At 7:48 she checks the smoke outlook. Fires in southern Oregon, mostly aloft, mixing to surface possible by mid-morning. The official monitor reads 97. The sensor on the roof reads 103.
Yellow flag is already up. Changing it means the first-grade creek walk doesn't happen, means the gym teacher rearranges stations for 200 kids on ten minutes' notice.
At 8:22 the roof sensor jumps to 108. Official still says 97. She refreshes. Mountains gone behind something not quite cloud. She picks up the phone.