We are doing all right. Thank you to all for the prayers and good wishes. We have not had to evacuate, and the fire is 33% contained. The air quality was a bit smoky earlier today, but is fairly clear now. The total acreage burned is over 10,000 acres.
A 65-year-old man named Herbert Wayne Smith has been arrested for starting the fire. He was using some kind of equipment (a sawzall to cut metal) that caused sparks to fly all over, which started the fire. It was windy and 102 degrees, so a normal, prudent person would not have chosen to do that.
In addition, in 2018, he was cited for doing the exact same thing. He negligently started a fire back then when he used equipment carelessly and wreaked havoc. He was not punished at that time, just given probation and a slap on the wrist. He also has a criminal record for other misdeeds as long as your arm.
Today, a woman named Susan Solari died because of this terrible man’s gross negligence. A local dog breeder, she, for unknown reasons, had not yet evacuated herself and her 20 dogs when the fire overtook her and killed her and all her animals.
All I can say is that I hope this time the perpetrator of this disaster is held accountable for the loss of homes, the devastation of wildlife, and this poor woman’s death.
I will be back Monday with more cheerful content, I promise. This has just hit me kind of hard.
14 Responses
So sad for the loss of Susan and her dogs. A terrible tragedy for your area.
Oh that is so sad, poor woman and poor pupsters. Thank goodness no more people and it is almost contained now. Take a rest to relax and get the adrenalin under control, because you must have been so stressed! Big hugs to you and Eva.
Glad to hear you are safe and that some containment for the fire has been achieved. What a sad, sorry excuse for a human being that man is and so sad that the woman, for whatever reason, didn’t evacuate and lost her life. It does hit you hard when it’s so close to home.
That is terrible the poor woman and her dogs. Perhaps some retail fabric (clothing ) shopping will take your mind off of this situation for a few minutes. I know buying some new fabric always gives me new thoughts about the projects I want to do.
What a horrible chain of events. The fire itself is devastating and the loss of life is so tragic. Thank goodness the careless person is apprehended, not that it changes the outcome. Hopefully your area will be 100% contained and the time of recovery can begin.
Glad you are safe, but that’s just terrible about this man. I hope he is dealt with better this time. I imagine it would have been hard to evacuate 20 dogs; it is too bad she felt she had to remain there. But I understand her love for them.
WOW, Nicole– obviously I have not been paying attention this week! So glad you are safe– my God. It looked like you were about to be swallowed up on that map. So sad for the dogs and owner– so frightening to think how easy it is for a foolish person to kill someone. Take comfort in getting back to your regular routine as quickly as you can. xox
That man sounds like he should definitely be given “an attitude adjustment” with some serious time behind bars. So terribly sad about the woman and her dogs. Senseless deaths that could have been prevented if that crazy man had used some common sense!
I’m glad to hear that the firefighters have been able to start on the containment; hopefully it will be fully extinguished soon.
Nicole,
I am so saddened by this news. I will say prayers for this woman and her family. It is scary to think about how this happened. We, your readers, are all thinking about you and glad that you are safe.
Thank you for keeping us updated on the fire in your area. Hopefully, you won’t have to evacuate. But it’s good that you have a plan & a place to go.
I’m pleased to see that you said the names of both the victim & the perpetrator. Susan Solari did not deserve to perish with her beloved dogs. I send heartfelt prayers to her family & friends. Herbert Wayne Smith needs to spend the rest of his life in prison for her murder & the destruction that he is responsible for causing.
I’m glad you and your family are safe for the time being. I hope nothing further will threaten you. What a devastating loss of human and animal life, let alone property. With a record like that, the guilty gentleman should have had far more consequences and this might have been prevented. What an irresponsible idiot to say the least. Thinking of you all.
This is so sad! How can this man be prevented from using his wild machines? The justice department can hardly remove his hands. I am so proud of our world’s firefighters! This has been one hot summer! I can barely stand to be outside except holding the hose to water my flowers. I wonder how our firefighters can tolerate wearing all that hot safety clothing and the helmets and safety masks and then carry the axes and hoses? Really, it just makes me feel hotter! I seriously pray for them. I read about citizens creating fire barriers in this blazing heat and making meals for firefighters and it makes my heart swell with joy. Thank goodness we have far more decent smart people than hazardous ones!
Now, if you will excuse me, I have about 60 more tiny windmills to sew and I need another icy drink of water or soda pop! It’s 99 here in southeast Idaho. I am a wimp and I might not be alive without my air conditioner.
So sorry to hear you are going through all this and that poor woman and dogs! Some people are just you know what’s and don’t think or learn from their actions! Thankfully you and your loved ones are safe and hopefully stay that way. Stay safe!
I have not been online and missed all this. So glad you and your family are safe.