ZACA FIRE

During the huge Zaca fire, now 95% contained (it started July 4th in Santa Barbara county, about an hour and a halfs drive west towards the coast) every day here in Taft would start out clear and sunny but by noon the huge smoke cloud would have made its way here, to hover over the town for the rest of the day and evening. These pictures were taken around 4 pm and you can see how dark it was having shut out the sun. It was miraculous that mornings started out clear and sunny though! Where did the smoke go in that time?? The fire continued to burn. But it was our brief repreive from a fire that burned for almost 2 months, destroying over 240,000 acres.

I took these pictures just a few blocks from our house, near the center of town. You can see the brown cloud with the clear blue skys in the distance where it hasn't reached yet. Ash from this cloud would drift slowly down, covering all that lay beneath.