flames and ashes

From campfire to the real thing. Visiting my friend Sarah in the heart of an historic conflagration of wildfires (in the sense of number and timing, one hundred and thirty one in Mendocino at last count many of which were literally unattended due to the extent of burning throughout the state). Fire permeated my Anderson Valley time in all senses - the air, ashes falling from the sky, trucks poised for quick escape, loaded with agonizingly sorted items of the heart, ladders leaning up to roofs, helicopters dotting the haze with their teardrop buckets of water, firefighters gathering in the hotels, radios rattling out the latest evacuation areas, and the moment of levity coming in an interview with the local CDF official in Boonville or Navarro. Not to worry he was trying to say. "Do not panic. Just do what you would normally do when you see flames." Sarah and I looked at each other wondering whether there was something we were missing - a clear answer. I mean you know, it is just flames. Somehow that has not moved into my muscle memory category of good instinctive reaction. The interview went on. "Your government will protect you," he stated. Another sure bet, government on our side. We could relax, not fret. They would be there for us. As the newscast continued, you got the feeling this guy began hearing himself finally, and slowly all sense of rational thought dissipated. Heading into town for some live interaction with regular town people seemed the safest choice of all. Saffron has seen it all before; she put our minds temporarily at ease.