On 4/24/2021 at 6:00 a.m.: The alleged perpetrator Mr. X cleans ashes from the stove of his guesthouse, setting the bucket in the porch area.
12:30 p.m.: Mr. X scatters the allegedly dead ashes in the bucket in the tall grass south of the guesthouse. He then goes for a walk north of the guest house. Upon his return he notices a large section of burning grass to the south. He feels the awe and terror felt by Moses on seeing the burning bush in the wilderness.
Mr. X extends a garden hose towards the fire. Knowing this hose will be too short, he goes to the basement for the in-house hoses. The hoses are on a caddy which twists and turns as it clatters up the narrow basement stairs. X pauses at the top of the stairs to catch his breath then returns to the fire.
The fire is burning in a large circle, moving mostly to the east and south It pauses as the wind dies, then takes off again in the gusts. X begins dousing the fire trying to reach the leading edge. As he pulls more hose out, he turns and notices the fire he just doused has sprung up again and is now burning his hose.
12:45 p.m.: X calls the Forestry office one mile to the north. He gets a recording (it's Saturday) telling him to call 911 which he does. The fire is headed for a deep draw to the south. If it crosses the draw it will reach another grassy meadow and the woods. The fire is also burning towards a dirt pile covered with a tarp. Mr. X attempts to douse this fire to save the tarp but his charred hose bursts.
1:00 p.m.: The first Forestry ATV arrives. It is bright greenish yellow. The two firefighters are wearing matching rain gear. They don their yellow rubber backpacks filled with five gallons of water and drive to the leading edge of the fire. The fire has crossed the draw and is headed for the woods.
1:07 p.m.: Several more Forestry vehicles arrive plus a truck from the City Fire Department 15 miles to the north. A water tanker arrives to refill the smaller tanks on the ATVs.
1:15 p.m.: X's neighbor W arrives to provide counseling and moral support.
1:30 p.m.: A large tracked vehicle left over from Star Wars tramples through the woods knocking down trees in search of embers which could reignite later.
2:00 p.m.: Roseau FD and DNR equipment withdraw from the blackened scene having accomplished a job well done. Even Sodom and Gomorrah turned green again after the spring rains W reminds X.
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| And for your penance, you will plant 1,000 trees. (Photo by Steve Reynolds) |
'W' here. I would like to think we could've turned the tide on your fire had I heard your cellphone call to me before you called 9-1-1, but with the wind we had that day, and my own vast experience discovering/fighting accidental fires (and some burning with a permit) it would've been too late. When a fire of some strength get burning 360 degrees and you're alone with inadequate equipment or supply of water -- it's best just to make the call as fast as you can then be thankful you live only 1.5 miles from the Wannaska forestry.
ReplyDeleteI was never so thankful to see the forestry airplane come low over my place and forestry fire fighters arrive with their track unit and two loads of crew with backpack sprayers in 1990, I think it was; another very dry year, perhaps that of the Hovorka Swamp Fire. They had the totally preventable fire (about the same size as yours) out in a few minutes, but it could've been far worse hadn't we finally made the call. I was surprised we didn't lose more conifer trees than we did. I purchased my first backpack sprayer the next day. Between you and I now, we have three. No more wrestling spools of hose up from your basement.
Aye
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