Haven't seen any post lately about the fires out West. Read where 2 of the fires have joined together. Read here that some of you live in the States affected. How are you doing? Keeping safe, I hope. Prayers are with you and still praying for rain.

-- Annie (mistletoe@earthlink.net), August 27, 2000

Answers

In my part of the country they are still as bad as ever. Lots of manpower and equipment here now but overall unless a home or structure is being threatened they are pretty much being allowed to just burn and little or no effort made to stop them. This week there has been winds which helped disipate the smoke some at my house but unfortunately spreads the fires. Anyone who has respiratory problems has been having a terrible time and there was a few mornings I couldn't see the end of the garden for the smoke.

We are under emergency Level V now which means that any federal or state lands cannot be entered by vehicle or on foot. There are a few exceptions to this but for the most part the whole area is pretty much shut down.

In the midst of this-a enviromental group is complaining. Why? Because helicopters equipped with huge big bucket like attachments are scooping water from the rivers and lakes to dump on fires. They are complaining because fish and aquatic life is being disturbed. Then they wonder why groups such as theirs are despised in this area.

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), August 28, 2000.

Check out this web-site, www.visitid.org This is the Idaho Tourist Information site, they have all the local info on wildfires and a map that covers Idaho, Montana & Wyoming showing where the fires are & have been, what is burned etc. This site give one a much better idea of what is happening, more than Dan Rather! I went to it because we are/were planning a trip over that way in September.

-- Hendo (redgate@echoweb.net), August 28, 2000.

Say Marci, speaking of fire fighting aircraft,

You might be interested in this item I got a while back from one of those strange-but-true web sites...

A few years ago in California there was a raging brush fire. Once the fire was extinguished, the firefighters began the process of clean-up. In the middle of where the fire had been burning, they found a dead man wearing a scuba tank and wet suit. At first the firefighters were baffled as to why a man would be out in the middle of the countryside wearing full scuba gear. Upon further examination, it was determined that the man died from the impact with the ground and not the fire. As best anyone can determine, this man was scuba diving off the coast of California and was accidentally picked up by one of the firefighting aircraft when it was refilling its water tanks offshore.

(:raig

-- Craig Miller (CMiller@ssd.com), August 28, 2000.

Craig, that's such a good one! It's almost as good as the one about the guy who attacked the couple parked in the cemetary at night, and left his hook hand in the door handle!

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), August 28, 2000.

I'm in central MO. When so much of Yellowstone burned in '88, we could smell the smoke and had the most spectacular sunsets because of it. I'd been wondering why we weren't smelling these fires. Finally very early this morning, I could pick up the faint smell of smoke. I also heard on an early news program that South Dakota's involved now and that parts of Texas were burning. A woman who was interviewed said it would take rain associated with a hurricane to replenish moisture. A livestock extension agent said it would take 5 years to get the grass back to normal. Man, I've been complaining about triple digit heat indices and having rain far above normal for August. I'll stop that right now! Good luck and prayers to all of you in danger.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), August 28, 2000.

Annie,

I live about 40 miles on the road and shorter distance by the way a crow flies, from one of the fires that merged(the Mussigbrod Complex). It has been very low visibility around here for sure. In some places the ash is falling from the sky like snow would. Very dangerous for people with breathing problems. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. Suzanne

Suzanne

-- Suzanne Wilson (mtsuz@hotmail.com), August 28, 2000.

Saw a segment last night on the NBC news about the fires. It looked so bad on TV, that I can't imagine how it must be in real life. The fires were "jumping" over roads because of the winds. They also did a segment on Texas and the drought. I had heard that Texas was lacking rainfall, but never imagined it was as desperate as it is. 2 months and not a drop of rain! The look on some of the farmers faces, that they were interviewing, told it all. They showed people standing on the sidewalks holding prayer gatherings for rain. I know it's little comfort, but I'm sure many people are praying right along with all of you folks. Here's to God hearing our prayers, and hope it will be soon.

Marci, can you believe the gall of some of those enviromentalist? I'm betting the locals and the firefighters aren't in the mood right now for their whining.

Suzanne and Marci, please stay safe. Know that there isn't much we can do to help, but just wanted you all to know, that we keep you all in our thoughts and prayers.

-- Annie (mistletoe@earthlink.net), August 29, 2000.

Annie, I moved into the Heartland, of Forest and acreage last year. Place was a cinder,for lack of rain, waiting to explode. I went down on my knees, many times, thinking God and Heaven had deserted us. Then the rains came, not as much as I was comfortable with, tried to remind myself, my comfort level was much too demanding. Thank God Almighty, we have had no fires, no re-enactment of those fires, while the soot swirled in our nostrils, on once upon a time. I have been truly, blessed.

-- Church Fan (hand@waver.com.), August 29, 2000.

We are getting some rain here the past day or so....not much but possibly enough to lower the humidity and hopefully help the fire fighters get control over some of the bigger fires. Thanks to you all for your thought and prayers. God does work in mysterous ways.

Suzanne

-- suzanne wilson (mtsuz@hotmail.com), September 02, 2000.