It’s Sunday here, extremely early morning, yet I’m still awake, thoughts churning.
A massive fire occurred just a few blocks away, flames licking the sky, I thought I could feel the heat, and could definitely hear the actual fire. It seemed like a beast eating the air. How frightening and awesome….awesome in its original meaning.
When I went outside in the afternoon, the air felt saturated from the amount of water poured onto this fire.
If it had happened on Friday when the wind was gusting to 50 mph, the scenario might have been different, tragic, more than just a building being constructed demolished. It might have been the homes and livelihoods of those nearby.
I’ve never been so close to a huge fire. And my utmost wish is to never be so close to one again.
Even late this evening, smoke rose from the site. The fireman I talked to said that it isn’t fire, but smoldering elements. You have to watch out in winter, he said, because everything’s dry, embers smolder and can re-ignite. These fireman came on duty at 6 pm and wouldn’t leave until 6 am. A long night in cold temperatures. I told him we appreciated what they do, feeling as I walked away, that these might just be mere words although I meant them whole-heartedly. I saw them work all day, battling this monstrous fire. It’s an amazing service they do for us.
Fireman continue to douse the area in water. They are our guardians. In a world of crumbling heroes, they are steadfast and solid.
Here are some pictures from today.
Many of the people in the earlier pictures were evacuated from their homes. You could hear them on their cell phones as they paced, talking to a loved one about their situation, hoping that the winds and fate would be kind. In this case, it was.
The fortunate thing is that this was a building under construction so no one was living in it. The nearby townhouses, although almost completed, didn’t have anyone living in them. The fire department contained the fire before it could spread to the occupied homes. Considering how close all of these buildings were it’s a praised miracle.
You now have a small sense of what living with the threat of wildfire is like. Keeps you humble, philosophical and grateful.
I’ve always been a little (neurotic) about fire, especially if I leave the dogs home alone. The bushfires, the wildfires, and this just drive it all home.
So glad you, Scout and Sophie are safe Sascha and no one was living in these buildings – it must have been a frightening experience for everyone involved. The firemen are doing a wonderful job the world over 💜
Thanks, Xena. It’s come out even more in the past couple of days just what an incredible job the firefighters did. We are all so fortunate to have dedicated people like this in our world!