Tale of Six Boles Fire Pix

I didn't originally save all but one of these images in my computer but my mind sure did save them searing them within it. Before the Boles Fire in Weed, CA, or rather, OF Weed, CA, gets any further in our mental rear-view mirror I wish to share these remarkable images here. I'm somewhat familiar with this town having often stopped in it headed up and down the Interstate-5 corridor or turning off or onto it there from Highway 97 in route northeastwards back in my wandering daze.. er, days. Below are six images that to my mind's eye are the six most powerful and most revealing images from this recent disaster and shown here in the order they were taken as near as I can determine.

I know exactly where this was shot (South Weed Blvd.) and the boiling smoke with the CAL FIRE dozer transport responding Code 3 wheeling through town with THAT backdrop is dramatic! Photo courtesy of Ken Bodnar (all rights reserved).

Here is another tremendous image of the roiling fire with its boiling smoke churning off of a ridgeline looming over Weed, CA. Photo by Kevin Bevilacqua (all rights reserved).

How frightening for these schoolchildren to be at school (Weed High School actually) separated from family and home and be facing this scene of a rolling crown fire in town spotting all over the place. Photo courtesy of Katie Gillespie (all rights reserved).

A Ten Tanker DC-10 VLAT (Very Large Air Tanker) dropping on a Weed neighborhood during the climax of the fire. Photo courtesy of Jason Nava (all rights reserved).

This image features a dramatic volcanic backdrop amplified by the presence of the Boles Fire burning across the foreground atop ancient long run-out landslide debris piles. Photo courtesy of KRCR-TV Redding (all rights reserved).

The greatest devastation from this fire is visible here along with some visual and spacial perspective as to what burned and where in Weed it burned. Note the retardant drop stains along the right flank of the fire. Photo courtesy of CAL FIRE (all rights reserved).