A CLOSE CALL

 POST # 694

"You'll want to get home right away, because the house behind your house is engulfed in flames."

That was the message we received from the neighbour yesterday, while we were in Mount Vernon grocery shopping.  Needless to say, we made a quick exit from the store and headed back to Shelter Bay.  We followed one of the firetrucks as it proceeded to the fire.

The smoke was very thick, as we entered through the gates, and we really didn't know what to expect when we got to the house.  As you can see in the next photo, the fire was truly raging as we arrived on the scene.  Mary's house is in the foreground, so you get an idea of just how close it was to the house that was on fire.

With multiple fire trucks (8) and crew on scene, they eventually put an end to the fire, which we were all very thankful for indeed.  Unfortunately for the home owners behind us, the house was a total loss.  

The map below shows how close we were to the house that caught fire.  It was number 67, and Mary's house is the one with the red marker on it.  Too close for comfort.  Thankfully, at least for us, the wind yesterday happened to be blowing (quite strongly) out of the south.  If it had been blowing in the opposite direction, it is possible that the other three houses featured on the map, including Mary's, might have also been destroyed.

We were very lucky indeed.  

You wake up each day, and expect to have a normal day, but yesterday certainly wasn't one of those days.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer