Late August, early September 2011, wildfires consumed much of central Texas. On a Sunday afternoon, we were driving out highway 71, to see if the Pedernales River had any water. But we could see smoke rising up into the sky from miles away. It was the Spicewood wildfire. The police stopped traffic, and we watched with dismay as the fire jumped the highway in the high winds and raced south over drought-parced land. This image is one of several from that afternoon.