If you smell smoke......RUN!

[quads]

These pictures are from a couple months ago. It gets pretty dry in our Central Sands part of the state in the springtime and we have wildfires. Of course, nothing like other parts of the country, such as out west, but kind of scary nontheless. I don't remember the exact statistics on this one, but it destroyed many buildings and a few homes.

Kind of makes me wonder when I'm out in the woods and smell smoke. Never know when somebody driving by on the road might throw a cigarette or match out.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Looks nasty. I hate those fires, especially so when you have cattle to worry about.

 

[quads]

Fortunately the cows are surrounded by fields, so not too much to worry about there. Any signs of trouble (storm or anything out of the ordinary) and they head straight to the barnyard (where they're standing in this picture).

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Yes, I noticed that. When I first saw the picture, immediately there was a picture in my mind of our father waking up us boys because the neighbor's barn was on fire. That was the night I really learned about cattle and fires. We had a difficult time getting the cows out and keeping them out! They wanted that barn for protection. Sadly, many years later another neighbor also lost his barn and the cows that were in it.

Incidentally, although we can't be 100% certain, almost everyone around figured both of these fires were started from moldy hay as both were well-known for baling while the hay was yet a bit tough. And now we have someone in the neighborhood that knows nothing about farming but bought one. He plans on getting rich selling hay. No conditioner; just mow it one day, rake it the next and bale. Nasty!

 

[quads]

Yuck! I ended up in the hospital once from messing around with moldy hay and silage. Lungs have never been the same since.

 

[SmokinPiney]

hey that view looks familiar! This was this past fall about 2 miles from my house. Luckily the wind direction changed and took blew it back into the unpopulated are of the state forest.

And savage, sounds like you've got an overnight farmer on your hands. One day he's a yuppie, next he knows more than you!

 

[quads]

Wow SmokinPiney, that fire is really going! Awesome pics.

 

[SmokinPiney]

Yeah she was quite a burner! Burned a little over 2k acres of forest and luckily missed the few houses that were in it's past. If the wind woulda changed i woulda been hosin down the house and the shop all night long. Instead we sat in the driveway and had a few beers while we watched the flames over the trees. Those pics were only a few hrs after it started.