Thank you Louise for thinking of us.
Fire season is early this year, for understandable draught-related reasons. The Sands Fire near Sacramento is already 50% contained which is great news considering the fire only started on Friday. On Saturday, a fire started near El Portal / Foresta (Yosemite). I could see the plumes of smoke right after it started, even though it might be 30 miles away as the crow flies. Each morning it is very smokey, which was the same pattern as last year's Rim Fire. Then it dissipates to more tolerable levels. I don't think my community is threatened like last year. But already we are experiencing the tourism-related issues from road closures. The news always focuses on how many structures are lost. Yes this is devastating but there are other effects of wildfires such as loss of income (we may have to lay people off again), health issues, and serious environmental problems like erosion and loss of habitat to the many animals who have no voice.