Fire Moons and Evacuation Preparation

Reader Contribution by Maggie Bonham

Tonight we had a fire moon.

I call it that because in the summer when the forest fires start up, the moon glows orange in the sky. I wish it were unusual in Montana, but it’s just not. Fires and smoke every year is the norm until a “season ending event.” Which is usually the first snowfall.

Experience in Living in Wildfire-Prone Areas

I lived in Colorado for many years. During the last few years fires became commonplace there as well as here. As a sled dog racer, I had to have a plan to get out of the mountains if a fire threatened us. While I no longer race sled dogs, I do still have a plan, especially for my animals. Evacuations are last minute affairs and if you get any prior warning, such as being put on standby evacuation, you’re damn lucky. Most of the time if you wait for the authorities to knock on your door, you have no time. You’re lucky if you get out before the flames hit.

I’ve been evacuated once. I’ve been on standby evacuation twice. I’ve lucked out and not lost my home during those instances. The fires have been intense. My husband and I spent a week sleeping on a friend’s hide-a-bed because of evacuations.

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