These are pictures of the smoke columns from the Sites Complex, five fires that are being coordinated as one incident under the Incident Command System. I have to say I much prefer seeing the column from my deck rather than fire camp. My thoughts are with the (younger) firefighters.
Weekend Postcard: Wildfire in California
Posted byNorm BensonPosted inenvironmentTags:California, Colusa County, Sites Complex Wildfire Incident
Published by Norm Benson
My name is Norm Benson and I'm currently researching and writing a biography of Walter C. Lowdermilk. In addition to being a writer, I'm an avid homebrewer. I'm also a registered professional forester in California with thirty-five years of experience. My background includes forest management, fire fighting, law enforcement, teaching, and public information. View more posts
Nullius in Verba 
Gosh, that looks alarming.
I worried that it might have been surprising to the firefighters. The wind was blowing pretty good (8-10mph) yesterday and the smoke column was going up and not with the wind. That indicates the fire’s energy was greater than the wind’s energy and acted something like a chimney. The fire probably gained much acreage in a short period of time. It is not unusual in such circumstances for fires to double or quadruple in size. There’s no news of any fatalities this morning so it seems that everyone concerned survived the blow up. Weather forecasts indicate more hot weather for the week (it is summer after all). http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=39.685348793999395&lon=-122.7777099609375&site=sto&unit=0&lg=&FcstType=text