The three big fires in the area seem to have calmed down. I haven't gotten called out for the past two days, although when I went by the fire barn on Thursday, all the trucks were out. They may have decided to use the lull to service them, or just had small crews out patrolling the edges of the black. I still see a lot of haze in the air, but that may come from stumps continuing to smolder deep in the burned-out areas.
I enjoyed the experience on a lot of levels: I learned a lot about how range fires burn, and how to fight them (and they look amazing); I met my neighbors and worked with them (which I consider a great way to get to know people); I met some of the local law enforcement under favorable circumstances; and we got a lot of goodwill from the people we met. If any of you live in a rural area with a volunteer fire department, I strongly recommend joining for all the reasons above, and for self-preservation.
I enjoyed the experience on a lot of levels: I learned a lot about how range fires burn, and how to fight them (and they look amazing); I met my neighbors and worked with them (which I consider a great way to get to know people); I met some of the local law enforcement under favorable circumstances; and we got a lot of goodwill from the people we met. If any of you live in a rural area with a volunteer fire department, I strongly recommend joining for all the reasons above, and for self-preservation.