Gordon Clay here. Tuesday's fire near Pistol River should be a good reminder to all of us about another fire that happen this month, eight years ago and just how fast and furious a fire can be in our area. It started July 12, 2002 when a series of lightning storms occurred starting hundreds of small wildfires that eventuannly became the massive Biscuit Fire, burning over 750 square miles of land. It took until December 31of that year before it could be fully contained.

For most of us, there was plenty of time to pack, prepared to get to safety, if need be. But time was a luxury for most of us then. This fire threatened homes in a very short period of time.

I made a list back then of what to take with me if I needed to evacuate. And, between now and then, it got filed away somewhere and never implemented.

I started a new list this time and hope to do better. I put it on the web at TheCitizensWhoCare.org and hope to implement more of it this time around.

For those in the more rural areas of Curry County, especially those who can't pick up the local radio stations, if you don't know your immediate neighbors, now might be the time to connect, exchange phone numbers and make an aggreement under what circumstances to call with a warning of impending danger. I smelled smoke in my valley Tuesday morning from the burns along Highway 101 made by the crews cutting a path for electrical lines. If I hadn't received a call from a neighbor, and the fire had endangered my home during the night, I might not have been able to be here to pass on this message.

Our fire season has begun. Be forwarned and be prepared.

See Wirefire for an extensive list of things to pack and things to do ahead of time.