Update Time

Summer 2023: 

It was a strange popping, crackling noise that we heard in the trees along the north side of the road.  It’s just straight bush there on either side of the road and while home to various wildlife there was nothing we knew made that kind of noise.  Thick with a mix of evergreen, cedar and various deciduous trees the dense woods hide the view to the lake but if there’s any wind you can hear the waves on the shore.  The forest makes noise and today the wind was gusting pretty good so this unfamiliar sound was masked by leaves rustling and the water rolling. It wasn’t constant but it was there.  It puzzled us. This intermittent sound didn’t belong in the forest. 

The trees swirled again and as flailing branches lurched forward and back they suddenly revealed the origin of the sound. Sparks flew from the branches of a tall poplar tree cascading downward.  What an unexpected show. The high voltage hydro lines twisted within the trees branches and with each windy push the lines collided and exploded into a shower of bright balls of light. Seconds later the smoke began to rise from the floor of the bush. Fire!  We had fire.  More snapping and popping from overhead threw sparks onto growing flames. We had to act quickly. Hesitate and we’d be lost.  The bush would be lost.