Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Fire

I was reading journals this morning and as I read Judith Heartsong's I was reminded of a frightening yet fascinating subject, fire.

I love building a fire and sitting or standing there feeling the heat from it. The smell of leaves burning brings back pleasant childhood memories of raking leaves and jumping in them. Afterwards we would burn them and poke marshmallows on stick and toast them until they were burnt and gooey. When I smell wood burning, memories are invoked of watching a fire in a fireplace. Even now I can see the smoke as it goes up the chimney, the sparks popping off the logs and the hot embers glowing and sparkling among the ashes. I love the feel and sight of a bonfire, feeling its heat, watching the dance that the flames do as they leap for the sky. I will see a spark fly up in the air. sometimes with my eyes sometimes with my body  I follow it to where it goes. How about camp fires with a low flame just right for cooking? The best fish I have ever had was a rainbow trout wrapped in bacon and a slice of lemon stuffed inside cooked over an open flame outside next to a stream in the Rockies. Ah what memories fire brings,

It also brings other memories, dark, frightening ones. Memories I would prefer not to have. Memories of red lights flashing, sweeping in a circle bathing everything in red, the long drawn out sound of the sirens on fire trucks. Memories of seeing Mrs Reeves, our next door neighbor, being handed out a window in the middle of the night as flames shot out of her kitchen window. Her cries when the fireman laid her dog to one side, old PA had crossed the bridge that night. Then there is the memory of seeing my niece standing in a chair next to the stove when I was 10 years old. She had on a cute 2 piece blue bathing suit with little tiny white flowers on it. Over it she was wearing a white lacy cover up that tied at her neck. I hear ( and I still hear it every time Brook wants to help cook) " o my finger". I turn and see her standing in the chair shaking her finger that had touched the burner. Next I see flames racing up her cover up toward the ceiling and her face. I am screaming for help. My sister's boyfriend comes in rolls her up in one of my mother's new rug. I can still smell the burnt hair and skin in my nostrils, I still feel the fear in my stomach. I still see the skin falling off of her and hear her cries of pain. I remember another fire that took the lives of 2 of my friends and almost took the life of me and my family. It was a heater fire in an old trailer that had no smoke detectors. It was summertime and the heater was not on. We were all going fishing in the morning. My then husband and I along with Candy were going to stay the night and take off early. Around 10 that night Candy got sick and we went home. The next morning we got up as Jeff was still going fishing. We arrived to see an ambulance pulling out and the trailor burnt to the ground. Fire destroyed 3 families that night. Both of them were only the only child of their parents, but that was not the only loss. The young woman that died had just found out the day before that she was pregnant. They were so happy, and was planning a trip home to tell their parents the joyful news in person.

How can something so beautiful and warm and uplifting also be so deadly?

12 comments:

  1. Sounds like you have some good memories of fire and also some bad memories. I am sorry you had to go through the ordeal of the bad ones. Helen

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  2. Great entry.  And of course, house fires are very much on my mind since the neighbors' house burned.  I am so thankful no lives were lost in that one.

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  3. This was an interesting read first thing in the morning.

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  4. oh how sad for that old lady Loosing a fur baby. I bet htat was awful for you to watch that night yes is so deadly so destrcuting and so meserizing to watcha bon fire. Yes under contrl but its like most things when it goes oever board can take control and destry

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  5. It sad that every year you hear of familes dieing or losing everything to fire
    Terrie

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  6. Celeste
    With all of the modern inventions and advances in science that we have available to us today, the danger from fire in the home is still as strong and relevant as it was decades ago.  Thanks for this reminder that something so beautiful can be so destructive and deadly.  I'm going to go check the batteries in my fire alerts!
    Sam

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  7. You are so right....fire is wonderful, yet terrifying. When we lived in an apartment, Iuse to have trouble sleeping because I was always scared that someone in the nextdoor apartment would set something on fire.
    love ya,
    carlene

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  8. Ha! found you!  Went through Jillannes journal link to get here.  The link that you left did not work for some unknown reason.  I remember roasting marshmallows on a stick as a child as well or hotdogs.  I need to take my kids camping and do it sometime.  The simple things that we used to do that really made life worth wild.  I have never been one to fish.  I do love to cast though.
    so sorry to hear of the losses in your life.  I think I would have nightmares too.  Thankyou for stopping by my journal.  i will be back to visit yours.  TerryAnn.  

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  9. so true, fires are wonderful but you have to be so careful. I do miss my fireplace tho :)

    angelrose

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  10. Seems a lot of things in life are that way.  Most things actually.  Maybe even all things.  A good side, a bad side.  Something that is helpful or beautiful and a way it can be harmful or ugly.  -  Barbara

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  11. Yes so good and yet can be so bad. One of my nephews and his friend were burned terribly in an oil field fire. They were young and my nephew was engaged to be married. Even though his face was and still is disfigured his girl went ahead and married him. They have two lovely children and are still together. I can imagine what he goes through out in public at times since some can be so cruel. paula

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  12. You said it all on this one. Good job. rich

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