Thursday, August 27
After four days and nights at the shelter that had been set up at the Republic elementary school, it was time to move on. Since I had stayed more for convenience than a last resort, it was only fitting that I pay for that convenience. The Search and Rescue office was located on the school grounds. I made a donation that was equivalent to the money I would have spent had I camped and provided my own food. As a bonus parting gift, I used my checkbook to swat a yellow jacket that was tormenting the folks in the office.
Off through the smoke I drove, to check on the cabin one more time. Along the way stood ample evidence of neighbors helping one another. Trucks, boats, and trailers sat in green irrigated fields. Citizens offered water to those who lacked it.
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Things were as I had left them, including smoke so thick you could nearly swim in it. I donned a mask as I expanded the perimeter even farther from the cabin. Twenty-five more washtubs full of pine needles were filled and carried away.
By dark I would be in northern Idaho. Due to the lay of the land and the road closures, it was necessary to go west before going east. As I approached Tonasket on Highway 20, the hillsides darkened by the Tunk Block fire came into view. Where the highway follows a steep-walled creek, the fire had jumped the pavement. Had the firefighters been unable to stop its spread in the high winds, thousands of acres would have been affected.
Going southbound between Tonasket and Omak, I saw burned areas on both sides of Highway 97. A few structures had been lost, but many more stood undamaged against acre upon acre of ashes. Saving them required the frantic efforts of many firefighters.
Then I took Highway 155 leading southeast from Omak. Both sides of the highway were blackened by blazes that had recently burned themselves out.
Even a hot fire does not kill every tree. The fire raced quickly across this sparsely timbered hillside, leaving most of the taller pines scorched but very much alive.
Where trees of varying sizes are spaced close together, fire can easily make its way to the treetops. Young trees closely spaced are vulnerable as well.
At last report the highway was open. But in the afternoon heat and wind, the Tunk Block fire had flared up. Colville tribal police closed the highway and directed travelers to an alternate route farther south. A tanker plane banked towards the advancing line of fire to drop another load of water.
The detour took me to Omak Lake, at the southernmost extent of the Tunk Block fire. The steep rocky slopes on the north side of the lake hold so little fuel that the fire had nowhere to go.
The skies cleared as I drove south and east. Outside of Spokane, a full moon rose rose as the sun drifted towards the western horizon. The smoke no longer covered the landscape like a stinky blanket.
Saturday, August 29
From the safety of northern Idaho, I followed today's weather reports. This was another critical day for the fire crews. Strong southerly winds would blow all day and into the night. Some gusts might reach 60mph. Higher humidity and scattered showers would work in the firefighters' favor.
Several remote weather stations operate from the vicinity of the Tunk Block and North Star fires. Two of them broadcast new information once or twice hourly. Occasionally I would go online to get the latest reports. At the north end of the Tunk Block fire, the prevailing wind was from the southeast; good news for Aeneas Valley. Gusts reached 30mph, not the dreaded 60. I also checked for updated fire maps and status reports.
The fire lines held, and Aeneas Valley was spared. Several days of more favorable weather were on the way. Certainly this is not the end of the story. It's more like one more chapter where the good guys survive. For now the cabin is safe.