Gray Fire

Taken Friday, this is a photo of what is now called the Gray Fire (it started near Gray Road in the area of the photograph). At this point the fire was to the west of us and we thought we were safe, but after burning past the facility where our handicapped son lives and leaving the facility miraculously untouched, the fire burned to the northeast and into the town of Medical Lake destroying 185 homes. At that point the wind changed and the fire began to burn to the east, jumping two lakes and burning many more homes (52 of 60 near Silver Lake). When the fire reached the interstate highway, I90, it turned southwest heading in our direction and we were ordered to evacuate. We stayed Friday and Saturday evening at our church's apartment and returned home last night, though most of our neighbors have stayed away. The fire burned right up to our back fence as the PIP shows (it was taken yesterday), but the firefighters, our heroes, managed to establish a line there and our house and the houses of our neighbors were spared. The report is that three homes in our area did burn, but most were saved though the fire burned all the land around the homes. The interstate highway is still closed as are many other roads in our area and the worry is now that looters will move in, one of the reasons we came home and are watching the homes of our neighbors. It is also very smoky still in our area, but we are keeping windows closed and it is tolerable in the house.