Where there is smoke there is fire!

Yesterday's sun glowed low on the horizon
through hazy, smoke filled air in pastel hues.

Strong winds carried serious smoke from 2 fires 200 miles away in Arizona. The smoke descended on us in downtown Santa Fe suddenly, starting last Thursday. By Monday June 6th it had gotten real bad. We were advised to stay indoors, to keep our windows shut, and to turn off swamp coolers, mind you with summer heat. Tuesday's particulates in the air were 15 times the norm.  Ash filled air made for an ominous, is it the end of the world kinda feeling. One wondered if the prophet's predictions of the rapture were late only by a few weeks. While it seemed eerie to move about a deserted downtown, those pastel hues that seemed to emanate from what looked on Monday like a glowing, bright red tennis ball above the horizon, made for an astounding spectacle. Stunning to behold such beauty,knowing it to be tied to such devastation.

"The blaze has blackened about 389,000 acres and destroyed 11 buildings, primarily in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest" according to the New Mexican. Visit this official flickr site for more images

"The Wallow Fire, the second biggest in the history of Arizona.The inferno, fueled by high winds and low humidity, is raging out of control and has consumed nearly 600 square miles (157,000 hectares) of land, prompting some 3,000 people to evacuate." Check for ongoing updates with InciWeb.

Official Photo taken 6-4-2011 by Wayne Clement, Guadalupe Fire Department, off Hwy180/US191 near Nutrioso, AZ. Credit US Forest Service, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

Meanwhile having on hand liquid Cholorophyl that builds red blood cells and boosts the oxygen carrying capacity of blood is comforting to me. So is hanging my face over a pot of boiling water infused with peppermint leafs. Inhaling the steam  feels deeply calming, cleansing and comforting.