2/24/09

My World - Wildfires!

Look closely in the left and right corners of this picture and you'll see what my post is about this week.

Whilst we were out geocaching (see post below), we noticed this large plume of smoke on the horizon to the south. The whole time we were out it just grew and grew, then we spotted many local Fire Departments heading into Woodward to help.

As we arrived in town, we realised it was alot closer to town than we had initially thought . It was a terribly windy day, with gusts in excess of 40mph and the wind direction was blowing it towards town. This was one of four wildfires our volunteer fire departments had to fight yesterday. I found out later three of them were set by the same very sick minded person. The same vehicle was seen at all the fire locations, but they never managed to catch the perpetrator.

However, this particular wildfire was started by another person who carelessly discarded a cigarette butt, despite the red flag warnings that nobody here can miss at the moment!

We drove closer to see where it was originating, and as we got into this thick smoke the Highway Patrol closed the highway behind us to traffic. So we turned and headed back into town, whilst saying a few prayers for our very brave firefighters.

Within 40 minutes of this picture, many of the fire trucks passed us heading in the opposite direction, to fight yet another wildfire. Sadly this is my world now, please keep praying for rain in Oklahoma.


To join in the fun go to My World Tuesday

51 comments:

Louise said...

Sadly is right. Horrible that people would deliberately or stupidly cause such destruction.

Anonymous said...

There are some very sick people out there along with some real stoopid ones too!

Here' hoping for rain soon!

Polish Punk Chick said...

I was caught in a California wildfire last year, and it is one of the most scary things ever!

Sylvia K said...

Being from Texas originally, which I don't usually admit to, I know all too well about all that you have written about! I hold good thoughts for you. Stay safe!!

chrome3d said...

Huh huh, those were some fierce looking fires. You seem to get close to fires often.

Unknown said...

A hazard of where I live Chrome!

Its Just Me - Daring to Dream said...

wow, so sad...

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Makes you wonder how anyone could do this... SO Sad... They are just sick-sick-sick...

Pray for RAIN!!!
Hugs,
Betsy

Lew said...

Wind and brush fires are a bad mixture! I hope noone was hurt by idiots who started the fires. Mailbox at the cemetery is a nice touch!

CJ said...

Thats so bad!!I am sending my prayers to the rain gods.hope you get some respite soon

Some people can really be so inhuman!


hope your prayers are answered

love
chaitra

Arija said...

We still have fires raging in Victoria and tomorrow we are threatened with high winds and searing temperatures here too. Everything on high alert. This is the end of summer and a 6 year drought so we have no water to fight it should it occur.
We too have firebugs...

Anonymous said...

How terrible! And so careless to just throw a cigarette butt out there without making sure it is out...

I'm doing a rain dance over here!

Celine said...

OMG! How scary! :(

Anonymous said...

It certainly looks very dry. I hope the fires could be controlled and contained. The dry time is always a worry when people are so careless, it happens here too!

Kay said...

My son is a firefighter and this really strikes home for me. People like that should really be sent to jail for a long time. Take care, Sarah!

Jane Hards Photography said...

This must really freak you out coming from the UK to this. I'm with Rob sick and stupid idiots who do this need stringing up.

Anonymous said...

And the vast majority of firefighters in rural Oklahoma are volunteers. Makes what they do doubly amazing.

Sweet Virginia Breeze said...

Hope you get some rain soon. I imagine it is terribly frightening to see such fires close to where you live. I hope they catch the sick individual who set them. Stay safe!

Everyday Goddess said...

I am so grateful to firefighters! They are doing such amazing work!

PS
I checked out the geocache site, how fun!

imac said...

The world seems to have gone topsy turvey with the weather.
Great shots tho.
Prayers for those that lost the livelyhood and hope your rain comes soon.

Mojo said...

Same story as the fires that have ravaged so much of Australia. At least one of those was determined to have been arson, possibly others as well.

Please take care of yourselves. We
ll keep good thoughts for you.

alicesg said...

Geez we do have a fire in one of our forest too but was put down by firefighters. It's about the size of three football field. Was also due to cigarette butts and hot weather.

Reader Wil said...

