Fire!

Thursday night Mike was determined that he was going to go to bed early.  So, at around eight-thirty into the bedroom he went.  However, he hardly got his spot in the bed warm before he heard a loud popping noise.  Something made him get up and open the blinds on the bay window in our bedroom.  He asked me to come look and we saw a small glow coming from the direction of his brother's machinery repair shop.

Having just heard Stephen, Mike's son, drive by the house, I called to see if he was down there working on something only to find that he was at a different barn checking on his newborn goats.  So, I abruptly hung up from talking to him and dialed 911. 

That is the fastest I have ever known Mike to dress - ever!  He was dressed and we were half-way to the fire before I finished the 911 call.  By the time we rolled to a stop just a few yards away from the burning shed, flames were leaping out around the roof.  Stephen roared in right behind us and began looking for a hose.  The two of them got the hose hooked up to a nearby faucet and Mike began trying to drown out as much of the flames as possible.

The farm bobcat was afire.  We heard several more loud, explosive pops but this did not deter Mike and Stephen's determination to keep the fire contained until the firemen could get there.  Knowing that Mike's brother and his family were at the elementary school's first grade class performance watching his middle grandson, I sent the four of them a text message to let them know that there was a fire. 

The local sherriff's deputy and police department were the first to travel toward the scene.  No matter how good Google Earth and GPS systems claim to be, they are not 100% accurate.  The first two responders to the call flew right past the driveway.  To make matters worse, one of them turned around and passed the driveway going in the other direction.  So, I began running toward the end of the driveway squeezing my cell phone to make it light up and waving my arms in hopes they would see me. 

It seemed like eons but within a matter of seven to ten minutes, the fire department and emergency medical crews were on site. 

It took them another minute or two to get their hoses stretched out and flowing. 

All this time Mike stood right in front of the doorway spraying water in hopes of keeping the fire contained. 

This is Mike keeping water on the building in hopes of keeping the blaze contained.

Soon the fire department took over and with the force of the fire hoses got the fire extenguished.

They did a thorough job of checking and inspecting to be certain that there was no smoldering or burning.  As they were doing this, Mike and I slipped out the back way and headed back home.

When we got to the house, we were both so wired up from the excitement that it was near midnight before we even attempted to go to bed.  So much for turning in early!

Fire is one of those elements which has always frightened me unbelievably and this situation was no different.  I find it hard to believe how quickly it leapt out of control.  While I worried and prayed watching this man standing in front of the roaring flames, I was grateful that he was there trying to save what he could.

He is my everyday, ordinary hero.

I know his brother and family are grateful for his and Stephen's efforts, too. 

There is never a dull moment around here!