Fireweed

Photo by Celeste Prescott, Alaska Division of Forestry

A post about three weeks ago spoke to the fact that the blooms on the fireweed had reached the top of the stalk which meant six more weeks until there's snow on the ground. There are still three weeks to go to make that true but no new snow high on the mountain yet. Still there are a lot of yellow leaves in the trees and more on the ground in the yard.

This picture showed up today from the Alaska Division of Forestry. It shows a portion of burned over area from the Sockeye fire last month, the one that prompted the expotion to the East Pole to bring out precious keepsakes. Here we are about a month later and look at the fireweed already repopulating the burned over landscape with color, usually the first foliage to grow after a fire, hence the name.

For the record that fire is out now. It burned over 7,220 acres and consumed 55 homes. A tremendous rebuilding effort is under way now to help people get into homes before snow flies. Many of the people living in the area are dog mushers, some familiar names in the Iditarod. It took quite an effort but all of the dogs were moved out of the path of the fire.

So, now as the rebuilding continues and people gradually return to their land, they are greeted by the bright flowers that mark the beginning of new life in a land devastated by fire but with hopes the predictor is wrong this time, allowing more building time before the snow comes.

Top of the stalk, babies
Melissa, McGonnigal and a trail through an Alaska lifetime