Fire!

The Twisp-Carlton Road yesterday

You might have heard about the Eastern Washington wildfires, in particular the large fire burning near the Bavarian tourist-trap town of Leavenworth.  We've been pleasantly warm in Seattle, but the weather across the mountains has been searingly hot, dry and windy.

It hasn't made national news, but wildfires are also affecting life in the Methow Valley. Near the town of Carlton, about 10 miles south of Twisp, a cluster of new fires was started by a lightning storm Monday.  Folks living in the remote valleys around Carlton have been forced to evacuate, some hauling out dozens of farm animals and horses.

As of this morning, the Carlton Complex fire has burned across 7 square miles with zero containment.  No homes have been lost yet, but some of Amanda and Tom's friends had harrowing close calls while escaping last night.  The town of Twisp isn't in any immediate danger, but Amanda says it's smoky, hot and chaotic. To add to the misery, they expect to lose electrical power in the Valley, possibly for as long as 3 days.

Meanwhile, on the extreme other side of the state, the Washington coast is foggy, chilly and rainy. And this happens to be where we're headed for a mini-vacation.  Oh well. Sitting on a balcony in a winter jacket with a glass of wine, peacefully watching shades of grey sounds like a change of pace. At least I won't have to water anything for a few days.