We had a bit of a scare on Saturday. The weather reports kept warning that the high winds combined with the dryness made for prime wildfire conditions. And sure enough. As we were hanging out in our front yard Saturday morning we saw the smoke. We thought nothing of it at first. But then it was getting thicker. And darker. And closer.
Everyone went to go check it out. The Big Ballerina came back in tears. Shaking from head to toe. The dunes were on fire. And spreading. Fast.
"Call 911, Mommy! PLEASE! Call 911!" she begged me.
You know you're in trouble when you call 911 and they put you on hold. But the dispatcher assured me the fire department was on its way.
We watched trees engulf in flames. And wondered if we should pack up what we could and leave. We gathered a few things. Threw them in the back of the car. And waited. And watched.
Luckily, there is water that separates us from the dunes. Water that stopped the fire from continuing into our backyards. Thank goodness the winds blew the flames parallel to the houses instead of up the street toward us. And thank goodness for the fire fighters who got it under control.
(I am standing in our next door neighbor's back yard here. The zoom is only at 55mm. The fire fighters are close. Too close for comfort.)
The picture below is taken this morning in the same spot as the one of BB above. All of the vegetation is gone. This is one of my favorite places to take pictures. I was actually thinking of a photo I wanted to take in this spot that very morning on my walk.
But, we're all ok. Nobody was hurt. Everyone's house was spared. I just need to find a new favorite location to take photos. And gather all of the important papers together in one place so we're prepared for something like this in the future.
Everyone went to go check it out. The Big Ballerina came back in tears. Shaking from head to toe. The dunes were on fire. And spreading. Fast.
"Call 911, Mommy! PLEASE! Call 911!" she begged me.
You know you're in trouble when you call 911 and they put you on hold. But the dispatcher assured me the fire department was on its way.
We watched trees engulf in flames. And wondered if we should pack up what we could and leave. We gathered a few things. Threw them in the back of the car. And waited. And watched.
Luckily, there is water that separates us from the dunes. Water that stopped the fire from continuing into our backyards. Thank goodness the winds blew the flames parallel to the houses instead of up the street toward us. And thank goodness for the fire fighters who got it under control.
(I am standing in our next door neighbor's back yard here. The zoom is only at 55mm. The fire fighters are close. Too close for comfort.)
The picture below is taken this morning in the same spot as the one of BB above. All of the vegetation is gone. This is one of my favorite places to take pictures. I was actually thinking of a photo I wanted to take in this spot that very morning on my walk.
All of this used to be covered in those pretty reeds. The fire started from the far end. About three streets away.
But, we're all ok. Nobody was hurt. Everyone's house was spared. I just need to find a new favorite location to take photos. And gather all of the important papers together in one place so we're prepared for something like this in the future.
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22 comments:
so glad you all are ok...and that your homes were spared as well!
makes us stop and pause when we realize how fast we could lose everything......
xo
Wow! Glad everyone is ok! What a scare that would have been.
Scary! I'm so glad everyone is OK!
Wow! So glad everyone and their houses are safe!!!
Oh my goodness, that is so scary. Glad that everyone is okay and no houses were destroyed. That is definitely too close for comfort.
Oh my goodness, Kim, what a terrible reality to face. So glad no one's property was affected, but scary nonetheless. One of those moments that puts everything into perfect perspective.
So glad you're okay!
How scary! I am glad you are all okay. I can not believe how close that was.
Way too close for comfort. So glad everyone is ok. I can't imagine what that all must have felt like.
prayers....
Scary!
When my Mr. lived in California there were fires. He had to evacuate. When he returned, his apartment was there but was covered in black soot.
Oh, wow. How scary. Glad everyone is okay.
Thank goodness for the water that separated you from the fire! So glad all of you are safe and sound. Hope the rest of the area (homes, folk, and critters) are OK.
I'm so glad that you're all ok and that no property was damaged. But what a shame about all the destruction it caused the the surrounding areas. Just another reminder of how fragile and fleeting reality can be. Thanks for your sentiments on yesterdays post. I lost my Dad 29 days before my Mom. I'm still having trouble accepting the reality of it all. Some days are better than others, but if I let myself think about it too much, I can really get messed up. I have to admit, there are too many coincidences in our lives for this to all be chance, so I do think we're soul sisters in some way or another. So here's a big hug to you sis. Hug your family tight today and keep them very close to your heart always.
Oh my goodness! I'm so glad you're all ok, what a relief. Keep safe xx
How scary Kim! Glad the firefighters were able to get there and prevent it from spreading to everyone's houses. I can't imagine how you guys felt watching and waiting to see if you would need to leave.
yikes!!! so happy to hear that everyone is ok!!! the dunes catching on fire in the middle of winter??? how scary!!! hugs to you and the girls!!!!
Oh her sweet face one minute and then yelling for you to call 911, how scary! I am so glad to hear that no one was hurt by this! It does make you think that things can change in just a moment of time. Gather those important papers in one spot just in case. In fact this should be a reminder that we all need to be prepared!
Megan
that's crazy! and so scary - i'm so glad that everyone is ok, lots to be thankful for ;-)
so very scary!! So glad BB alerted you and that she was not harmed either! i hope your week is far less eventful! so happy that your home & others are fine, too. hugs, cathy
wow what a weekend. . .so glad that everyone is safe! must have been so scary for the ballerinas!
BTW loved your www Valentine post. . .
So thankful that you and your neighbors are o.k. and the fire was caught in time. That's way too close for comfort!
Many blessings to you!
Jill
The first picture of your ballerina is BEAUTIFUL!! LOVE it. I was so sad to read the rest of this post about the fire. I'm glad you are ok, but it's so sad to see such beautiful vegetation wiped out. This sounds weird, but I love all of the pictures your captured. They are fascinating and heartbreaking at the same time!
How scary! I'm so glad everyone was okay. I cant imagine what few things you gathered up...they say when it really comes down to it...not much matters. I guess that's true.
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