Almost lost my home today!

[Sasquatch]

Fie started a km or so away. Didn't take long till it was in my back yard. Helicopter buzzing overhead was the first clue. Second was the neighbor knocking on the door.

Soon the volunteer fire dept was in my driveway. I pulled my truck off the driveway after I hooked up my sled hauler and loaded my Apex and Warrior. Priority right! Hey I was not starting over without those things. Wife said mine was twisted as she packed a suitcase with clothes and things that we didn't want to loose. I packed up cameras and knick nacks that where personal. We loaded the truck and trailer with it. I knew this could be bad!

When we first saw the smoke it was say a km away but it grew and got to within a hundred yards or so. As the fire trucks showed up and they started stringing hoses it was jumping ahead of the main and right in my backyard. I heard a fire or rather the crackling of wood burning behind my sheds off to the side of them near my neighbors. Ya I know my hearing is not what it used to be but you can't mistake that sound.

Firefighters where past that with their hoses so I pointed it out to the captian, they had not heard it or saw it as it was hidden, smoke was everywhere and quickly ran a hose to put it out. Had I not heard it my sheds would have been gone and my neighbors house may have been as well. If that fire had built up heat it could have jumped the driveway and then the road. This would have been then beside and then behind the firefighters. It would have flanked them!

Fire was within 50 feet of my sheds and a hundred of my garage and house. Main fire was maybe a hundred to 200 feet of my back yard. I knew there was a good chance we where going to loose everything as there where no water bombers at the airport (fires elsewhere) so they had to come from about 30 to 45 minutes away as the crow flies after they are prepped. The fire was here knocking on the door. That's why I loaded up what we thought was important and readied to leave. I knew I could loose it all!

When the bombers where 15 or 20 minutes out they evacuated us and as I left I was having a hard time almost chocking up. I knew it could all be gone before I came back. That is a tough feeling! The stress levels where through the roof. If that didn't give me a heart attack I should live forever.

I knew what a water bomber can do as I worked at the airport for a stint filling water bombers with gel. I saw first hand what they are capable of and the force of the water they drop. Please miss my house!

Lucky for all 6 of us in the neighborhood the bombers put the fire out and the Volunteer firefighters took care of both the main fire and the spot fires. It still smolders here and there and they will be back in the morning to walk it and check for hot spots. I can't sleep and sit up watching the bush for flames and smoke.

To the Volunteer firefighters and all involved I say thankyou. You are all awesome and I wish I could hug you all!

 

[Sasquatch]

Fire started at the two pics along the highway, ended up in my back yard in less then an hour from first smoke. I walked in and saw where the spot fires where after they let us back in. Found three of them but I think there are a few more back there. We had a bad wind storm last year in the summer and there is a ton of blow down (trees) that are drying up and the fires chose those to start in the dry leaves and needles. Think I should go back in there and cut up and remove the dead stuff. I,m not kidding there is to many to count as far as I walked back. Have to ask the neighbor but I don't think he would mind!

P.S. Closest I ever came to loosing it all. Closest I ever want to come. Most scared and helpless I have ever felt. Words just don't describe what goes through your mind. Holding it together so your wife doesn't come apart is the only thing that kept me together through it all.

 

[BOUNTYHUNTER]

Glad everything worked out in the end for you Charlie, Fires are Deadly No Matter where they are

 

[Viper_Dave]

Wow Charlie! Having had my own life altering experience, I know just how you're feeling. Glad everything is OK. You'll find your priorities will be much different from here on out.

 

[wexfordhunter]

Glad all is OK, sure could have been devastating. I'll bet in the future you'll look back on the loading sleds part and say WTF was I thinking when our lives were on the line! Goes to show we put our heart & sole into those machines, but as we all know they are replaceable, you are not.

 

[Sasquatch]

Fire crews are working this morning at 7:am. Pumps running and they are putting out hot spots. Fire chief was worried that they made a mess of my lawn but as I said grass grows back houses don't! I couldn't sleep last night I kept watching the bush for flames and smoke. Sat watching TV looking out the window, every hour or so I walked outside on the deck and surveyed the darkness of the bush for flames and the yard light for smoke. Sun came up at 5:00 AM and everything was quiet! I think I'm still pumped on the adrenalin probably should lay down for a nap but I'm not tired!

House smells of wood smoke but like I told the wife reminds me of camping.

 

[steiner]

Happy to read that things worked for the better. Big fire close to your home is scary.
Years ago we had our local grain elevator burn down. It was 500 feet from our house. Had to sit on my roof for 4 hours with my garden hose at the ready to put out flying flaming debris.
Would have been cool if you had time to setup the Contour for some action video of the water bomber. But I'm sure you were to busy getting the heck out of there.
Again, good to hear that you and your wife are ok.

 

[Sasquatch]

Glad all is OK, sure could have been devastating. I'll bet in the future you'll look back on the loading sleds part and say WTF was I thinking when our lives were on the line! Goes to show we put our heart & sole into those machines, but as we all know they are replaceable, you are not.

I had time. I've fought fire before and the firefighters where here setting up! I know and have worked with most of them. My Sister is the fire chief and her house is across the road. I had everything loaded and truck moved out of the way ready to go before the crews got here. Way out was safe away from the fire. Was evacuated just before the water bombers made their runs along with everyone else on the road. I knew what I had to do and started to prepare long before the first fire truck showed up. Trust me if I was in danger I would not be there and they would have told me so as well. My Sister would never put me in harms way.

Water bombers will not drop if general public is in the area. If they miss and hit your house your dead. I've seen first hand what a water bomber does. We where evacuated for that reason.

Was taking the trailer and loading the sleds a bad idea? Nope! Needed the trailer for stuff from the house that nothing can ever bring back. You would be surprised how much you can pack in a hurry. Left so much behind but got all my pictures cameras and hand me downs and a change of clothes. The sleds where just a bonus cause I had time. Left the bike behind would have missed that old girl! 35 years old she is now, not worth much, only to me. You meat the nicest people on a Honda! Ya can't take it all!

Here is a couple pics of the water bombers fighting a fire beside a lake we where camping at years ago. Heck they where taken with a 35mm camera on slide film. Quite a thrill to have them skim the tree tops over your head and pick up water on a small lake to dump on the fire over and over again. The roar of the motors was deafening and the prop wash could be felt at the beach. If you tried to walk through the bush after they dump its a mess with trees twisted and shattered all over the place.

 

[Grimm]

Wow! Glad to see you dodged a bullet. Anyone else lose anything?

 

[Sasquatch]

Wow! Glad to see you dodged a bullet. Anyone else lose anything?

No! Thanks to the quick response by the Oxdrift Volunteer fire department, the calling in of the Machin and Wabigoon Volunteer fire departments and the Dryden Fire department, they where able to slow it long enough with the help of the Helicopter bombing it with the water bucket.

There is quite a few fires burning so the water bombers where busy and we where lucky to get one that make four dumps on the fire, till then it was out of control. Burnt area was 4 hectares!

 

[MrSled]

Thank god you are ok and your home too.

 

[sxr70001]

Glad to hear you and your family and your home are ok.

And your sleds of course.

 

[NOS-PRO]

Dang.....that's too close of a call there bud, glad everything especially you and your wife are ok.

 

[yamadoo]

Wow Charlie glad you and your family are fine. The property is a big deal but only a big deal if the people are fine. So glad you were blessed with BOTH!

 

[Cummins6.7pwr]

Glad everything worked out for ya! I would've hooked on to that Roadrunner and drug it out or there too!