And the Winner Is....

   (Rant alert!)
    Oh, there are so many candidates for the Darwin Award in our neighborhood. Just when you think that "surely they wouldn't...," evidence proves otherwise.
    The 4th of July is a good example. Every July 4th and New Years Eve you hear guns and fireworks out here. New Years Eve doesn't worry me so much since we've usually had rain and there isn't likely much dry grass to catch fire. But, on the 4th of July there sure is - and this year there's more than usual, given we've just finished the hottest, driest June on record and haven't seen (nor do we expect) a drop of rain in July. Foresters and farmers say we're at least a month ahead in dryness and crop development. The Forest Service's sign on Hwy 30 lists fire danger at HIGH. Scary.
     Surely, the neighbors wouldn't be stupid enough to shoot off fireworks, my neighbor and I thought. Well, I wasn't the only one who went to bed knowing right where her clothes were in case we had to evacuate in the middle of the night because of a fire. I should give the nincompoops (that's my polite name for them) credit for making me think ahead about what I'd grab if evacuation were necessary. Family in central Washington had to evacuate one night last week when fire swept through their neighborhood (human caused, it turns out).

Our property between here (Starkers) & tall trees in distance

The closest fireworks this 4th of July happened a 2-minute walk through our forested neighborhood from our house to theirs. To give credit where it's due, they were lighting them on the driveway, which is better than on the dry grass of their yard, just paces away. Never mind that their wood house, garages and at least 2 gas vehicles were as close as the dry grass, some closer. Neighbors in wood houses, a field of dry grass across the road, barns, forests all could easily have gone up in flames, along with numerous pets and wild animals. But then these are the people said to have been shooting their guns towards the road a couple months ago. Welcome to the neighborhood!
  
     Throughout the summer the sound of motorbikes and ATVs in Starker's Evergreen forest across the road sends chills down my spine. The grass is dry and tall, not just along the road (where they've also sprayed trees and brush, adding to the flammables), but in the middle of the road itself. Starker's naturally closes the property to everyone when things get really dry in the summer, but that doesn't stop some neighbors from taking their ATVs, guns and motorcycles in. (It amazes me Starker's lets any of us go in the rest of the year, even with permits).

Road in Starker Forest across the road from us

      When I confronted one neighbor about it a couple of summers ago, he insisted he had permission to be there "because he's a neighbor"  and, besides, he has spark inhibitors on his motorcycle. I checked with Starkers and they said NO one has permission to use motorized vehicles there in summer. When I told the woman who answered about the "spark inhibitors" she laughed. "It won't prevent hot metal and fumes from igniting dry grass as it passes over it," she said. 
     Then there are the cigarette butts I've seen on these logging roads... They're on the main roads too, which is scary enough, but on a logging roads where people go (supposedly) to get exercise?

     It's not surprising that there is tall grass among the young trees in this area that was clear-cut, then replanted just a few years ago. That's the cycle. Once the trees grow tall, they'll shade out grass and blackberries. 'Til then, it behooves everyone to be careful and obey the signs that say no fires and no motorized vehicles.
      I fear it's going to be a long, hot, dry summer, giving the Darwin candidates ample time to "win" their seemingly-coveted award. I just don't want our property to go up in blazing glory with them.