The "Threshold of Hell"

I live in a pretty rural area.
It is beautiful and has amazing views.
It has easy access to boating and 4-wheeling.
The people who live out here are hardy and tough and good.
Every summer, out here on the frontier, there is a new plague.
The year we moved in, it was crickets.  Thousands of them.  Everywhere.
The next summer, it was voles {small rodents that are a little bigger than mice, but not as big as rats, with shorter tails.}
Some years, it's large spiders.
Some years, it's snakes.
But one thing we have to deal with every year are the fires.

{all photos taken by my neighbors}

A friend of mine, taking into consideration everything that we deal with out here, nicknamed the area "The Threshold of Hell". 

I'd say he's pretty accurate.

So we are at the ready.  We've gathered our belongings.  We are ready to go if/when that call comes.
Hundreds in our town have already evacuated.  Some homes have been damaged.

So we'll wait and see.