In the last few days we had weird clouds build up over the northern part of Bonaire. Sid remembered what Mark, a local, had told him to watch out if a cloud builds up at the northern part of the island then lingers and lingers, like it did that day. Mark warned us in that case to get prepared for a good blow. He said it's a local condition he grew up with and that without warning the wind can blow 40 plus knots through the anchorage. Sure enough the wind started switching and came from that direction up to 15 knots. We were ready but luckily it didn't get any worse and the wind waves were tolerable. The following day the same happened again but luckily we didn't get much wind out of it. On our Anniversary same thing again, the cloud built up then some heavier clouds due to a tropical wave approached from the north east and joined the cloud. Boats started to turn into the cloud again. We were ready for the worst. Then we saw two lightning strikes hit the northern part of the island. Tons of rain came down but never made it to us. When the rain finally was over we noticed some gray fog hugging the two humps of a hill and thought nothing of it until that fog went straight up into the air we knew that one of the tanks at BOPEC which belongs to PDVSA, Venezuela was on fire. A second tank was hit and smoldering but luckily they controlled and extinguished the fire. The other on the other hand turned into a blazing inferno. The cloud from the smoke was so high in the atmospheare it started to develop it's own weather. Black soot rained down onto the National Park. 
Later on we went to Inka's house for her Birthday and house warming party and learned that they finally had extinguished the fire. We had a wonderful time at the party and met many new Bonairians. About 9ish we heard roaring thunder a clew for us to return to the boat. Luckily one guest was leaving as well and drove us back. By the time we arrived back at the boat the lightning show was over but learned the following day that it brought in a wind reversal and made the anchorage uncomfortable.
The following morning Sid woke me up early. The fire at BOPEC had picked up again and a humongous cloud was towering over the north end of the island, it looked like a volcano eruption. Again it created it's own weather and black soot rain fell over the park again, not good. Because of Inka's Birthday we had our Anniversary dinner postponed to the 9th which we then celebrated at Villa Blue with Randy and Lourae and Barb and Chuck on Tusen Takk II. I had prepared a wonderful Fondue Bourgignonne which we all enjoyed with an incredible view over the bonfire at BOPEC. It made for a spectacular sunset:
Reflection in the infinity pool. (Photo 1: cloud of first photo had four funnel clouds trying to reach the water, none succeeded. Photo 2: reflection with fire in back ground. Photo 3: Can't have a bonfire without Marshmallows):
As the evening went by the flames became bigger and bigger and seemed really out of control and flames shot 300 feet up into the air, it was amazing. The following morning only some smoke lingered and it looked like the fire was under control and only one hour later I saw flames again, oh no! They finally did extinguish the fire and we also found out that the same day another tank in Curacao also belonging to PDVSA was also ablaze by a hit of lightning but they killed that fire right away. The weather didn't look all to go either. A Low build right over the Grenadines and is threatening to turn into a tropical storm. Since this system is still fairly south we were in the path of it or at least we would get some wind reversal and rain out of it. Along with some other boats we took a slip in the marina just to be on the save side. Besides the boat is filthy from all the island dust a good bath was in order for her. We're on our last day here in Bonaire. Tomorrow Monday we're going to check out and sail to Curacao where another adventure awaits.
Here are some photos of the Bonaire disaster (click on photos to view bigger):
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