Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.

Until now the summer fires have been far away, except for those that were burning in Stellenbosch. Since this is my “off” semester, I spend as little time as possible at the office. (In the second semester I’ll be spending most of my time at the university.) Usually I just open the windows: on the sixth floor I don’t really need air conditioning in the summer. Only one day I had to keep the windows closed because of the smell of the fire.

Now it seems the upper hand is on the other foot, to quote an American president. The mountains about 7 km from my house are on fire. I can’t see anything, but then I’m in a bit of a valley. I don’t think the fire is too dramatic, despite the fact that the radio newscaster describes it as “raging”. I’m sure that if I go closer it would appear more raging. However, this does not mean that it has not affected me. I remember at the end of 2005 when it was burning much closer, less than 1 km away. Then the yellow and orange flames seemed dangerous. This time there is a cloud of haze hanging overhead. It is overcast, but it is also clear that a lot of the smoke is coming from the fire. The atmosphere smells of a dead fire, but a constant rain of fine ash reminds us that it is not yet over. Now I’ll have to wash my car.

We shouldn’t forget the second half of Frost’s poem:

But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Let’s hope we can avoid this fate.