# I'm a little freaked out... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 31, 2006, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-little-freaked-out/370879 "2006-08-31T04:27:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-little-freaked-out/370879/1 "2006-08-31T04:27:05Z")
I’ve had wildfires close enough to my home that I could see the smoke–or even flames–in the distance. I’ve never smelled a wildfire from my home like this before. The news on TV and in the paper isn’t showing proper maps, and I’m guessing at how far away it is. It sure seems like over 20 miles from their descriptions of areas being evacuated, but _the smell_! The smoke is strong. It’s not making me very happy tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-little-freaked-out/370879/2 "2006-08-31T04:29:49Z")
☹ Good luck. Leave if you have to! ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-little-freaked-out/370879/3 "2006-08-31T05:14:03Z")
Keep your radio/tv on, the stuff you would hate to lose packed up, and if you get word to evacuate, don’t delay! Go! Good vibes for the fire situation. I hear it’s bad in Washington State, too. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-little-freaked-out/370879/4 "2006-08-31T05:32:41Z")
I’m at least 40 miles from the Granite falls fire, and we can smell it every so often. I thought a neighborhood house was on fire a couple nights ago, my eyes were burning. The wind has been from another direction since, so no more smell. Good luck, I hope it turns away from you. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-little-freaked-out/370879/5 "2006-08-31T06:13:31Z")
If in doubt, get your ass out! You can always go back if it is a false alarm. You can become a crispy critter if it isn’t a false alarm. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-little-freaked-out/370879/6 "2006-08-31T06:37:25Z")
Does your wildfire smell like marshmellows? I’ve been really close to some of the fires here in California, especially the ones by the roads. Always smell like marshmellows. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-little-freaked-out/370879/7 "2006-08-31T13:56:06Z")
Well, the morning has come, and I finally found an online map showing exactly where the fire is. The [Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination](http://geomac.usgs.gov/) Web site is absolutely wonderful in situations like this. It’s hard to believe this fire is 20 miles from here. The air is hazy, the smoke smell is very strong, visibility is lousy. I’m not so nervous now that I can see it on the map, but it’s very disconcerting to have it so close to us. We’ll get some “just in case” stuff packed up. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-little-freaked-out/370879/8 "2006-08-31T15:13:25Z")
Oh, spiffy. I just got my newspaper, and the map in there doesn’t match the map at GEOMAC. The newspaper shows the fire about twice as big… ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-little-freaked-out/370879/9 "2006-08-31T17:16:05Z")
Yep, that is an un-nerving situation. Earlier this year there were fires in the north san fernando valley and not only could I smell it but there was ash falling from the sky. I’m not close enough to the fires for it to have been a danger to me, but that was seriously weirding me out.