At first glance, this looks like a beautiful shot of Mount St. Helena framed by the evening light. But if you look closer, the haze in the sky is actually smoke from the Pickett Fire, burning near Calistoga tonight.
And in the foreground, where I was standing, is the aftermath of another fire—the 2015 Valley Fire—which claimed 4 lives and destroyed nearly 1,322 homes (almost 2,000 structures in all). Hard to believe we’re coming up on 10 years since that one.
Even through loss and fire-scarred land, the forest is slowly returning, and so are we. A reminder of both the resilience of nature and the hope of renewal that always follows. 🌲✨🔥
@ Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest