On Sunday, 09/01/02, we had yet another fire on Beacon Hill (the base of which is about a block from my house). This is the 6th fire in 30 days of clear weather that have ignited the hill, the previous five were arson (caused by children playing with lighters) and we were getting pretty sick if breathing in smoke every weekend. Since this one started around 11 am instead of at dusk, my wife and I decided to walk up the hill and check it out. While this is quite possibly the single stupidest thing I've ever done (although joining the Army when I was 18 was a close second), I did get some great images while almost getting myself killed. The photo essay of my act of stupidity follows here:

	My wife thought she smelled smoke and went outside. 10 seconds later she was screaming for me to come and look. This a zoom from my front yard.
	Again from my front yard, but without the zoom. It's a little hard to make out in this "modem friendly" image, but that's a small fire/rescue vehicle down at the end of the street.
	On the walk up the hill we found one of the 3 burn patches from the previous weekend's fires. The firemen detained 3 youths, ages 9 - 11, who were found at the scene of these fires (and consequently found bic lighters in their pockets). These 3 kids were the same ones who had set the fire the previous weekend, so the authorities thought it prudent to send them to juvenal hall for a week.
	My wife, taking a breather while walking up the hill. It was extremely hot and dry (and the hill was pretty steep in places). We didn't think to bring water bottles with us.
	A water bomber. There were 4 planes dumping water and retardant on the fire as it raced up the hill toward the cell towers on top.

Continue the path to my near death >