On Tuesday, July 26 we came home to find a fire moving quickly through our land. From two villages before ours, we could see the huge smoke cloud in the air. We assumed it was just one of the usual fires used to burn rubbish or clear fields after the harvest.
When we pulled up to the house, I got out of the car and within seconds, I had a feeling that this was not normal. A few of our staff members were standing by the dorm building, which could just be a normal conversation, but it didn't seem like it. I walked down, asking, "who's controlling that?" The head mistress told me that it had come from a neighboring field.
A few guys were down trying to stop it from spreading, but they hadn't been successful yet. The wind was very strong and we were praying that a storm would come to put out the fire. Floyd and the rest of the men went down to join the fight against the fire. Knowing that they would be more distracted by us ladies trying to help, so I just put on my gum boots and grabbed my camera.
As I made my way through the trail of burned land, I finally got to the end where they were snuffing out the last of it.
We all went back up to the main area of our property to resume our activities and some of the men left the property to return home. I went down to the dorm to check on a boy who was sick and Floyd went to his office. As I walked out the dorm a good while later, I noticed a new huge cloud of smoke. As I focused my eyes that direction, I saw flames and new the fire had been stirred up again. I went to the house to tell Floyd but couldn't find him anywhere.
Finally, I gave up looking for him and decided to walk down the trail a ways to see if I could see the fire and decide what to do. As I got to the lower trail, I saw Floyd's shirt from a distance. Thankfully he was wearing a bright color that day. He had seen the fire as well and gathered some guys to help him try to put it out again.
Here's a video of the fire the first time.
Here's a video that Floyd took when there for the second time.
We did find out later that the fire had started as normal. One man had finished working his crop and was about to leave but he decided to burn a small pile of dead clippings before leaving. Unforunately, he had no way to know that the storm winds would be blowing in just a short time after he lit the fire. The winds came out of nowhere and he could do nothing. He tried to stop the fire, but it was "jumping" over him. He continued to fight the fire the entire time and was grateful when others came to help.
The thing is, when Floyd asked how the fire started, he could have said anything. He could have just said, "I don't know." Everyone would have believed him. It is not unheard of for a fire to be carried by the wind. But, he said, "it was me". As we walked back to the main area, he told us what happened. