Tinderbox

This part of the world is on fire. Yesterday at lunch there was some thunder and lightening going on and I thought this was a natural break to the heatwave we'd had the past few days. Apparently, the lightening started forest fires in two places. The road going north of here is closed. I believe the fire is affecting places 6 or 7 miles away. I feel snug and safe although there is an eery silence and stillness in the air. Last night, one of my group members arrived here at 9pm with his wife and dog as they had been evacuated from their nearby home. Esalen was providing floorspace and blankets for folks needing a bed for the night. Possibly linked to the fire, our electricty got cut off - so the whirr of the generator put me to sleep last night. I'm curious to see what Highway 1 looks like without cars on it. It will take people heading north approx 5 hours longer to drive home. I trust what i heard that Esalen will be fairly OK in a fire as it has a ring of succulent plants strategically placed at its edges - we also have the highway separating us from what might happen. I'm feeling somewhat optimistic that the blaze will be controlled. It must be awful to be someone who has left their home behind - unsure of what they may have to go back to ......