Real fireworks on the Fourth
This 4th of July was one of those that will go down in family annals as one of the most unusual. After attending a family barbecue at which we enjoyed some of the best ribs I believe I've ever tasted, Nicole and I thought we've pay a visit to my brother-in-law to see how he is holding up and to see if he needed help with anything (he was recently involved in a very bad motorcycle accident, but miraculously survived-with injuries). Before going there, we had to stop by Nicole's uncle's place to complete a business transaction.It turned out to be a good thing that we had to make that stop, because had we not done so, we probably would not have taken Old Dandridge Pike out to my Brother-in-Law's. Had we not been on Old Dandridge Pike, we would not have noticed the barn fire that was very quickly consuming a barn that we knew housed several horses belonging to a family friend. Nicole was the first to see the fire, largely because when she noticed the barn was aflame, we had passed it and it was in her rear view mirror. She turned the truck around into a nearby driveway so quickly that I had no clue what was happening until the truck had nearly done a full 360-degree turn and I could see the barn off to my left. Nicole was in a state of panic, thinking that if the horses were in the barn they were surely dead. We were both frustrated because we couldn't get ahold of anyone on our cell phones, but were able to call 911.
Fortunately, we weren't the only ones to call. We pulled up near the barn just as some New Market Volunteers were arriving. Nicole discovered that the horses were not in the barn, they were panicked but in the field and safe. She rushed into the field to corral the horses (my mother-in-law happened to be in the area and rushed over to help also) and put up a makeshift fence.
The barn, the horse trailor inside it, and the thousands of dollars of tack (that's saddles, briddles, leadropes, stirrups, and other related equipment, for those of you not familiar with horse stuff) were a total loss, but fortunately the fire did not spread. I was glad we could be there to be of help. The official cause of the fire is, at last report, a lightning strike.
posted by Deacon David Oatney @ 7:39 AM
2 Comments:
Fire and the 4th just tend to go hand in hand. Many of my fire memories just happen to be on the 4th.
Why is it that the biggest fireworks, those verging on being considered ordnance, are sold on roadside card tables under big signs that read: FIREWERKS?
Glad you were able to provide a small amount of aid. Also glad to see someone called the authorities before you did. Sounds like a major fire!
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