Oh how awful all these fires in your country and in Australia, where the fires are still going on. It's so discouraging. You told that you were often in France. Actually I was always in France for two or three days. The holiday I describe here on my blog lasted a week and that was the longest holiday I had in France. We always went to Norway or Denmark for six weeks. And we also went often to England and Wales for at least a month.

Anonymous said...

Still praying for rain in Oklahoma.

Daryl said...

I just dont understand why anyone would do something to horrific

Carver said...

I hope you get some rain soon. So terrible when fires are started by arsonist or by the careless.

Amber said...

I hope we get some rain soon! The high fire danger should be enough to get people to pull their heads out of their bums and stop throwing out cigarette butts...there's always gonna be the few that are idiots though. I hope they catch the person who deliberately started the fires though, thats just plain wrong.

Pam said...

I think it is supposed to cool down today and the wind change direction. The cigarette butt people make me the maddest ... I think there is a number you can call to report them. Grrrrrrr. Yes, we saw the firefighters at work when we were up there. Great guys. I come from a family of them myself.

Esther Garvi said...

That is really sad! Did they extinguish it without any one being hurt?

Sherri said...

I hope Oklahoma gets a break from the dry weather y'all have been experiencing. I am sending you rain vibes!!

Nancy said...

We need a Gitmo for arsonists. We could put the moron that started the awful fire in Australia in there, too.

Carole said...

Wildfire season in my part of the US also. Great series of pics.

Anonymous said...

I hope they catch the perpetrator soon. Can't believe there are people who'd do such things deliberately. I hope no one got hurt.

Winifred said...

Hard to believe there are such looneys around but there are and unfortunately they seem to be everywhere.

I pray you get some rain soon Sarah.

Jill of All Trades said...

That is some very scary stuff. I wish people would be more attentive to how they get rid of their butts. Makes me very angry. I read today in the Tulsa World they arrested a volunteer firefighter for deliberatly setting fires.

Unknown said...

That is really sad!

Annie said...

Yes, very sad...and terribly horrific when fires get out of control. Hope all is well there now!Thanks for your visit to My World and the National Day of Mourning.

Annie

penny said...

What a shame that people are not only careless about fire but will start one and possibly hurt or even kill someone. Hope rain comes soon. Thank you for you visit, Pam

david mcmahon said...

Praying for rain for your state and Victoria, my home state.

Stay safe

Anonymous said...

Hoping you don't descend into the chaos that has been happening in Australia this week/month!

D Herrod said...

That 4th one almost looks like a dust storm blowing in. I remember getting caught in a huge grass fire just N. of the Red River on i-35. We had no choice but to drive through the fire. It was on either side of the road but not the road itself.

EG CameraGirl said...

How horrific. I hope they find the one who set three of the fires before he sets another!

Lisa Wilson said...

Oh wow! I didn't know the panhandle was needing rain so badly. :( To answer your question, yes, Tom Cruise does have a home near Telluride. I haven't seen him, but most people around here have. I'm actually an Okie, too! I lived west of Sand Springs until 2 years ago when we moved to Telluride!

Peggy said...

We lived in the high desert in California and were close to several fires started by careless people! Some on purpose too! I will pray for rain for all the places that need more then a drop or two!

magiceye said...

prayers and best wishes for you and yours..
take care!

Gaelyn said...

It's very scary to be so close to those fires. What sick person(s), hope they are caught, prosecuted and pay for damages. I pray for rain.

BTW, if you ever make it to Oregon, I highly recommend a stay at the Caves Chateu.

Be safe.

antigoni said...

I don't understand why people destroy what God gave us with generosity. They don't know that when they destroy nature they kill themselves.

SandyCarlson said...

Such fires are horrible. I can't understand why people want to destroy like that. Thank God for the volunteers who dealt with the fire!

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Fires are scary. I hate when a firefighter gets injured or when a house or other property is destroyed.

DeniseinVA said...

Never a truer word spoken, I hope you get rain soon and I pray that all firefights stay safe, what ever part of the world they may be in.

Powell River Books said...

Thank you for the visit to my Mt. Baker post this week. Firefighters are such wonderful people. It is sad that others can't be careful. - Margy