Pine Creek Fire

What happened on my summer vacation?

Usually this blog is about my day job - marketing, technology, data, etc.   Today it is a bit more personal.  

Just south of town a forest fire started on Wednesday and has grown from 20 acres to 12,000 in less than 48 hours.   Not only did the fire run up the drainage toward the tops of the mountains, but it also ran south as the winds shifted around.

Livingston Enterprise Photo

And when you know the people who live in the house in the picture and they're planning on evacuating their horses, possessions and memories this kind of news takes on a whole new perspective.  

We had a barbecue last night and it offered a respite to a few of those who couldn't return home and didn't yet know when they could.  Glad we could offer a small community of support to our friends.

Speaking of community, the news of the fire spread quickly on social media - particularly on Facebook - with support, best wishes, and offers of assistance coming from all locations.   The 'chatter' as it was called by officials unfortunately had many inaccurate statements about the burning of particular buildings and the loss of life.   While some structures were lost no one perished in the blaze.   The lesson is to take such news with a dose of skepticism. 

Hopefully the cooler weather with slow this beast down.