East Texas -- on fire!

Today was another adventure for us and the Mammoth.

We were notified by a harsh knock on the door, that there was a wildfire burning nearby. The wind was gusty up to 40mph and we were under a red flag warning. We could see the smoke, but it seemed far away. Later in the afternoon, we saw a helicopter join the firefighting efforts!

About 4pm we were warned that we needed to evacuate the park immediately, as the fire was getting nearer. Many folks were hitching up bumper-pull trailers and some motorhomes also pulled out. We were told there really was no time to hitch up, and needed to leave right away. We had already gathered the important things like the computer and other electronics, but decided everything else was just stuff and we left the Mammoth, and hit the road. Better to be safe than sorry!!

We decided to do something fun while we waited, by driving out to explore Caddo Lake State Park, about an hour away. We passed by another area of an earlier wildfire, that closed I-20 for a few hours this morning. Just off the highway, the ground was blackened and trees were still burning. Firefighters had protected a large mobile home park from the fast moving flames, and it looked fairly contained.

We got to Caddo Lake and there was very little wind there, but there was evidence of rain and wind with lots of leaves and small branches everywhere. The park is amazing, with very narrow roads. It's heavily wooded and swamp-like... Again, we felt like we were in another country! We definitely want to come back and visit for a longer stay. We discovered a section of pull- through sites that we think the Mammoth will fit in.

While exploring the camping areas, we got the message that the evacuation for the RV park was lifted, and we could return to the park. Whew, what a relief! We headed back and stopped in Marshall, TX to eat at El Chico. We got back to the park to find most folks were back, but some rigs were gone. It was dark when we returned, so we'll have to wait and see if there is any evidence of how close the fire got to the park. While watching the local news, we learned we were not alone. The first 20 minutes of the news focused on wildfires all over East Texas today!

We have to head back Monday, it's too bad but I would rather not experience any more "adventures" like today!