Nineteen firefighters were lost in Arizona, and Luke Sheehy, who grew up with my children, was lost in the same week in another wildfire. For those of us in the rural west, we pray for rain without lightning but often get lightning without rain. This has been the worst tragedy in my memory. My heart goes out to the families of all those who have died.
Trees DO need to be thinned. Forest Service cutbacks and environmental groups who insist on banning even responsible logging have greatly increased the fire danger.