FIRE!!!
Once again, our County, Lake County is ON FIRE! Two different fires started at about the same time Friday afternoon to the West of the lake. By nightfall, they had burned across a mountain range and were heading straight for our “lake” communities. The temperatures have been above 100 degrees with very little humidity and a bit of wind. The vegetation is incredibly dry. It has not rained since we arrived here in early June. Perfect conditions for huge wildfires.
Of course, the people here are already shell-shocked when it comes to fires. Over 1,000 homes burned in this county (another 5,000+ in Santa Rosa) during last October’s fires. Additionally, this is the fifth straight year that major fires have burned in this county. The happy, welcoming atmosphere of our little community changes fast into panic and crankiness when a fire breaks out.
By Saturday night, the fires were storming fast towards the towns on the West side of the lake and evacuations began. More resort towns were added to the evacuation list over time until the entire west side of the lake and much of the south side were completely evacuated.
We live on the far East side of the lake, so the fire would have to jump the lake (25 miles across) to get to us (unlikely) or burn “around” the lake (also very unlikely). We feel quite safe. But the smoke is horrible and chokes you when you go outside.
The missionaries were evacuated Saturday from Lakeport and moved into a spare apartment in Kelseyville. On Sunday night, Kelseyville was also evacuated, so they packed up again and moved here to Clearlake in an apartment our Elders have here. We don’t anticipate the evacuations to end any time soon, so we figure a couple of missionaries will be moving in with us in the next while until the fires are out.
An entire ward and most of a second ward have been evacuated. The Lakeport church building is in the evacuation boundaries as well.
At this point, it appears the firefighters are in a “structure saving” mode and saving as many homes as possible while just letting the main part of the fire burn in the forest. And dozing up fire lines around the towns. So far it appears that only about ten homes have been lost.
As missionaries, we have been and will be doing what we can to help the evacuees. Setting up cots in the evacuation centers. Dishing out food. Collecting and bringing in clothing that was donated.
We are confident that as long as the winds do not pick up that the small towns we serve will be spared, thanks to the brave firefighters who never give up and the many prayers being offered.
As we visit people and try to give them hope, we are asked repeatedly, “why does God allow this to happen to us?” That is a difficult question to answer as the answer is different in every case and with every individual. When we ask what they think, the responses vary from wickedness to being tested to blaming it on Global Warming to politics, any and all of which may be true.
All I can say is that my trials, regardless of the reasons, have made me a better person and have caused me to glorify God and give thanks to Him for delivering me from such afflictions. This scripture found in D&C 98 verse 3 comes to mind:
“ … and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord.”
Here is a link to a video we use when the people we minister to are struggling with tribulations in their lives. The video has the answer as to where true help in afflictions comes from.
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