It is dry season here. It hasn't rained in weeks. The grass is burnable, the water tanks are emptying, the roads are dusty.
Monday morning it was both a record cold morning, and a record smokey day. Fires burn all around us in the valley for multiple reasons:
-kids are bored and start fires
-traditional beliefs that smoke brings rain
-preparing gardens for planting
-...more....
On days when the wind isn't blowing, the smoke settles into the valley and even inside of buildings you can't see down the hall clearly. People with Asthma are having a hard time.
On days when it is windy, the fires burn longer and further.
I'm on the volunteer fire team and in 5 days we've had a record breaking 7 calls. We responded to 3 fires yesterday alone, and one of them threatened to evacuate the school because of smoke (the fire wasn't close enough, but for kids with asthma, thick smoke is dangerous)
This is part of what life is like during dry season here. Plenty of excitement for sure. Between fighting fires, and drying my clothes on the line, most of my clothing smells like smoke.
I don't know if this happens in other countries, but I think it is a unique thing for sure. The longer the rain tarries, the more fires get started. We're all praying for rain!
