The Unthinkable...

So many things I still need to blog but I need to blog this while my memories are still fresh. I definately want this in my keepsakes.

Friday morning I dropped the kids off at school, and went off to run some errands. I look forward to this time of year, just patiently waiting for the leaves to changes. As I went west from my house I got all giddy inside, the mountainside was an array of different colors. I instantly started planning our Sunday evening drive.

Fast forward to Sunday afternoon. As we got out of church that same mountainside was up in smoke. That kind of changed my plans for a Sunday evening drive.

So, we decided to just go eat dinner at Grandma Sonia's. We ate, and then headed home. By the time we went home, the fire had spread from the south side of the mountain to the north side (where all the homes are) and the city of Herriman in which we live. The air was full of smoke, and it was very hard to breathe. Within hours even our home was filled with smoke. By nightfall we were sitting in Kaylee's room watching the fire burn. The whole mountainside looked like this:

It was horrifying just watching the fire move and spread. It was getting closer and closer to the homes. They evacuated around 1600 homes. The winds were out of control which was making the fire hard to contain. I was glued to the tv and the internet just watching minute by minute updates. I did not want to go to sleep, in fear of the mess I would wake up to. A miracle needed to happen.

 

I never really got worried about us having to evacuate but their were so many things that upset me about this. This was my city, my home, my neighbors, my friends. This was WAY to close for comfort. A member from our stake that spoke in our ward that very day, was now on tv giving out updates on the situation. Some of my family members and friends were involved in the evacuations and volunteer services. My ward building is now being held as the temporary home of the evacuees.  I have been panicking that what if it were us, am I prepared the way I should be? NO. I have some things, but what would I do if I needed to evacuate with my family? What if I didn't know when I could return to my home? What if their wasn't a home when I returned? You never think "this" will happen to you. But it did, it happened to so many people. And believe me, I am listening now. I am listening to the things the prophets, and the leaders are tellings us. I think we were all just given a MAJOR warning sign. What a miracle this all turned out to be.

When we woke up in the morning, it seemed like everything the night before was a bad, bad dream. I walked outside, the sky was clear, the sun was shining, and you could breath. I was totally prepared to keep my kids home from school, because I thought the air was going to be unbareable. I turned on the news to see what had happened, it was totally MIRACULOUS! The winds had shifted. I have spent hours crying as I truly think of the reality of this situation. As you look at the pictures below, look how close the fire got to these homes. Right up to their yard lines before the fire stopped. We took a drive yesterday and somehow we were able to drive right up to where the fire was without anybody stopping us.

It was so heartbreaking to see the home owners standing in their yards taking in the devasting effects of the fire. What a blessing that so many homes were saved that night. The firefighters were definately doing their job. After my kids drove around for awhile and saw the effects of the fire they said, "I think a lot of people had to be praying hard last night." I think they were right. And I think many prayers were answered.

I feel so grateful and comforted as I have seen my community come together so calmly. So many people have volunteered and the situation has been handled so well. I continue to pray for these people, and pray  that the winds don't pick up again. I would hate to see this shift back over the mountain again. I pray they will all be able to return home soon.