We’re just past Portland on the way home but our hearts are still in Ashland. As we walked back from breakfast I asked the Weisenheimer if he smelled smoke. As we drove away we watched a terrible plume of smoke cloud the sun, clearly close by and coming from the south end of town. It’s very dry, the forecast is for temperatures in the nineties, and it’s an unusually windy day there – with the wind blowing out of the southeast, pushing the smoke – and the fire – into town.
No word yet on what has started this grass fire at Siskiyou and Crowson that quickly got out of hand and at last report reached 100 acres. It has destroyed some homes and evacuations are underway. Southern Oregon University must be at risk; because of the nearness to town and the wind pushing it north the whole little town seems at risk. Driving north we saw many engines heading down from Medford.
We’re very worried about this sweet little town that has given us so much friendship and happy memories, and about all the people who make their homes here, work here, and are visiting, and we earnestly hope for safety for all of the firefighters.
UPDATE: The news this evening is pretty good, considering. The winds eased, the firefighters say they are getting control of it, one home is lost and no reports so far of injuries or fatalities. We're relieved that it wasn't much, much worse.
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