Flying Fires -- Fog, Smoke, and VFR or IFR: Reflections

With this post, I wrap my series on Flying Fires -- Fog, Smoke, and VFR or IFR. The first seven articles in this series were posted from January 4 to 13, 2010. I offer this short piece of fiction as my reflections.

I am a home owner out in the west (U.S.) and there is a wildland fire burning near by. There is no fog near my house. Maybe I am wondering if I am going to have to evacuate. I can see some smoke and the flames but no, there isn't any fog. And whatever winds there are, they aren't much. Maybe 5 mph. I'm preoccupied and somewhat anxious, so I'm not thinking that the usual tanker base tankers fly out of is fogged in. I'm wondering where they are. No winds to ground the tankers. It's getting on to mid-morning and they are usually here by now. Where are they?

I am getting restless. Maybe I'll turn on my radio and listen to a weather report and I'll hear something about fog in some areas of the region. I hope that I will take a breath, sit down, and know that the tankers will get here, it is probably taking them longer to get here because their base might be fogged in.

Ok, I'll wait. I know that the ground crews are out doing what they can, trying to build and hold the line. I can just make out the lights from the engines on the ridge on the other side of the valley below my house. Off in the distance I think I see a helo. There looks to be something hanging from its belly, I think it is a snorkel. Probably getting water from the pond in the park. So, if a helo is out there is hope.

I wait some more. They are here. I see one on the ridge. And another. They are late, but they are here.

I remember the fire several years ago. Woke up one morning to see the smoke hanging in the air down in the valley. I didn't see any tankers or helos over the valley that day. I figured that if I couldn't see into the that they couldn't see either. The guy on the radio said they were inversions. Back then I wasn't all that familiar with the term inversions. Now I am

No inversions today. I can see the valley and the flames. Oh, there is another tanker making a drop. I bet the ground crews are happy to see you! Thank-you tanker pilots and crew!