A few weeks ago on a beautiful early spring day the staff posted a photograph taken from an upper floor of Rifftides world headquarters. We pointed out that in the background was Ahtanum Ridge, the imposing feature that separates the Upper Yakima Valley from the Lower Valley.
Today, we got a shot from the same position. Ahtanum Ridge is still there, a couple of miles south, but for several days it has been obscured by smoke from the profusion of wildfires and forest forest fires burning all over Eastern Washington and Oregon and drifting down from British Columbia, parts of which are plagued by huge blazes.
Near here, crews battling blazes are being reinforced by firefighters from all over the west and some from the east coast. More are on their way from as far away as Australia and New Zealand. None of the fires in the Northwest has caused the devastation and loss of life reported from Redding and other parts of northern California. For that, folks here are thankful.