High above the ashen ground, the living green overstory of redwood crowns remains healthy in the sunlight.
A couple of hundred feet away, an unfinished duff fire continues to burn at an apparently safe pace, removing fuel from possible engagement by the wildfire now acres away.
But as the day moves into the less humid afternoon hours, the duff fire gains strength.
Soon, it's clearly no longer a controlled level of understory burn, and I need to report it.
Rick Hautala secures a bulldozer, and races to the hot spot. (Sorry for the black mask edges - my lens cover only partially retracted for some shots, probably from dust grains interfering).
CalFire trucks respond to Rick's radio call even as he is behind the green forest "curtain" smothering the flames and clearing a path for crews. The white plume of smoke high above shows the trouble spot.
Firefighters stand ready as Rick continues his dozer attack.
The Marin County crew arrives, gears up, and prepares the pump truck.
The first length of hose is extended and un-kinked.
Assessing the hazard, these crewmen will now bring in the hose and axes.
The more extended write-up of this event is on my Willits Daily Photo blog, linked here.More photos of the firefighting effort in Mendocino county can be found on the Official County Website, linked here.
