Out Of The Blaze

In the past Month there have been three major fires and two buildings collapsing.

Manhattan, NY on March 12th (buildings collapsing)

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/03/14/harl-m14.html

Brooklyn, NY on March 16th (Apartment Fire)

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/03/16/brooklyn-fire-leaves-3-children-with-serious-critical-injuries/

Houston, TX on March 25th (Fire)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/houston-firefighters-battle-large-apartment-fire-23054207

Boston, MA on March 26th (Fire)

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/5-firefighters-injured-boston-fire-department-battles-9-alarm-fire-article-1.1735674

Fires happen every day. They start for different reasons. All of them lead to unnecessary loss. The Brooklyn fire's source wasn't identified and everyone is still alive but among the injured are a child and a baby in critical condition.

The Manhattan building collapsing probably could have been prevented. The gas pipes are 127 years old. But after the explosion a lot of people said they had smelt gas but never called about it. If they had, the Gas companies probably would have been working on pipe repairs before anything happened. "If you see something, say something" is about more then just abandoned bags on trains. Saying something might save lives.

Houston Firefighters had to deal with heavy winds at a construction sight but everyone is okay. The entire apartment building was leveled. It took 200 people 2 1/2 hours to get that blaze under control. It was a long battle but a job well done. It had 396 units. Imagine if people were living there are the time? This would have been devastating!!!

The last thing Boston needed almost a year after the Marathon Bombings was a blaze like what they got yesterday. Two brave Firefighters are dead and 18 Firefighters and Police Officers were hospitalized in a 9 alarm blaze. They also had to deal with 45 mph wind. That CAN'T be easy! That fire started in the basement. Residents were pulled safely from the building.

It's a heroic image, a Firefighter leaving a burning building and carrying someone to safety. It's an image that should be a lot rarer then it is. We are almost six months away from October, fire safety month. A month when we are reminded about fire safety. Small kids climb on fire trucks after hearing about smoke alarms and what starts fires. Older Elementary school kids come home after a Firefighter's visit ready to plan an escape route, just to be safe.

We watch on TV as Firemen walk out of these blazes. We need to be reminded about what we can do to be safe. We can be careful about all flames being out when we leave the home or go to bed.

Is the stove off?
Is the oven off?
Are all candles blown out?
If there was a fire in the fireplace, is it out?
Is the toaster off and preferably unplugged? That saves money on the electric bill anyway.
Are all heated hair care things unplugged?
Are all things that get smoked safely put out? (cigarette, cigar, ect.....)

Luckily, it's a quick list to check. We should make sure everything is thoroughly turned off or put out when you are done with them. These help prevent most fires but not all of them can be prevented. We have no control over what lightning does.

Will the people coming out of the blaze be healthy or need medical attention? When the blaze is out, what will be left in the building in good condition? Will everyone come out of the blaze? Or, will some people be found in the broken aftermath. In one article on the Boston fire I read yesterday they talked about doing a headcount every once in a while. With 150 firefighters, that sounded like a good idea to me. Because out of the blaze comes someone who is loved. We want everyone to come out of the blaze.

The victims of the blaze afterwards seek to salvage their belongs. They worry about how to rebuild a life they worked hard to build in the first place. Insurance covers some things but it don't cover all. And you can't replace the irreplaceable like baby pictures.

On a walk one afternoon Zach and I came across the town's fire chief. He was working in the yard at his house. I asked him if we get a lot of fires in our small town or not that many. He said a lot. Almost every day. Most are very small and have minimal if any loss but others are life changing.

My heart goes out to fire victims and those who battle the blazes. They all get different things out of the blaze. It was lucky that the gas explosion in Manhattan didn't become a fire. It might not have been a blaze but there was significant loss and the aftermath was life-changing. All we can do is try our best to not start a fire and call when something doesn't look, smell, or sound right. It's better to call when it's nothing then to not call and have devastating consequences.