Nothing like a nice relaxing bath at the end of the day.... Something I could use right now. For hours, but we went to the beach instead, and let the stresses of the last few days wash away. I clung to a small driftwood log, languishing in the water which was warm and felt my muscles unwind, the knots leaving my limbs as the tide came in and gently rocked me back and forth. I thought about the events of the past few days, counting my blessings as my body was embraced by the waters. The dogs swam after the balls we threw, played and ran on the pebbled shore-line and we had some much needed r&r....On Monday night we evacuated our home, due to a massive fire not more than a mile away from us.
It all started out with us hearing sirens and saying as how they sounded really close. I went out to the front deck, smelled smoke, thought it was my imagination until I looked up and saw a big black cloud. I then flew to the back deck where I saw the size of the cloud: billowing, moving with a seeming volition all its own, gargantuan, and back-lit with what I thought at first was the sunset...
B and I walked down the road encountering a few neighbours. We all stood in amazement at the sight. Directly in front of us, at the end of the road is a bank of trees and the cloud of smoke seemed to loom over it, fanned by a hard hot wind. Coming straight at us. Not good. Definitely not good at all.
"That looks really close" "Shit!" "Oh my God".... "It's coming this way!" "That wind... Jesus..."
Within 20 minutes, we had learned that it was the nearby resort which was on fire. Very close. Way too close for comfort, especially on a heavily treed Island, and adjacent to a residential area. Yegads. By the time those 20 minutes were up, I could HEAR the fire, hear it loud, not crackling, or popping, but roaring and booming, and the wind was driving it right to us. The cloud of smoke was tinged bright orange and red with flames. I was afraid. The whole night sky was lit up with it.
Suddenly, I saw embers in the sky, and thought, those cant be a mile away.... I wouldnt be able to see them. And then they started landing in the road, catching up in the trees beside us. Christ, was the whole Island going to go up in flames?
Cars went by; they all stopped and said, "we're leaving". I said that we should knock on doors and alert the neighbours in case anyone was sleeping or unaware. And so we did, running from house to house.
When we got back to our own house B picked up a message on our voice mail telling us to evacuate, and then everything happened very quickly. A friend showed up with divine timing and we packed up all the beasties into three vehicles, but Pushkin was missing.
"I'm not Bloody leaving without him!"
Looking for him, calling to him over and over, he wouldnt come.... (he'd had his dinner so the incentive to come home was rather unattractive on a hot night when he could be hunting, or resting in the cool woods, after all). Time was going by with the smell of smoke thick in the air I thought to myself that I might have to leave without him. But Jaysus, if the place goes up in flames, he'll be killed, burned alive. I just couldnt do it. No matter the risk. He's been my friend, my family for 14 years for Godsakes.....Finally, the little bugger arrived all nonchalant, like, "Where's the fire, dude?" and I could have throttled him, but chucked him in his crate instead.
Just before we left, there was a massive explosion. Propane tank maybe. The sky lit up bright orange, red and yellow and we though, Fuck, that's it. We're done for, its coming for us.
While I was searching for Pushkin, B had gathered up bowls and animal food and loaded everyone into the cars. We high-tailed it out of there like the proverbial bats out of hell, making a pit-stop at the wine store, which had just closed, but which mercifully let us in so we could fortify ourselves against the crisis, i.e: buy some smokes and wine. I'm thinking to myself all the while about what a fucking hypocrite and arse I am to be buying cigarettes when the bloody Island is going up in flames! Wine was for medicinal purposes... you understand.
We arrived en masse at Kathleen's, B's step mother, and explained the dire situation; deposited the animals (all - count em! - 8 of them at Dad's shack). We drank some beers together, and joked about how pissed Dad would be, who was away at the time, visiting family in Manitoba, about having 8 animals in his shack, but I suggested that if the cats dealt with the mouse problem he'd been having of late - a wily thing far too smart to fall for any trap - then we'll have paid our rent for the night! Trying to make light of the serious situation. You had to be there. It was funny at the time..... And truth be told dad wouldnt have been pissed off with us really. It was a crisis after all.
Kathleen gave us bedding, and the one tenant who was home at the time and traveled with us was put up in style in the 5th wheel trailer , which is rather like a small hotel room on wheels complete with kitchenette and shower ( and air conditioning!), far surpassing our own modest accommodation at the shack. I worried about our other tenant, and her daughter but we'd left a note on the door and what else could we do, at nearly midnight, by this point?!
I prayed that the neighbourhood wouldnt burn to the ground. I kept going to the screen door and sniffing the air, smelling smoke, and wondering how bad the damage was. Miles away, if I could smell it here, how close was it getting?!I prayed that no one would be hurt, or worse, killed.... I hardly slept and watched stupid late late night tv, until, exhausted by the events, I fell into a fitful sleep and didnt even hear B's truck leaving in the morning. Was dead to the world until he woke me with a cup of coffee, and told me the house and community was still standing, apparently unscathed.
"And the cats paid our rent"
"Huh?hmmmgrrmf?"
On the floor was a modest sized and very dead rat.
We came home to charred bits all over what isnt a lawn (due to the septic having been redone, we have a field of dirt which is trying valiantly to grow its seeds, but mostly failing in this heat wave). There are bits of charcoal in the flower and herb beds. It is purely a miracle that this entire end of the Island didnt go up in flames and burn to the ground. We had help from the fire departments of three nearby islands, emergency crews and volunteers from the mainland and the Big Island who stayed to put out small brushfires in the forests.
Bless them. I tell you three times, bless them. There were no injuries, deaths, or damage to homes other than the actual resort. Which burned to the ground and ended as a charred, crisp cinder. A bloody miracle I tell you.
The last two days I've been in a stupor. In shock, probably. I'm blaming it on the heat which is a plausible excuse, as I dont do well with it at the best of times. But frankly, I was shit scared, and havent talked about it much. I fear fire. Love it in a woodstove or bonfire. Or fire place, where it belongs. But big fires, wild fires.....I am phobic. Really, really scared of them.
We could have lost our home. People could have died. The Island could have sustained terrible, horrific damage....Yet it didnt. Despite the heat; the drought. Something like this happens, and it changes you. I kept thinking, 'we're all safe, never mind the STUFF, never mind the house; all of the animals and B and I are together and safe, and that's all that matters.' I didnt even think twice about trying to gather bits and pieces together from the house; no photos, not even my portfolio, or my art, it never occurred to me at all. Not once. I wanted my man, my cats and dogs safe, and that was enough for me, that was a grace in and of itself.....
At the end of the day, we are ok, the house didnt go up in flames, no one panicked, all the animals behaved beautifully, and all's well that ends well....
....and the cats 'paid our rent'.
Dad's home now and got a very good chuckle out of that one.
