FIRE!

We had all kinds of excitement here at the farm today. This is the dry season here with high fire risk. I was thinking of the fires out west today. Lark, I especially thought of you.

My neighbor's accidently set their pasture on fire mowing it. (Side note- when the fire started they jumped off the mower and started yelling swear words. They did NOTHING to put the fire out!) The fire spread like crazy across their pasture and mine. Part of it headed toward the back of my property that is wooded. Part started up toward my barn and house. I stood with the hose wetting down the barn until a tanker truck showed up.

Then the wind kicked up and it spread like, well, wildfire. I started wondering if I needed to get cats into carriers if we needed to evacuate. I asked the fire chief I needed to evacuate. He said "I hope not."

They circled the fire with tanker trucks and knocked the flames down pretty quickly. House and barn were safe. They were here for hours getting the fire and the hot spots all put out. My girlfriend and I joined them for awhile putting out hot spots until the chief came over and told us we did not need to do that. I think he was envisioning two old women keeling over from the heat.

We took bottles of water out to the crew. I personally thanked a bunch of them. I could have done without the stress of it all, but thankfully everything turned out okay. On the plus side I no longer need to mow my back pasture and the grass will grow like crazy when the rainy season gets here.

That sounds scary! Very glad you are ok

Ooooo exciting, NOT! I’m glad they were able to put out the fire. Ha ha is this neighbor the one that shoots off guns on every occasion he can? Thinking curse words will put out a fire? Boy I’m glad you and all your animals are fine.

I’m cursing your neighbours, to be honest, but glad you were ok.

Glad your okay

OMG!!! Wow, that's quite the scare you had! Yes, you're lucky your house and barn and animals are all safe and is something you can laugh about at the dinner table tonight as an almost catastrophe. You are super duper smart and showed no fear, and you were also kind enough to help the firefighters...what dingalings your neighbors were! I don't know where else the fire could have spread, but there was quick thinking on your part and you defintely did the best you could.

Big hugs!!!

How scary! Glad you are all ok!!

Thanks everyone. I'm exhausted tonight from the stress of it all. And very, very grateful it all turned out okay.

Yep Nammu, this is one of the neighbors who likes to shoot off guns. Do I really need to point out they are not the brightest bulbs in the box?

I forgot to mention the neighbor on the other side of me came over screaming at the firefighters because his house is in the woods that stretches across both our places. Can't say I blame him for being scared. If the flames had gotten into the woods his house could have gone up. I don't think it was right to scream and swear at the firefighters, but I understand his fear.

Oh my! Yes his fear is understandable but yeah, yelling at the very people who can help isn’t a good action to take!

Wow - sounds really scary. I'm glad they were able to put the fire out, and your property wasn't damaged, aside from burned fields.

Oh wow, glad everything turned out safe & the fire department was able to control & get it out.

Being from Calif, I understand the panic. I remember times where I was watering down my roof in Calif while the fire helicopters were dropping fire retardant on the fire. It is scary. Here in Ky, I won't even do a burn pile & when a neighbor did close to my woods I actually called the fire department to check on it when it was looking dangerous. No water or hoses anywhere close to where he did it.

We actually had a field fire close to my farm when a Columbine caught the field it was harvesting on fire only 2 miles from my house, across the street from million $ horses out in their field & backed up to a doggie boarding kennel. That fire actually jumped one of the main highways into our town. When I saw the billowing smoke I had no idea exactly how close it actually was. Have seen too many wildfires in Calif to feel ok when I see or smell smoke.

So glad you all are safe with no damage. Might actually help your field grow better come growing season

Oh yikes, so glad you are safe and that your animals are ok!

That must have been so scary and so stressful

Sending loads of hugs your way

Florida has a wildfire season. It is just starting. There is a huge fire currently in the Panhandle that's burned more than 1,400 acres. The fire here last week could have turned into a major disaster. I keep telling myself everything turned out okay, but am still stressed out about it.

I am glad you and pets are safe

Hugs

I am terrified of fire

Quote:

Originally Posted by lizardlady Florida has a wildfire season. It is just starting. There is a huge fire currently in the Panhandle that's burned more than 1,400 acres. The fire here last week could have turned into a major disaster. I keep telling myself everything turned out okay, but am still stressed out about it.

I get that lingering stress. I felt it for awhile after that fire that was on top of the ridge behind my first house in Calif. I was thankful my unit manager was a volunteer fireman in the valley where he lived & monitored fire activity at work. He was the one who told me to go home & water down my shake roof. The anxiety from it being that close took weeks to wind down from. Fire season in Calif used to be late summer through fall during the Santa Anna winds but now it seems like it is all year long out there.

Hugs, Liz, I haven't been here in a bit. It sounds like you did the exact right things---and I'm so relieved everything is okay.

I'm sorry you have yahoos for neighbours---been there. It can be stressful.

At one of the last places I lived before I moved to Canada, there was a grass fire out back (along the railroad tracks) of dubious origin. I had to flee my apartment with my poor scared kitty in a huge LL Bean canvas tote. It was really very scary, even though we lived in a rather suburban area---because the fire moved quickly and did (because of drought conditions) head quickly toward the house. It seemed like it took forever for the FD to make sure it was safe to return to the apartment. Long night, and upsetting!