Waiting for Irene

Just a quick update on things in NE NC...

The fire in the swamp continues to burn but firefighters are being pulled out because of an approaching hurricane.  The good news is that we are expecting 8 to 12 inches of rain with this system.  The bad news is the wind over the area is expected to be 65 mph, sustained.

We have secured everything that can be secured and emergency provisions are in place.  Now we wait to see if Irene is going to behave herself.  At the very least we expect torrential rains and wide-spread power outages.  I'll be back when I can to share photos and let you know how we fared.  Meanwhile, if you, too, are in the path of this storm, please stay safe!

Still Burning

Waiting for word.

The fire continues to burn but it's creeping now instead of roaring. We have been reinforcing lines and clearing ditch banks so large pumps can be installed to pump water from one area to another in an attempt to saturate the peat in front of the fire. In some areas the fire is burning under the roads, creating access problems. A mild-mannered tropical system would be quite welcome about now.

Deja Vu All Over Again

You hope for rain and you get lightning...I guess that's the way it is sometimes. We're fighting fire again in the swamp. It started pretty close to the same place a fire started in 2008, but this one, at only a week old, is already larger than that one -- and the '08 fire burned for four months.