Another Reason to Move

First the update.....

The inspection went really well, we think.  We stayed here for it, because Bryan wanted to be on hand to explain some of the updates he had done.  It was nothing like the home inspection we had 10 years ago when we moved here.  The guy that did ours tested every outlet, looked at every crack, and tested air and water, and everything else.  We were worried it would be like that this time, and that we would take a big hit for repairs the new owner would want us to complete...or pay for.  But it was basically a tour where Bryan and the new owner and the inspector walked around, and Bryan answered their questions.  They were only here, probably, no more than 45 minutes.  And they seemed to be OK with everything.  Of course it remains to be seen if they come up with any objections.  But it looks a lot more hopeful than it did before the event.

Other than that, no new news.  So here's your blog post....  

I mentioned forest fires in my blog post about traffic.  

There have been summers here lately where the smoke is so thick that people with breathing problems have been advised to stay inside.  Up here where there aren't a lot of places that have air conditioning, staying inside without the windows open, is not an option.  It gets to be around 90 degrees in the summer.  So, sitting in a hot house that's already filled up with smoke (because you really have no warning when there will be an air inversion and the smoke will roll in) is not ideal.  We have had a lot of summers here where smoke has been a difficulty.  

There's also the threat that there might be a forest fire in town, and wipe out Kremmling.  The East Troublesome Fire of 2020 started 8 miles east of us.  It nearly took out the town of Grand Lake.  The fire burned 366 homes and 189 additional buildings.  The wind was so strong that the fire traveled over 38 miles to the town of Grand Lake, and went part way up Willow Creek Pass.  It closed Highway 40 for several days.  

Because the fire was in the same county as us, we got the reverse 911 text around midnight during the worst part of the fire.  It was loud, like an Amber Alert or a tornado warning and blasted over both of our phones.  The text said, basically, GET OUT NOW.  Then a second warning came through telling what areas to evacuate.  But we were already scared out of our wits! 

A year later, the Marshall Fire burned up suburban area around Lafayette Colorado.  Again, the wind was prolific.  In less than 12 hours, over 1000 buildings were burned.  So, being in a populated area with plenty of fire stations and fire trucks available, even then a fire can get out of control and burn a town.  

I can't help but think what if the Troublesome Fire started 8 miles WEST of Kremmling, instead of 8 miles EAST of Kremmling?  Kremmling would have been gone.  Wiped off the map.  Wisconsin doesn't have forest fires like that.  At least not now.  It may become that way due to Climate Change.  But we think by moving to Wisconsin, we are buying ourselves some time.  It's not a matter of IF a fire happens in or around Kremmling, it's a matter of WHEN.  

So we are moving away before it burns any worse.