The smoke was a harbinger of dread for Anitra Cornish.
Late last month, from her home in Eureka, Utah, she watched it billow over the hill.
Soon, flames from the raging Iron Fire became visible, prompting her to tell her 86-year-old aunt it was time to flee.
They returned five days later, only to be evacuated again within 24 hours. The experience, she recounted, was a week of profound frustration and stress.
"We almost lost our home the first time," Cornish said. "You’re just wondering, with the second time, are they gonna save it again?"
Cornish’s ordeal is shared by thousands across the American West, where uncertainty reigns as wildfires spread, fueled by months of arid conditions and a record lack of winter snow in some regions.
Residents are grappling with the agonizing question of whether their homes will survive, while others remain on high alert, prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice.
The families of firefighters endure constant worry for their loved ones’ safety, and some are mourning those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Experts warn that the stress is likely to persist, with dry conditions setting the stage for a destructive fire season.
"Right now we’re set up for extreme fire behavior," stated Jennifer Balch, a fire scientist and geography professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
wildfire burning southwest of Denver has forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and destroyed more than 160 structures by Friday as erratic winds pushed the blaze across two Colorado counties.
The Aspen Acres fire is one of about 40 uncontained large blazes burning mostly in the West, fueled by months of dry weather and a record lack of snow this past winter in some places.
Fire personnel were scooping water from the Pueblo Reservoir to fight Aspen Acres fire, which expanded overnight by 17 square miles (44 square kilometers) which brought it up to nearly 105 square miles (272 square kilometers) by Friday with zero containment.
This week alone, more than 9,000 personnel have been deployed to contain blazes nationwide, including over 50 large fires, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
The peril of these efforts was tragically underscored last weekend when three firefighters lost their lives in a wildfire along the Colorado-Utah border.
Evacuation orders have been issued across Arizona, Washington, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah.
The rapid and unpredictable shifts of these fires are fraying nerves.
Chantelle Geyer was poised to evacuate last Sunday night as smoke from the Gold Mountain fire billowed over the mountain near her house in Ouray, Colorado.
By Monday, the fire had moved away, but officials cautioned everyone to remain prepared should conditions change.
Geyer’s 19-year-old daughter has become a "nervous wreck," convinced they should leave, while her 8-year-old son refused to sleep Sunday night.
"You just don’t know what the fire is going to do while you’re sleeping," Geyer explained. Her family, recent arrivals from South Africa, are still settling into their new life in Colorado.
"The thought of potentially losing that and have to start over for the second time in a year, is, yeah, it’s not a great feeling," she added.
For others, the anxiety centers on loved ones battling the infernos. Sarah Brubeck Schnurbusch would grow nervous every time her best friend, Emily Barker, left to fight wildfires, always asking her to text upon returning to safety. Her anxiety would mount if she didn't hear from Barker for days.
Barker was one of the three firefighters killed in the Colorado blaze. Brubeck Schnurbusch recalled Barker’s exceptional qualifications, which always made her confident her friend would be fine.
"You just always knew Emily was going to come home, because she just always did," Brubeck Schnurbusch said, adding, "She was just the most humble hero you’ve ever met, the most hardworking person."
Randy McClintock, too, feels immense pride for his father, Steve, a 70-year-old firefighter who continues to risk his life near the Grapevine fire in Nevada.
Yet, this pride is invariably tempered by anxiety each time his father’s pager sounds. "He is probably one of the most selfless people I know, and he very often has to sacrifice time with his own family," he said. "He’s my hero."
Some property owners face the grim reality of total loss and the daunting prospect of rebuilding.
Joseph Armeanio watched helplessly through a remote camera as the Aspen Acres fire rapidly consumed his Colorado property. He had hoped to return to salvage some belongings but couldn't reach it in time. "It’s kind of heartbreaking to recognize you’re not going to make it in time," he lamented.
Armeanio was constructing a house on land that also served as a family campground. Though he hasn’t been able to return, he assumes the property is a "total loss."
He noted that wildfire concerns are a regular occurrence in Colorado, and there’s a limit to what property owners can do to mitigate risk. "I really hope people learn to get out of the way," Armeanio said. "If there’s any benefit from watching me lose everything, I hope it just wakes people up."
In Utah, Bret Van Leeuwen lost approximately three-fourths of the small ranch he co-owns to the fast-spreading Cherry Fire.
Even as smoke obscured visibility, neighbors rallied to cut wire fences on his ranch, allowing cattle to escape, though at least six calves perished.
"As you drive across it, you can see the bloated bodies laying on the barren earth," he described. Ranchers will spend the coming days locating and sorting the surviving cattle.
Van Leeuwen remains hopeful he can rebuild, but for some neighbors, their ranches represent their sole income. "That is devastating to that rancher," he said.
Psychologist Thomas Doherty advises those coping with wildfire anxiety to take things one day at a time.
"Just focus on the day to day, making sure you yourself, your family are fed, hydrated, safe," he suggested, or to concentrate on evacuation plans and social support. "When you’re in a disaster, it will pass. These things do not last forever."
Professor Balch emphasized that global warming is exacerbating these fires, making them more frequent and severe.
"What’s happening with the larger picture of climate change is, it takes just a little bit of warming to lead to a lot more burning," she explained. "And fire is very responsive to that temperature increase."
Cornish was able to return home Sunday, cautiously optimistic the fire would not threaten her again. Nevertheless, she remains prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. "We just need to pray for rain," she said.
Read MoreWildfire anxiety mounts amid fast-moving blazes and repeat evacuations
Wildfire southwest of Denver forces thousands to evacuate and destroys more than 160 structures
Bus ploughs into window of Notting Hill home
Fire shelters are a key defense for firefighters. But they don't guarantee survival
Nearly half of Americans don’t know what they’re celebrating on July 4, poll finds
Trump celebrates installation of slave owner statue in Washington
