Valley Sunset Mendocino Sunset

This sunset photo was taken on the evening of July 10, 2012 while traveling north to Seattle. It is three days after lightning started the fire in the 913,000 acre Mendocino National Forest. It was known as the Mill Fire and burned some 30,000 acres before it was contained.  The fire was so intense in some campground areas that county roads were closed forcing campers to find alternate escape routes.

Having seen the smoke from Interstate 5 near Willows, California I drove west from the freeway about four miles on a small county road only to find myself in the middle of rice-paddie fields. The air was thick with the smell of the forest fire. The lack of wind caused the lingering smoke from the fire to produce some distinctly rich and vibrant colors with the setting sun.