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32 PCB007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2020 was southwest of Forest Grove, Oregon. This was close to a major recreational area known as Hagg Lake. The area was closed, and the nearby town of Cherry Grove was evacuated. This fire has also been contained. However, at this writing, the two major fires (Riverside and Beachie Creek) remain very ac- tive and continue to ravage. These two fires have consumed over 1 million acres and count- less structures. Towns nestled on two different scenic highways into the Cascade Mountains are gone. The smoke from the West Coast fires has been felt all across the U.S. and even de- tected in Europe. If it were not for the heroic efforts of all the first responders, firefighters, and townspeople coming together, the devas- tation would be much worse. Town shopping center lots have become evacuee camps. Fair- grounds have been opened for livestock evacu- ation. Volunteer food courts have sprung up. Farmers have opened their gates for RVs, trail- ers, and tents. No one asked for anything; it was just neighbors helping neighbors, which was beautiful to see. It has been only a few days since the winds have changed. We have seen some rain, and the local air quality has dropped again to roughly normal levels. In 2020, "normal" has become a word that is a moving target. We still wear our masks, ash and soot blanket the roadways, and vehicles and smoke can still be seen where the fires still burn. It will take time—and the fall rains and snow—to fully extinguish these ma- jor fires. Our heroes can only control and stop their spread. It has been a challenge. My heart goes out to all those who have lost their livestock, homes, and the ultimate loss of family. Again, from Ore- gon and the West Coast, thank you to all the first responders, firefighters, and support person- nel who have come from all over the U.S. and abroad to battle these catastrophic fires. PCB007 Todd Kolmodin is VP of quality for Gardien Services USA and an expert in electrical test and reliability issues. To read past columns or contact Kolmodin, click here. The picture in Molalla (Riverside fire) was during the evacuation (Figure 2). The town had been evacuated, and this was the view at 11:00 a.m. There was no sun showing—only the red sky. The list goes on. Another fire to our northwest was the Powerline fire, which Figure 2: Molalla fire at 11:00 a.m. Figure 3: Salem, Oregon, on September 8 at 2:00 p.m.