EDITED 07/23/15 to add pictures.
Ugh – this is my third attempt!
This will be a short post – the ghastly wifi here ate my first attempt at this post last night and I had to rewrite! (And it still didn’t go through. I hope the third time’s the charm!)
My lodge went on full evacuation/abandon ship status yesterday afternoon. I was the guard on duty so I helped handle getting everybody out.
The winds were very strong…and heading and feeding the flames right for the lodge. We watched the plumes grow bigger and darker.
![Getting smoky. The mountains are obscured.](http://www.magicwolf.com/wanderings/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/grey-smoke_1.jpg)
Getting smoky. The mountains are obscured.
![The smoke was starting to get darker.](http://www.magicwolf.com/wanderings/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ridge-1_1.jpg)
The smoke was starting to get darker.
The Park Service upped the evacuation status to “ASAP!”
![ridge 2_1](http://www.magicwolf.com/wanderings/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ridge-2_1.jpg)
Ms. Vandura waits patiently as the plumes get yet darker.
Ashes were raining down on me when the property manager told me to “Go, now.” We had stayed behind with a handful of employees tying up what loose ends we could and doing final sweeps.
![The ridge directly above the lodge just after the evacuation and just before the rest of us got out.](http://www.magicwolf.com/wanderings/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ridge_1.jpg)
The ridge directly above the lodge just after the evacuation and just before the rest of us got out.
Update: Still spreading. The area directly across from our current campground has now also been evacuated. The fire is encompassing 2,000 acres from what I was told and the wind is again strong today and headed right for us. We’re on standby status.
![The smoke hanging over the campground the night of the lodge evacuation.](http://www.magicwolf.com/wanderings/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/over-campground-1_1.jpg)
The smoke hanging over the campground the night of the lodge evacuation.
![A smoky sunset at the campground.](http://www.magicwolf.com/wanderings/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/smoky-sun_1.jpg)
A smoky sunset at the campground.
Update: Had awakened with a large migraine-type headache and blowing blood into a tissue from smoke irritation. We had to abandon campground. The fire so far has grown to over 4,000 acres, destroyed a historic cabin and fried a vehicle left behind by a backpacker.
![The sky above the campground just before I evacuated.](http://www.magicwolf.com/wanderings/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/over-campground_1.jpg)
The sky above the campground just before I evacuated. You’re supposed to be able to see the mountains.
We’ve relocated now elsewhere by the park!
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