Fire of Unknown Origin

On the off chance anyone hasn't heard the news, a goodly portion of Arizona is on fire right now - including a fair percentage of the county where we live. So far Bisbee's been spared, but given that the Monument Fire is less than twenty miles away, and the fire conditions are so extremely bad (and liable to stay that way for the next couple of weeks until monsoons start), we're getting just a little bit nervous.

Fortunately, we're pretty well set for contingency plans at the moment. Adam's offered to let us stay with him in Tucson if we need to evacuate; we'll have to board the cats, but there's a place near where he lives that'll do it for a fairly reasonable price. I've also finally bitten the bullet and gotten renters' insurance, which admittedly I've been meaning to do for years, so if the worst does happen we'll at least have a bit of cash with which to refurnish our lives. Tonight we'll be snapping photos of the higher-value stuff to keep online in case we need them to wave in front of the insurance adjuster's face.

And...that's pretty much that. Now it's basically a waiting game, where we roll the dice based on wind direction, tinder availability, and exactly when the monsoons decide to start.

On a more personal note, word is that the Monument fire has destroyed 24 homes so far. While my heart goes out to the now-homeless people, it hits me much more closely to the heart that the lovely little mountainside chapel I used to go to now and then has burnt as well. The giant cross and statue of Mary are both still there, as are the stone walls, but the roof was wood and is pretty well gone, along with (I assume) everything in the chapel. But, as the Buddhists like to remind us, nothing is permanent. And part of the joy of change is that it'll give them a chance to rebuild. (Perhaps this time whoever repaints the mural of the Christ Triumphant will make him a little less Caucasian-looking, too. You never know.)

Fire of Unknown Origin

On the off chance anyone hasn't heard the news, a goodly portion of Arizona is on fire right now - including a fair percentage of the county where we live. So far Bisbee's been spared, but given that the Monument Fire is less than twenty miles away, and the fire conditions are so extremely bad (and liable to stay that way for the next couple of weeks until monsoons start), we're getting just a little bit nervous.

Fortunately, we're pretty well set for contingency plans at the moment. Adam's offered to let us stay with him in Tucson if we need to evacuate; we'll have to board the cats, but there's a place near where he lives that'll do it for a fairly reasonable price. I've also finally bitten the bullet and gotten renters' insurance, which admittedly I've been meaning to do for years, so if the worst does happen we'll at least have a bit of cash with which to refurnish our lives. Tonight we'll be snapping photos of the higher-value stuff to keep online in case we need them to wave in front of the insurance adjuster's face.

And...that's pretty much that. Now it's basically a waiting game, where we roll the dice based on wind direction, tinder availability, and exactly when the monsoons decide to start.

On a more personal note, word is that the Monument fire has destroyed 24 homes so far. While my heart goes out to the now-homeless people, it hits me much more closely to the heart that the lovely little mountainside chapel I used to go to now and then has burnt as well. The giant cross and statue of Mary are both still there, as are the stone walls, but the roof was wood and is pretty well gone, along with (I assume) everything in the chapel. But, as the Buddhists like to remind us, nothing is permanent. And part of the joy of change is that it'll give them a chance to rebuild. (Perhaps this time whoever repaints the mural of the Christ Triumphant will make him a little less Caucasian-looking, too. You never know.)