That’s what they seem to be calling the August 2007 fire in the Big Horn Mountains near Sheridan. This photo was taken about 8pm on Sunday evening just west and south of the town of Big Horn, WY. I didn’t have my tripod and the shutter speed was 1 second at ISO 720 so it’s a little fuzzy. This morning I took a quick drive up past the town of Big Horn and with the overcast, lower temperatures and virtually no wind, the northward advance along the eastern face appears to have slowed considerably, however there is still considerable smoke at Little Goose Canyon, and especially toward the top of the canyon.

On a whim, I took a drive out Sunday night around midnight, and could see the fire clearly at that time. There was something eerily beautiful with the orange flames against the black of night. While I was thinking of how beautiful it was, I was also thinking of the destruction, but then again, it’s all part of life on this blue ball, and fire is not only a sign of destruction, it is also a sign of rebirth. The only official report I could quickly find on the fire was at the Kota Territory News website.