Coffee and Smoke from a Distant Fire

On By Terri Webster SchrandtIn photography

Today I am combining two of my favorite blogging events into one post.

Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Part-Time Monster and One Word Photo Challenge: Wildfire, hosted by Jennifer Nichole Wells.

If we were having coffee today, we would be sitting indoors, because it is hot outside, and because it is smoky from a huge wildfire in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

In this photo, you can see how the smoke from the distant, massive fire over 70 miles away obscures the sun and casts an eerie, orange glow in the sky and onto the ground.

Smoky-Sun Smoke from nearby wildfire obscures the sun and filters an eerie orange glow.

On Friday, California Governor Brown issued a state of emergency and the town of San Andreas in Calaveras County was evacuated. The so-called Butte Fire is threatening 6,000 homes, has burned over 50,000 acres in less than 48 hours and remains 10 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.

But hot temperatures, steep terrain and extremely dry brush and trees are contributing to “unprecedented fire conditions and growth,” Cal Fire officials said.

Smoky-Morning Smoke from nearby wildfire filters an orange glow.The residents in the nearby foothill towns of Jackson and Sutter Creek will likely suffer due to the smoke and overall heat. Only about 90 minutes drive east from Sacramento, these towns boast a healthy tourist industry with Bed & Breakfasts, quaint shops, restaurants and nearby casino.

Sadly, some the beautiful, natural recreational areas are burning. As small communities still struggle from the Great Recession, wildfires like this will severely hamper their economies that rely on tourists and outdoor enthusiasts.

The smoke plume soaring to 35,000 feet could be seen from satellite images.

Another photo shows how the smoke mixes with morning clouds to filter the sun which casts that gloomy, orange glow.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that we endured another extraordinarily hot week, with record-breaking temperatures in the low 100’s. I would tell you that I am sick of this oppressive heat. It is been a long time since we hit 105 degrees in September. Fall seems like a long ways off.

Fall-weekend-coffee-shareI hope that wherever you are, you are experiencing cooler weather and actually enjoying your coffee or tea away from a wildfire.

52 thoughts on “Coffee and Smoke from a Distant Fire”

  1. Pingback: Week 39: Wrap up Photo101 Rehab | lucile de godoy

  8. Pingback: One Word Photo Challenge: Blizzard | Jennifer Nichole Wells

  12. sizzlesue15

    Oh Terri that is terrible. We are heading into Summer in Australia and that means bushfire season. We have dreadful fires here and sometimes unfortunately they are deliberately started. Thanks for giving us some insight and if we were having coffee I would probably be offering you a cool drink. Thanks for linking up with us at #anythinggoes – it is always great to have you.

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  13. If we were having coffee today, we would either be sitting in the garden wearing full wet-suits under the big umbrella or sitting inside watching the rain lashing at the windows. And maybe I would get dressed instead of sitting at the computer wearing my dressing gown and crocs, both of which are splattered with acrylic paint. OMG – if George Clooney walked in here now…

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  15. If we were having coffee today, we would either be sitting in the garden wearing wet-suits under the big umbrella or indoors watching rain lashing down the windows. And also, maybe I would actually get dressed instead of sitting here at the computer wearing only my dressing gown and crocs, both of which are splattered with acrylic paint. OMG – if George Clooney walked in here now…

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  16. I can only imagine! I know how sunrise and sunset pictures are made beautiful by what’s in the air. Here it is smog from the chemical plants. But, personally, I’d rather be in Big Sky country or back in Scotland or Norway where the air is clean. Hoping you all get some relief soon. Have a family of friends that just moved to Redding.
    We have been blessed with a cold front that put temps in the mid-50’s this morning and probably tomorrow morning with lovely days. Come on over to Texas for a stay!

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  17. I’m in sixty degrees. It’s cold for time of year. I’m heading to Pheonix and the Grand Canyon next week. So wildfires are an issue, near Pheonix. I hope you stay on the other side of fire line. Look forward to reading your posts. Thanks for follow! It’s appreciated. The smoke from a distant fire, has a seventy’s song feel to it. I guess it’s me. 😉

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  18. It is muuuch cooler here. It’s starting to feel like fall, actually. I hope it cools down in California and that you and your family are able to stay safe…though it sounds like from reading previous comments that you aren’t near the fires.

    Gorgeous photo, though, Terri…even if it is a result of the destructive forces of nature at work.

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    1. “They” keep predicting cooler weather (their version of cooler is down to mid 90s from 105). September and October can still be warm! Thanks for the compliment, Britta, and I trust everything is going well for you as you get closer to Thailand 🙂

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      1. Ah, well, hopefully you get a break from the heat at some point!
        You’re most welcome. Things are going well over here with preparations, though I still feel like I have soo much to do and not enough time to do it all.

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  20. Dearest Terri!
    I am sorry not to have written you sooner but I swear I had no idea how close you were to the fires! I saw about them on the news last night but I wasn’t sure where you lived in proximity. The orange glow in the sky is so scary…I can imagine what people are dealing with over there…I hope the fires will be extinguished soon.
    What a terrible tragedy all the devastation caused by the hot temperatures and drought situation.
    Please stay safe and I’m sending you big hugs on this Sunday and always!

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  21. We are getting a little cooler here, but not much. P and I spent our anniversary day over in Coronado… it was lovely! I am so sorry to read about that massive fire. Not only the natural landscape that is being destroyed but people’s homes and, possibly those little towns. Jackson and Sutter Creek are so lovely – I’ve spent some wonderful afternoons in both.

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  22. Josh Wrenn

    We are getting destroyed by the smoke from that fire here too. I don’t understand why California, who is actually not as dry as we are, and has roughly the same amount of material to burn is having these fires on a near weekly basis. Did they do any debris clearing? Are they spending any money at all on prevention? If it were just the drought, we should be worse off, but that is clearly not the case. I’m getting mad at your state government for what I think was neglect between the fire seasons. I have also heard they are turning away trained volunteers but are using 30% prison labor to build the fire lines. Seems shameful. Sorry for the rant, but it is hard to breathe.

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  24. Today was the first day in several months that I didn’t get smacked in the face by the humidity when I walked outside. It was a lovely morning to walk along the river and feel a bit of a cool breeze. I hope you get some relief soon, too!

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  25. Today over coffee I would tell you that we again have smoke from the California fires. That the weather is cooler. I have finally got my emails under control. I had a bad spell last week and spent part of a day in the hospital. I feel much better today. The orchid I brought 3 weeks is still in bloom and my two African violets are almost in full bloom. My geraniums have dne well this year. The jade plant started from a single is a young plant. Football season has started. 🐝🐈Have stress free day!🐝

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