Oregon Burns

 I didn't pay a lot of attention to the forecast of an unheard of wind event.  

East winds don't come through here.  But they did last night.  Down through the mountains, in a matter of moments.  They changed the sky from clear and calm one minute, to smoke filled and windy the next, with gusts here that would challenge an Oregon winter storm.

Our winds come from the southwest.  This easterly brought fire with it.

In the middle of the night, my friend and her family, who own that motel I stayed in a couple weeks ago, at Detroit Lake, had to evacuate.  They couldn't catch all their cats.  She said there was fire along the road.  Mill City is maybe burned to the ground, I'm not sure.  I think most of it might be gone.  Lyons was next in line after the fire went through Gates and Mill City, but I don't know how Lyons fared.  I don't know if the town of Detroit is still standing or if my friends motel is unscathed or how the cats she couldn't find have done.  I don't know how far west that fire will come.  If it proceeds straight east it'll cross the north south freeway somewhere between Salem and here.

We need that SW wind now, to sweep up and in from the south coast and blow the fires back on themselves and out.

These are not the only fires.  One broke out just east of Springfield on the highway leading to the mountains.  I hear Blue River, a small town, is gone and the news says to expect loss of life, that it happened too fast.

We just don't get these east winds of great force.  Where did it come from.  It turned the sky here thick with smoke and high wind, in literally ten minutes time.  This morning ash fell like rain.  I believe ash is still raining down outside.

The sky this morning here.