Same here David, the valley is full of it and the smell is very noticeable. Here’s what it looks like
Same here David, the fires are huge and we are getting the smoke is all.
Well I cleared the rest of the bush growing over the garden tap and near the satellite dish, set the charger for the battery of the Berlingo which hasn’t turned a wheel in weeks, skipped the walk for Jules and took the trike around the circuit. The smoke is more evident elsewhere, our house is high on a side valley from the main valley, and I paid particular attention to the woods where we normally walk in our ‘island’. No sign of any fire thank goodness.
So I came back and took myself off to the pond. 28 metres and I sat down un-dried in my chair to read and take the occasional swig from my water bottle. And the breeze, strong and south westerly on my back was oh so cool. Wonderful after yesterdays inferno. 
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Current temperature in my living room… and I’m in the East Midlands in the UK. It’s 38 degrees outside. Not felt anything like this since I lived in France.
Hey David_Spardo Stay safe! Keep the hose handy. I know the fear you have as we currently live in the " Woods/Forest" We have big pine and oak trees within 5 M of the house. So I always keep out a watchful eye on the local fire alerts. But years ago I used to live in Southern California and have fought many wild fires. If you think you may be the path of a wildfire, set up your exit plan now! Have the car packed and all your important documents ready to take with you. Expect to receive little notice of an official evacuation. From personal experience I can tell you a garden hose will have little effect on an approaching wildfire. Plan NOW and please stay safe.
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Thank you, good advice, I will. The garden hose is not to fight a fire just to try and restrain it particularly on the only trees upwind of the house.
I have a fire proof safe, like a very heavy briefcase with the most important stuff in it. 
Good Deal! Stay safe. We are having fires here in Texas also. Heat+Wind is never a good combination. Bon Chance!
Had a bit of a thunderstorm this morning, even with some rain! I could smell the smoke in the rain and the pool cover had some ash on top in the accumulated rain water. We are probably 400km from the SW fires
Our thunderstorm was during the night and very very close, overhead in fact, many instances of simultaneous lightning and vibration causing thunder. Jules is not terrified but he does come onto my bed at such times but I even had to hold him tight as the loud crashings came.
I am fortunate in having a ground floor bedroom with a window leading onto a terrasse with a roof extending 2 metres from the window, therefore in the wildest of weather I can have the windows wide open to keep cool. The downside of that is that there is no barrier to the sound.
I sat out in it!!
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I had completely forgotten, because I was worried about Jules (needn’t have, he wasn’t paniced, just wanted to be near me) that I have a perfectly good viewing place with a reclining chair and a glass roof, the kitchen veranda. But I have got to find a way of cleaning the roof without falling off the ladder. 
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Been the same temperature (29°) in my tabac most afternoons and that’s with the air conditioning on max 
but it’s still well over 10° cooler than the temperature outside 
Much cooler today/back to normal mid 30s and only 26° inside (air-con still on)
Vivement l’automne !
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It’s just so draining! Much cooler here this afternoon. Just 25 degrees this afternoon and will be down to 16 degrees overnight.
Bon courage!!
Izzy x
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Bloody sad to think like that though Andrew but sadly it’s the reality. 
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As tech updates all sorts of aids, here is one that would b good for areas of Europe prone to wildfires
I note the growing use of AI for detection and analysis of potential fires and catching them earlier.