{"id":9063,"date":"2018-03-01T19:25:37","date_gmt":"2018-03-02T02:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=9063"},"modified":"2018-03-02T16:40:33","modified_gmt":"2018-03-02T23:40:33","slug":"9063","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=9063","title":{"rendered":"Fire, Fortune, and Fate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WLvZvjkLrtg?rel=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Southern Rockies are in a drought, and fire season has come early to Hardscrabble Creek.<\/p>\n<p>The alarm came on Monday, and as usual, the &#8220;fog of war&#8221; (which applies in wildland firefighting too) descended rapidly.<\/p>\n<p>I am part of a little rural volunteer department \u2014 secretary of the board of directors, sometimes an engine boss, sometimes just a guy with a tool in his hand.<\/p>\n<p>The computerized voice on the telephone said that there was a brush fire at the intersection of County Road \u2022\u2022\u2022 and Highway \u2022\u2022. The trouble is, the county road intersects the highway twice, about two miles apart. Which one was I going to?<\/p>\n<p>Dressed in<a href=\"http:\/\/www.malloryco.com\/products\/FIRE\/Body%20Protection\/Wildland%20Gear\/CREW%20BOSS%20Interface%20Gear.aspx\"> interface gear\u00a0<\/a>(for warmth, mainly), I called the dispatcher on my radio.((The trouble is, the dispatchers all live up in the county seat, and they don&#8217;t know the roads in my part of the county very well.)) &#8220;Upper end,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>M. heard me repeat that as I went out the door. Unfortunately, she did not hear the Dispatch supervisor correct the location to &#8220;lower end&#8221; as I drove away, which meant she was panicked that the fire was upwind from our house. And although I called her ten times, once I could break away for a moment, even landline calls were not getting through due to to an overloaded network. (Thanks, Century Link.)<\/p>\n<p>Two of our engines were coming, but being closer, I arrived first. Some neighbors were poking at the fire with shovels, but two houses and a detached garage were in its path. Tense voices on the radio told me of the engines&#8217; progress \u2014 it is a three-mile pull uphill from the station, and diesels don&#8217;t warm up fast.<\/p>\n<p>Send <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wildland_fire_engine#Type_6\">the brush truck<\/a> up high to &#8220;attack from the black,&#8221; I told them, and bring the tactical tender (which pumps a lot more water) down to the county road.((Some people would call that a &#8220;tanker,&#8221; but out here we use Forest Service lingo: &#8220;Tankers fly, and tenders roll&#8221;))<\/p>\n<p>They did so, and before long, Chad D. was dragging a hose uphill toward the flaming oak brush behind the garage, two other volunteers assisting, while I started the pump and charged the line. In moments, our fortunes changed. We saved all the structures \u2014 and we looked good when &#8220;mutual aid&#8221; engines from two neighboring departments arrived twenty minutes later.<\/p>\n<p>With the chief on the scene, I could call the dispatcher and say, &#8220;The incident commander is now Chief M., and his call sign is XXX.&#8221; Big relief.<\/p>\n<p>The incident dragged into the night, and the waxing Moon was rising. Standing on that hillside, I could see scars from other fires. At least 33,000 acres have burned within a mile of my home since 2005.((That is to say, one edge of the fire was a mile away or closer.))<\/p>\n<p>We have been fortunate, M. and I, but there is a psychic toll. When I went home on a supper break, she was a bundle of nerves, not sure if she was supposed to evacuate (for the third time) or not.\u00a0 Dog(s) . . . computers . . . favorite boots . . . we know the drill.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9065\" style=\"width: 287px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9065\" class=\"wp-image-9065\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.chasclifton.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/sardine-can-fortuna.jpg?resize=277%2C419&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.chasclifton.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/sardine-can-fortuna.jpg?w=327&amp;ssl=1 327w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.chasclifton.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/sardine-can-fortuna.jpg?resize=99%2C150&amp;ssl=1 99w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.chasclifton.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/sardine-can-fortuna.jpg?resize=198%2C300&amp;ssl=1 198w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 277px) 100vw, 277px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-9065\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Wheel of Fortune. From Two Graces Gallery, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico<\/p><\/div>\n<p>On the file cabinet near my desk, attached by a magnet on its back, is this rusty sardine can-and-glitter icon of the Tarot card of the World. And on the iTunes playlist when I started writing was Dead Can Dance&#8217;s &#8220;Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book&#8221; (linked at the top).<\/p>\n<p><strong>I think that song is profound in a Pagan way.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Obviously, as a Pagan I do not buy into the Heaven &amp; Hell model of the cosmos. I was exposed to the pop-culture version of Karma a long time ago, and while I think there is something to it (&#8220;The Universe rewards a right action&#8221; \u2014 does it?), you cannot look at karma as a savings account where you deposit good deeds and withdraw good fortune.<\/p>\n<p>And Fortune. Or Fate(s), if you prefer. <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moirai\">Even the gods submit to the Fates.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Driving towards the fire, I was thinking, &#8220;Is this another big one?&#8221; No, it was not. But what about the one that will come after it?<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m a Pagan, and there is no miraculous Savior. We go out there and do our best, but even the gods submit to Fate. <a href=\"https:\/\/aclerkofoxford.blogspot.com\/2014\/08\/the-battle-of-maldon.html\">Meanwhile, as one of the Old Ones said<\/a>,<\/p>\n<p><em>Hige sceal \u00fee heardra, heorte \u00fee cenre,<\/em><br \/>\n<em>mod sceal \u00fee mare, \u00fee ure m\u00e6gen lytla\u00f0.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Thought must be the harder, heart the keener<br \/>\nSpirit shall be more \u2014 as our might lessens.