It's getting hotter around here, in more than just temperture

I couple weeks ago, as Nancy and I drove to Lowe's for something, I noticed smoke come from our canyon where our home is located. I told Nancy it looked like a wildland (brush) fire because the color of the smoke. When we drove up our road home, the smoke became more intense. To the East of us on the mountain was a line of fire working its way North and creeped up the mountain, becoming dangerously close to three houses. I stopped to ask a firefighter what channel the fire was on. When we arrived home, we listened to the Caisson portable radio. The fire soon became a three alarm fire with multiple departments joining in. Was the wind going to shift toward us, would homes, animals or lives be lost? It was a time of tension. The fire slowly but steady moved to the Northeast. Aerial bombing of reddish fire retardant by large jets as helicopters doused the hot spot still smoldering with water. I had to step outside and get some photos.

For the next two days, the fire worked its way around the mountain and into the regional county park East of our home. Finally on the third day, the fire was contained and put to rest. It consumed 1496 acres first. It was called the East Desert Fire. But not the end of the story. Yesterday, Our granddaughter called us to ask if we had another fire close by. We ran outside, looked around and said, "Not that we could see." An hour or so later, we heard there was another wildland fire North of the town proper of Cave Creek was roaring. Just North of the Rancho Manana resort and golf course. The fire grew consuming three homes, stables and a few out building. Within a few hours, the fire had grown to over 1200 acres and was threatening several more homes. Now, as I sit looking out my office window, I see huge billowing clouds of smoke floating over Tonto National Forest land to the Northeast. The wind has not been very helpful today either. This is the worse time for wildland fires in the Southwest. Dried out desert plants, gusty winds often switching directions quickly and humans not being careful in these ignitable times. The East Desert fire was human started and I wonder what started the "Ocotillo"fire, as this one is called. Stay safe out there.