fire, apocalypse, and ducks

Yesterday I was planning my afternoon's writing session when I padded barefoot into the kitchen and overheard the housekeeper and one of the nannies talking about a fire. The kitchen has floor-to-ceiling windows facing northwest -- which sounds nice, and is, except it makes the eating area very bright and very warm at certain times of day -- and I looked out past the yard and pool to see smoke billowing up from beyond yonder hills. "Was that flame?" I said. Because I've seen smoke before: one s