The Oden Road fire moved VERY quickly.
MILES in a matter of just a few minutes--we barely got out with the horses & dogs.
In fact, I had to leave my chickens at first and was able to go back after the initial fire storm and got them at 2am that night (Friday).
Here is the beginning--helicopters over my coop carrying water from Leader Lake:
Grabbing my favorite chickens and getting them loaded into the truck, got the cats & dogs out of the house and DH is catching the horses. You can barely see a helicopter on the right hand of the screen:
About 3 minutes later--the top of our driveway!
Luckily, the wind was blowing AWAY from our house!
This was about 4pm--the skies were just BLACK!
Oh yes....here is what lightning on this side of the mountains in August, with high winds (60mph) and 90+ degree heat does...the fire chief called the area behind our house a "horizontal vortex." The fire was sucking the wind into itself and creating the most horribly scary noise I've ever heard...
The next day is when the fire erupted and we almost lost our house. We did lose all of the mature trees behind it, our dog kennel & dog house, a cedar fence, our wedding arch and some other things...
This is the next day, they started helicopter drops, the last photo ever taken of the old school house in our backyard before it burned:
The view from the highway...
Yes, this is our house!
About an hour later:
The burnt remains of the old school house:
Our dog house:
The PUD fixing the power lines:
Everything burnt around the back of the house:
Remains of the cedar fence and my coop still standing!
Everything shoved in the horse trailer! LOL
Unamused cats, LOL
Cash "guarding" the roosters & young chickens oh and cats: