Yesterday, Tim and I stood in our yard and watched 1-2 acres burn, as over 100 firefighters fought a blaze for several hours. A slurry bomber dropped fire retardant.
A crew was left there overnight to make sure the fire stayed contained. Several homes were threatened (not ours) but thankfully, there was no loss of life (or property).
They suspect a hiker dropped a cigarette, easily igniting the fire because it's been so dry and yesterday was so windy. How can it be considered dry when it just snowed? (See my last post.) Apparently (according to Tim), the few inches of snow we got was equivalent to "just a spit" of rain.
We used to live in the mountains where we were very aware of the fire danger. The fire yesterday was closer to town than anyone can remember. Several home owners got reverse 911 calls (we did not) but I still found myself wondering, "What would I take if I had only 5 minutes to evacuate?"
The answer was very different from what it would have been before we did "the bus thing." Then, I might have tried to salvage clothes, shoes, art work, etc. Now, it would only be pictures - our wedding album and my computer (because of the digital photos it stores).
As I learned on our bus year after the fire and armed robbery: Everything is replaceable.
What would you take if you only had 5 minutes? (Besides pets and children, which are a given, right?)
Comments (10)
my zip drives...no question.
then maybe the chocolate bunnies in the freezer. they are sooo good.
Posted by patti | April 22, 2008 7:50 PM
Posted on April 22, 2008 19:50
I'd run quickly outside with nothing, grab some wooden planks, and barricade the doors.
OK. I guess I'd save my grandmother's paintings and pictures of the kids and Adam.
And just one little pair of shoes. Just one.
Posted by Robin Altman | April 23, 2008 12:26 PM
Posted on April 23, 2008 12:26
Patti -
But, melted chocolate bunnies are so much better!
Robin -
I would expect no less from Dr. Shoes. Which ones? And, maybe we should have a "shoe off" on our blogs? You know, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours?"
Posted by Doreen | April 23, 2008 6:42 PM
Posted on April 23, 2008 18:42
Doreen, I love the bits and pieces of personal growth that build in your book (having been one of the lucky few to have read the ARC.) In case of fire or other evacuation I'd grab the kids and hubby, our kitty, and my flash drive. I'd cry about a lot of things, like family heirlooms, if they were lost, but I could live without them. The living critters and my flash drive, now those are irreplaceable. And you gals definitely have to have a shoe-off. I suggest setting up categories prior to the competition, with clear judging criteria, since we would have two serious shoe contenders. Then your readers could vote for the winning shoes in various categories (funkiest style, most expensive, finest quality, rarest shoe, etc.) What fun!
Posted by polly kahl | April 23, 2008 10:20 PM
Posted on April 23, 2008 22:20
Thank God you're okay and nobody's life or home was taken in the fire. What a scary thing to go through.
A few weeks ago, the fire department came to my building because it was filled with smoke. Some schmuck put a burning bag of microwaved popcorn in a garbage bin in the alley and it started a fire. News?! Don't ask. Really, go "Fire Starter" on your own time, I'm just sayin'.
Anyway, we had to evacuate the building. Like you, I believe everything is replaceable. I grabbed my dog's ashes (Uh, duh, Schwartz, they would've survived. Still.), his favorite toy, my laptop and my grandmother's Guillion box.
Posted by katie schwartz | April 24, 2008 10:41 PM
Posted on April 24, 2008 22:41
Thank God nobody was hurt. Those photos are sad though.
Colorado is such a beautiful state--it's always been a dream of mine to move there.
But your question is an interesting one. I have all of our photos stored on CDs, and these are all in one place. I would grab those.
Posted by Christine Eldin | April 25, 2008 12:34 PM
Posted on April 25, 2008 12:34
Christine,
Yep, Colorado is lovely, but the fire danger has been huge in the last few years.
Photos seems to be the consensus, and Polly - Robin and I are going to do the shoe-off in June, I think!
-Doreen
Posted by Doreen | April 25, 2008 4:32 PM
Posted on April 25, 2008 16:32
WooHooo, fun fun fun! Let me know if I can help in any way. I think you gals are setting a precedent here.
Posted by polly kahl | April 25, 2008 11:36 PM
Posted on April 25, 2008 23:36
Oh, yeah. That leather upstart is gonna be sorry. SORRY, I say! Dr. Shoes, indeed!
Posted by Doreen | April 26, 2008 11:51 AM
Posted on April 26, 2008 11:51
Those are pictures say a lot. I'm glad it didn't go too far.
You are right about things being replaceable- we get so attached to things. I can't imagine vacating so quickly - it would be horrible to decide. My instincts would probably be the non-replace-ables but that would require being organized enough to find them in 5 minutes, when given that I can't locate my camera in any timely way, I'd probably leave with the clothes on my back & my daughter's silky blankie to cry in.
Posted by WriterKat | April 27, 2008 10:46 AM
Posted on April 27, 2008 10:46