Fire!

We've had fires before--one really bad about 9 years ago but this one might have beat it.  

Started small on the other side of the freeway from us

 and then pretty much exploded!!

 Burned 40,000 acres, 18 homes and 1 person died.  The smoke was so bad and the ash!!!!  so much ash.  Swept up two buckets full of ash and there is still some, on everything!

We are grateful our friends houses were saved.  We even had to have church at the Stake Center because our building was right in the middle of the fire.  Most of our ward was evacuated--fire was always good in the morning but by afternoon when the winds picked up it went crazy!  Weirdest fire I've seen--going back and forth.  Just when you thought that spot was safe it would turn around and come back!  Took a week for the firemen to get that thing out.  We even could see firenados up in the hills!  Scary!