My dad's house may burn down tonight. Depends on the wind. No rain in 4 months and everything's turned to tinder. They are packing up the truck. If firefighters come back, it will be to tell them to evacute.

I remember the fire last year as (e:james) and I came out of the paria slots up into Escalante - pillar of smoke covering half the horizon for three days after. A bizarre cap to our hike, which was two days in and aborted due to lack of water. I was pushing so hard to get put of the canyons I ended up with sunstroke, and had to wait in meager shade at the trailhead watching the fire take up more and more of the sky, while James hitched back to our car.

I'm also thinking about as a kid i'd watch fires on mountainside near our home, seemingly hovering midair at midnight, char and smoke of sap and sweet smelling wood. Fearsome, a guilty pleasure to watch - enjoying it but knowing people's lives were being destroyed.