A preview of fires to come

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The hundreds of wildfires in California have yet to be replicated on our side of the border, but it's evident from the murkiness in the Valley that fire season is in the air.

If there's any California product Nevadans hate, it's the smoke coming over the mountains from wildfires every summer.

What's remarkable this year is the number of fires generating the smoke. The Associated Press estimated more than 800 fires began since last weekend's lightning storm.

What's also remarkable is that same lightning storm didn't do the same thing on our side of the Sierra.

By this time last year, Coleville had already been threatened by the Larson fire and Angora had burned a portion of the city of South Lake Tahoe. Thursday was the 12th anniversary of the Autumn Hills fire that destroyed four homes in Carson Valley.

Fortunately for both states, a wet last week of May has delayed our fire season a bit, allowing resources from both states to focus on the Golden State's conflagrations.

But our turn is coming. If California is any indication of the future, it won't take much of a spark to set the wildland ablaze.

Next week is Fourth of July. Please obey the law against fireworks in Douglas County and most of its neighboring counties. There will be plenty of organized shows for people to enjoy without the danger of setting even more fires.

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