[EJ711]

Hi All,

It's very windy here in rural Kansas today. This is the time of year, people burn off their property. It is believed it makes the soil richer. They are supposed to be controlled burns.

However, my husband and I have been watching a fire about a 1/2-mile behind our house. It does not appear that anyone watching or controlling the fire. It took 30 mins. for anyone to respond to our call today.

Our house almost burned down two years ago, from a different situation, but the same slow response.

Between the tornados and the fires, I wish I could convince my husband to move!!!!!!!!

EJ

[EJ711]

Still waiting for firemen to report back on the fire on the property behind us.

[EJ711]

Firemen reported back to say they have checked with the other property owners and made them aware of the fire we can see from our property. They are telling us it is under control. It is really too windy today for the controlled burns. Our neighbor who has raised cattle for years said so this morning. My friend from church just stopped by, and she said there are several fires that have gotten away from people today. She has a scanner, because she started the volunteer fire department out here.

[(JD)]

Wow... fires can be scarey because they can become uncontrollable so quickly! I hope it burns itself out soon. It's too dry down here to do any kind of a burn..and still we're getting fires in the glades... the lightening will soon add to the mix. grrrrr

get your wet rags ready, EJ, and hose...

i cannot for the life of me understand why anyone burns when there is a breeze. a breeze can become a wind in a split second.

when i lived in NM, the potter across the street decided to burn trash on a very windy day. he almost burned the village down. my friend and i grabbed shovels and ran to help and when the volunteer fire department came, from Riconada, two of the men got into an argument over who had held the hose at the last fire! then one of them jumped into the firetruck and backed up and broke all their tools! finally, you know me, i started yelling at them to shut--------up and help us save Jose's house. in that case, the volunteer fire department almost cost us the village..along with the potter.

i know that you have your hoses ready, etc. i don't envy your position. it is soooooo scary to have a fire nearby and on a windy day, it is torture.

it is very, very windy here today. the helicopter hasn't even taken off. i have only been outside two or three times because the wind has been so fierce. please keep a watch on it. even if you must stay up tonight. i'd be with you if i could........xoxoxoxo pat

[EJ711]

Sky and Pat -

Thank you for your notes of support.

I can no longer see smoke or flames, or smell smoke in my living room. So I'm feeling a little calmer.

Hugs,

EJ

[Zen888]

*hands EJ the largest fire hoze*

Dubz

[EJ711]

Dubz -

Thank you!! That is exactly what I need living out here. A huge fire hose.

Thanks for the chuckle!!!

EJ

[eskielover]

EJ,

I am glad to hear that it looks like the fire has died down finally. Your post made me think back to when I was in Kansas.......sounds like they haven't changed over the 40 years.

I remember one weekend, my Gramps took us all on a car trip on the turnpike. As we were driving along, we saw a house that was on fire. There was no sign of any fire department at all. I am not sure why, but my Gramps pulled over to the side of the road & we were watching to see what was going on. It had looked like the fire started in the attic. The owners were trying to put out the fire & get things out of the house.IIt seemed like almost 1/2 hour or more (my mother & grandparents commented on how long it took for any help to come), but finally up the road came a fire truck.......one of those real old fire trucks with a real old wooden ladder & a hose about the size of a garden hose. They stood there checking out the house.......then ended up basically just helping the owners take out the things from the house.

I am afraid of fires......to the point where I can only use the really long wooden matches. Having a fire that close to your house on a windy day is definitely stressful.....knowing how they spread here in California once they are started.....usually in windy weather.

When I first started working after college, we moved into our first house with a wooden roof...close to some hills. My manager was a volunteer fireman in a close by town & had a scanner in his office. He heard about a fire that sounded close to my home & came into my office to tell me I should go home & take care of my home. Luckily it wasn't that close enough to do any damage & was out very quickly.

We had a huge fire 2 years ago. All of the smoke came into our valley & I, along with many others ended up in the ER with resperatory problems & my GP ended up putting me into the hospital. I found out later that what caused the fire was a hawk that flew into the power lines & broke one that hit the ground causing the dry brush to catch on fire.

I can understand your aggrevation about people being irresponsible in taking care of their fires let alone a fire department that wouldn't do anything to help out.

Take care,
Debbie

[EJ711]

Eskielover -

Well Kansas is still as you remember it. Antiquated fire trucks, and slow response times.

Our neighbor, with 1,000 acres across the street, called tonight at 8:30 p.m. to say he was burning off his pasture. Husband offered to help him, leaving me here to defend myself, our pets and home with a fire hose. Men!!!!!!!!!! He's back now, because I called him.

Thank you for your knowledgeable and empaphetic response two weeks ago.

Last night we had high winds caused by storms that were spawning tornados 70 miles North of us.

EJ

[LMo]

I would be mad, too. I can't say I understand what's involved, though.

How is it that you own a fire hose, anyway?

[EJ711]

LMo -

I only own a garden hose. Dubz, meaning to empower me has been passing me a virtual giant fire hose. The fire department here typically comes in half an hour, driving antiquated fire trucks. You need a good hose to be able to defind your property somehow.

Moving out here anytime soon?

EJ

[LMo]

moving to Kansas? I'm sure it's lovely, but....

[eskielover]

EJ,

There would be a possibility of moving to Kansas, only the Dressage Federation only has a group in Kansas City....across from Kansas City Mo. Not really sure I would want to live in that area of Kansas.

I am looking for ranch property with extremly advanced Dressage Training for my horses & me & good breeding possibilities for my filly. It makes finding a ranch to retire to very difficult putting that requirement on the place. It is very limiting, but at least I know the cities I need to look for property around since the United States Dressage Federation has a list of all the cities where their associated clubs & trainers are located.

I know the fire truck I that I saw at that house fire had a "garden hose" as it's fire hose....that was really sad to watch when after they helped get the furnature out of the house, they all stood around & watched the fire.

It is very sad that they haven't improved since then......I would never have imagined it, but it was probably the same fire truck that they use today

Hope you are good with your fire (garden) hose,
Debbie

[EJ711]

Hi All,

Johnson County on the south end of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a great place to live. When I still had my corporate career that's where we lived. They have brand new fire fighting trucks, etc. Only in rural Kansas, the trucks are antiquated and the fire fighting service slow to respond.

EJ