((In a military situation, I suppose that that is what you say after you call in an air strike on your own position.))<\/p>\n<p>Four volunteers and a brush truck versus fire and wind. That&#8217;s my lying-awake-at-4 a.m. worry about how it goes.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/O_Fortuna\"><i><span lang=\"la\">O Fortuna velut luna statu variabilis,<br \/>\nsemper crescis aut decrescis.<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Moon rises as we walk through the burnt brush, squirting embers with a hose or breaking up a smoldering stump with a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pulaski_(tool)\">pulaski tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>How long can this life go on?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Southern Rockies are in a drought, and fire season has come early to Hardscrabble Creek. The alarm came on Monday, and as usual, the &#8220;fog of war&#8221; (which applies in wildland firefighting too) descended rapidly. I am part of a little rural volunteer department \u2014 secretary of the board of directors, sometimes an engine [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[23,320,211,154,319],"class_list":["post-9063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-colorado","tag-fate","tag-fire","tag-forestry","tag-fortune"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s6xQTg-9063","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9176,"url":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=9176","url_meta":{"origin":9063,"position":0},"title":"A Fire at the Castle","author":"Chas S. Clifton","date":"April 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"It is 5:39 a.m., and the computer-generated voice on the telephone is saying, \"We need a response to Bishop's Castle \u2014 report of a structure fire.\" I pull on my jeans and scamper down to the garage. \"Structure fire\"\u2014that means bunker gear, and so on go the heavy rubber boats,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Colorado\"","block_context":{"text":"Colorado","link":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?tag=colorado"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.chasclifton.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/engine-2-front-view.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4665,"url":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=4665","url_meta":{"origin":9063,"position":1},"title":"A Dream, a Dog, and a Forest Fire","author":"Chas S. Clifton","date":"October 27, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Last Monday, the 22nd, I came home from a week-long trip. On Tuesday, I was temporarily homeless, a condition that persisted until Friday. Tuesday's weather was warm and windy, with the highest gust in the area clocked at 79 mph. Somehow \u2014 I still have not heard the definitive story\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"dreams\"","block_context":{"text":"dreams","link":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?tag=dreams"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-dV57BkoZQRQ\/UIgi2vbiO8I\/AAAAAAAABdc\/_ixQl3ANtJA\/s400\/volcanofire.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":469,"url":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=469","url_meta":{"origin":9063,"position":2},"title":"Back on trackM. and I\u2026","author":"Chas S. Clifton","date":"July 15, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Back on trackM. and I have been home for three days, and life is beginning to settle down. It will be a long time before we forget the 3 a.m. evacuation and the drive into the dark mountains, not knowing if we would see our little house in the woods\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":591,"url":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=591","url_meta":{"origin":9063,"position":3},"title":"A forest fire in JanuaryThe\u2026","author":"Chas S. Clifton","date":"January 9, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"A forest fire in JanuaryThe same winds that have pushed the grass fires in Oklahoma and Texas for the past couple of weeks have been blowing in southern Colorado too.Now a forest fire is burning west of Aguilar, just one county south of us. It is called the Mauricio Canyon\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1242,"url":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=1242","url_meta":{"origin":9063,"position":4},"title":"Fate Magazine Reanimated","author":"Chas S. Clifton","date":"October 29, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"When pre-writing the blog post on dining above the dead (something best done while walking the dogs), I was thinking about how it was perfect for Fate magazine.Digression 1: Dog-walking is not all that meditative, because Something Always Happens, like this morning when they charged off through nine-inch-deep snow to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Halloween\"","block_context":{"text":"Halloween","link":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?tag=halloween"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6042,"url":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?p=6042","url_meta":{"origin":9063,"position":5},"title":"A Phone Call for Owlivia","author":"Chas S. Clifton","date":"October 27, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I have two volunteer gigs, and they both involve unexpected telephone calls. For the rural volunteer fire department, it will be a recorded voice saying something like, \"We have a smoke report east of Highway 165 and north of Highway 78.\" That is followed by a sudden switch into Nomex\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Colorado\"","block_context":{"text":"Colorado","link":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/?tag=colorado"},"img":{"alt_text":"Owlivia release_sm","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.chasclifton.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Owlivia-release_sm.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.chasclifton.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Owlivia-release_sm.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.chasclifton.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Owlivia-release_sm.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.chasclifton.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Owlivia-release_sm.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9063"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9072,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9063\/revisions\/9072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chasclifton.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}