Things have settled down a bit in my region of the country over the past week after adverse weather conditions and tinder-dry forests and wildlands led to an explosion of fires all over the West. Here in Southern Oregon we have still not received any measurable rain in over 3 months, but cooler temperatures, higher humidity and thick layers of smoke (good for one thing, at least) have tamped down the fires and let firefighters begin to get containment lines in place. In the last few days even that smoke, which led to Air Quality Index numbers above 500 here (hazardous) for several days, has started to dissipate enough to let us see a hint of blue in the skies above us.

The heavy, gray, oppressive pall fit the deep sense of loss so many are experiencing because of these devastating fires. Assessments are only just beginning to be made; and as the skies begin to clear, the vision of what has been lost comes into sharper focus. The number of homes and structures lost in our valley that I wrote about in last week’s blog has risen, but thankfully the number of missing and feared dead has dropped dramatically. Sadly, the economic toll will be great, especially in places that rely heavily on tourism and outdoor recreation.

Travel in the region was immediately affected, and Alaska Airlines cancelled flights for days out of airports in Seattle, Portland, Spokane, Walla Walla, Bend and Medford due to visibilities as low as a quarter mile.   Road travel became a tricky proposition around Oregon as major highways across mountain passes and even Interstate 5 were periodically closed due to the fires burning, sometimes, right across them. And when corridors were open, one couldn’t always get gas due to power outages affecting the pumps and/or a lack of supply. Especially in areas where residents were under evacuation orders, some found themselves low on gas and unable to fill up.

People are also mourning the destruction of favorite recreation spots they have visited for decades — if not across generations — of family vacations. From the usually damp coast to heavily forested rivers and lakes on the western slope of the Cascade Mountains, small towns hosting marinas and campgrounds and offering access to miles and miles of backcountry have burned to the ground. Rebuilding will be difficult in these places, and those once peaceful, green spaces have been forever altered. Those who came to fish, hike and commune with nature will inevitably go elsewhere, taking much-needed dollars with them.

Yes, the landscape across the West has been greatly changed this year, but the people who call these places home are committed to rebuilding and helping each other get through the challenges of doing so. Their hope is that those who traveled to enjoy those beautiful spaces will return as well, as nature begins its process of regrowth.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor