If you’re not familiar with it, imagine popcorn popping while schnitzel is dropped into an overheated pot. If you’ve never heard that snapping sound, you might be surprised at how loud it is. Our neighborhood abuts a long ravine — green in the winter, dry and parched in the summer — and small wildfires are common during the long, hot summer months. The dry grass doesn’t nurture the flames very effectively, the surrounding buildings are stone, the fire department responds promptly and efficiently. A little flash fire is viewed less as something to fear than as a spectacle to enjoy.