New Mexico Rio En Medio Forest Fire Blazes Close to Home

I’ve near experienced a forest fire.

Smoke in the back of your throat.

Try to visualize this. A wood burning fire is left to smolder. You see the plume of smoke rising and then begin to take in the smell of smokey dry air. It’s the kind of sensation that makes the back of your throat feel like you just took a deep puff on a big cigar.

Right now, the air feels like living (inside) a smoldering fireplace.

Forest fire blazes

For the past 8 days, a forest fire has been burning not too far from our home. Currently the Rio en Medio Fire has spread to 2,700 acres and is 18% contained. Dry conifer and ponderosa pine mixed with steep rugged terrain add to the complexity of efforts to control the fire. National Guard Blackhawk helicopters and 230 firefighters are strategically battling the blaze.

For us, we are immensely grateful for the firefighters who are fighting this living breathing force. At this time our unseasonably high temperatures ask us to depend on the coolness of evening to keep our home comfortable, but now with the smoke-filled air, our windows remain closed. We are managing to keep up with our day-to-day but continue to pray for rain and the containment of the fire.

Ours is only one of our nation’s fires blazing.

Wildfires are burning across the country. And the gulf coast is preparing for a left and right hook, two hurricanes expected to make landfall.

Mother nature is a powerful force— may we be humbled at her power of destruction and beauty of rebirth.