Page 6 - The Silver Fire

THE BLACK RANGE RAG - WWW.BLACKRANGE.ORG
(Editor: Photos above: While the fire burned on the mountain, flowers were blooming in Hillsboro and the garden harvest was underway - by Bob Barnes)
The Silver Fire - As It Happened - Part 2 (Con’t)
“I am going to stay here for this evening, possibly not go to Colorado either -- there is an evacuation notice that was a 72 hour one. So that makes me think it won't happen fast. On the other hand, you can see the flames now and it's only about five miles away. On the other hand, the wind isn't blowing much. I'm up to the minute on info here, everyone's being kept notified. Everyone's just waiting. I may leave here in an hour....or I may stay 'til morning....we'll see.
“I'm going to pack the car...and then decide what to do. Ash is falling and you can see the flames now. “
“You better have a bag packed!”
“I have a whole lot more than just a bag packed up. My car is loaded and I will postpone my trip to Colorado to move ALL my belongings down to Hillsboro tomorrow. S”
By midnight Jim was up and we took a load down to Hillsboro. Then another, then another. In between trips the police came and said to evacuate—I had the phone in my hand at the time, it was a neighbor calling from Las Cruces. He heard the exchange with the police. Joey and I arrived in Hillsboro at 3:30 a.m. Other Kingstonites were arriving in town about the same time. Jan had the word out of where people could stay.
This photo is a telephoto from the deck.
A day of decisions by listening and watching. In between the activity of packing to evacuate, I waited. There was time for visiting and subtle consideration of options while listening to our volunteer firefighters and others in the same process. At home, the deck, is a cool spot from being wetted. The evening felt pleasant and still. I heard voices all over town: “It’s fuel, that’s all there is up there.” I had heard work all day at one neighbor’s house. Some-one there said, “You’ve gotta stop sometime, there’s nothing more you can do.” Dogs, cats, chickens, all voicing their nervousness, and people, too. And then you could begin to actually hear the fire.
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IN MEMORY OF THE GRANITE MOUNTAIN HOTSHOTS