I was feeling particularly red-blooded and American yesterday when I decided to clean out the ol’ toolshed. As I was removing the second of three mouse nests, I heard and then saw a bright yellow low-flying plane, almost identical to the one pictured above, rumble across the airspace directly above my house. At first I assumed it was some aerial drill, of the SC-variety. Then, when a similarly yellow helicopter buzzed overhead about ten minutes later, I started to wonder if our unseasonably warm weather had prompted some eager reefer scouts to do some flyovers.

The unfortunate and, in hindsight, obvious answer was that these were aerial firefighters delivering lakewater and transporting fire crews to a forest fire burning right over the next mountain ridge. Apparently the blaze has been going since Friday, when it was said to be under control:

Fire officials said the tinder-like conditions contributed to a large, forest fire in Western North Carolina Friday afternoon. The fire, burning between Saluda and Tryon off Highway 176 in Polk County, was under control Friday evening, Tryon Fire Chief Michael Coggins told News Channel 7.

The dry conditions and high winds pushed the fire up the mountain at a rapid speed,” Coggins said. A helicopter scooped large bucketfuls of water from a local body of water to fight the blaze. Crews were expected to monitor the area overnight.

It’s now Sunday evening and the yellow plane has gotten a good look at my house about a dozen or so times throughout the day as it makes water runs. I’m not too worried, but my yard is getting a little smoky, even for my tastes. Our local Fire Dept. has assured Mrs. Jórge that in the event we need to evacuate, “a fireman will come tell you to leave,” which somehow didn’t make us feel much better.

In the meantime, I’ve been trying my hand at SkyFighter, a harder-than-it-looks Flash game that is the best answer I’ve found to the “I wonder what it would be like to fly one those planes?” question. Give it a whirl, and send us a prayer while you’re at it.