Fire watch

Portland Metro and much of the Willamette Valley will be under a fire watch starting this afternoon. Warm, dry, and windy. It feels like summer, and it's only the middle of April.

Last year we were joking: "April showers, May showers, June showers..." It rained right on into July.

Fire of course impacts air quality, which can exacerbate COVID-19 symptoms. Portlanders all remember what it was like during the Eagle Creek fire; in southern Oregon, wildfire-related air quality alerts have been happening for the past several years.

Easy to forget that COVID-19 isn't the only issue out there. But there's also the risk of being overwhelmed. We concentrate on the things close at hand: social distancing, wearing masks, working from home.

Yesterday the clouds at sunset were beautiful. Today I watch the horizon for smoke.

Available! High-Voltage Lines, Knocking from Inside