The Fire Area

The roads through the devastation of the Douglas Complex fires are finally open.  Two miles from our house, the fire has raged since July 26. Today, we took a long hike, and it was incredible.  The carnage of the forest is spotty in some areas, complete obliteration in others. 

 Still some hot spots puff smoke, as in the center of this photo.

Bracken ferns are popping up already after the rains. 

This tree might make it. Many trees were burned from underneath like this.

One tall tree on a burnt hillside is still green. A parent tree for the future.

Desolate horrific landscape goes along the road for 15 miles.

They are pulling a lot of the dead trees out for logs, putting the branches in piles.  They smell incredibly good.

I think this guy was gone way before the fire, but finding this antlered skull was very fitting for the scene.  

Once green and beautiful, a small stand of green firs is all that remains on this hillside.

Trees burned all the way to the ground and some kept burning below the ground, leaving big black holes, they are eerie looking.

A large tree hole with red Oregon grape sprouting up all around.