What a quick turn of events in our area! One day it was snowing, the next day, it is burning up! Strange! I saw lots and lots of smoke! I yelled at my husband, “S, come on, hurry, there is fire in nearby mountains!” He came running to the living room and was just as alarmed as I was. I said, “Get the camera, and let’s drive to the scene.” I was still in my pajama outfit being that today is my dayoff and I like to lounge around in my comfy PJ. “Change into jeans, quickly”, my husband dictated. I quickly combed my hair, and I couldn’t care less how my face looked. “No one will be able to see me, I will just stay in the car”, I whispered. We got on the car, and drove off. When I got closer to the scene, I saw several people in yellow outfit. Who could they be?

As we got closer, the fire seemed to be spreading…
Then I saw people moving…
They are the firefighters…what are they doing?

Ahhh…it finally dawned to us that the fire was a prescribed burn. They were burning the brushes out so that when the fire season comes, the neighboring houses will be safe from possible wildfire caused by lightning. Summer time is our monsoon season and is usually accompanied by scary lightning and thunder. Lightning has caused many wildfires in AZ and I am thankful that our community is doing pre-emptive measures in minimizing such occurences. We live at the foot of the mountains in which wildfire can happen anytime caused by lightning strike. While my brothers dread for super typhoon in Catanduanes, we, here, are fearful of fire. Imagine your newly-built house being engulfed by a ball of fire? One time, I arrived home full of gray ashes being out all day delivering mail, and not to mention the carbon dioxide I breathed in big doses. And fire can linger on for weeks. Older people who have respiratory problems need to be evacuated into a smoke free area or they could die.