Thursday, September 4, 2008

Thankful Thursday

Rhondi at Rose Colored Glasses hosts Thankful Thursday. I am so glad to be able to participate!

This week I am am so thankful for the California Firefighters who fought our Labor Day wildfire! It was very frightening to watch the smoke and ash float over our home. The wind was erratic and drove the fire directly to the south and east. If it had changed direction, who knows?

The fire crews on the ground and in the air did their dangerous job with professionalism & kindness. They are truly heros. One neighbor came home to find the firefighters holding the fire at his fence line. They told him "You need to evacuate! But we're going to save your home!" And they did. They save all but 3 homes and several out buildings. The homes that were lost did not have defensible space around them. Either high grass & weeds, or accumulated junk allowed the fire to take hold too close to the house. In the dry, windy weather, the risk to the fire crews was too great.

This is my plea to all who live in rural areas where wildfires occur: Please make and maintain 100' of defensible space around your home! It will give the firefighters a chance to save it!

These brave men & women didn't get to enjoy their Labor Day picnics & BBQ's. Instead, they kept the fire to 900 acres, saved many homes and animals!


Thank You Firefighters!


Here is a map of the fire. It clearly show the way the north-westerly wind pushed the fire; top to bottom of the map. Our property is represented by the blue arrow & "HERE". Too close for comfort!



Chris

©

8 comments:

  1. Oh I'm so glad that your home wasn't damaged! Have I told you how much I love that picture on your profile. I think I remember it is your driveway. It is absolutely enchanting. It always inspires me to take a walk in the country.

    ReplyDelete
  2. We often take these services for granted. Thanks for the reminder. They are truly a blessing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree with mother nature, so many people take their services for granted, or get irritated when a fire truck is blocking a route home. But really, these people deserve a lot of thanks!

    I love your thankful Thursdays!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh my goodness, Chris! How scary that must have been. And how nice of you to thank the firefighters for the job they do so selflessly. What a responsibility they have. They are truly heroes. I am happy that you are safe. Fires, earthquakes, snowstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes - geeze - we all have to deal with something so beyond our control. God Bless All.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bless those firefighters hearts . They truly are heros. I am so glad you are safe Chris.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh my, Chris!
    That IS too close, isn't it?
    I'm so happy to hear that you're doing well.
    How sweet of you to recognize the sacrifices of the firemen -- not everyone is so thoughtful!

    Thank you for the welcome back -- I can't wait to catch up with you!
    Blessings,
    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi, I'm making the rounds on Thankful Thursday; this is my first visit to your blog. You are really lucky, looks like those fires came too close for comfort!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm glad you and yours were safe during the fire. Thanks for visiting my blog.

    Hugs, Susan

    ReplyDelete

I'd love to hear your thoughts...