to get a little smokey.  This is the view from our driveway, looking east, right before we left.

Looking straight east.

 Looking South East

 So we are now at Connor's flag football practice and I am getting all these texts... I get one from another one of the mom's who wasn't at practice but at home watching TV.  She sent me a picture and asks if this was our neighbor's house.  YES, it was... 5 houses away from our house!  Just then we noticed that the wind had shifted to the South EAST... it was headed right for us.  Nothing like hearing that and feeling completely helpless.  I continued to get updates from my friend and we went to eat at a Wendy's after the practice... luckily they had a TV and we watched the new coverage, stationed at the house at the end of our street.  I am amazed that no houses in our neighborhood were destroyed.  The fire came all the way up to the fences on the Eastern sides of our neighborhood.  We had firetrucks/pumpers in every East cul-de-sac in our neighborhood.  It was very surreal to watch a house on the same street as yours (also Connor's good friend) on the news as the firefighters are fighting the fire right behind it and you can see sparks raining on their roof.  We stayed that night with a friend of ours and finished watching the coverage at their house.  I think that I slept about 3 hours that night worried about the fire/our neighbors/etc.  I was so relieved after I dropped Connor off at school and then came home to find no homes in our neighborhood destoryed.  Thank you for all the prayers and texts!