#MaeserHighwayFire

I came home from running errands last week to a huge plume of smoke rising behind our neighborhood. A fire had started not too far away and we were on alert to be evacuated at a moments notice. A couple neighborhoods closer to the fire had already been evacuated.

 It was kind of a scary feeling thinking about if we had to leave, what would I bring with us? Our most important documents are in a secure location (at least I hope it is), so when I thought about packing up our car, I really only set out a bunch of flash drives with our family pictures on it, our computer, and our scriptures. As I walked around the house thinking I should be filling boxes or grabbing things off shelves, I came to realize that most of what's inside my house are just things and could be easily replaced.

Luckily, the wind changed direction so the fire started heading away from our neighborhood and we weren't evacuated. By the time Blake got home from work we were able to drive the razor up on the mountain behind our house to get a better view of what was going on.

 The kids were totally involved in watching all the aircraft fly overhead. They were scared, but curious and we had some good discussions with them about fire safety and the role first responders play.

 The next day, the fire was mostly contained but fire crews were still working nonstop to put it out. We stopped at Blake's mom's house and just down the lane, at what we consider "our pond", the helicopter was making trips back and forth to get water. It was amazing how quickly the helicopter could fill its bucket, go dump it, and then be back for more.

I am so grateful for brave men and women who protect our community and are willing to serve in positions that are underpaid and underappreciated so we can have a beautiful, safe place to live.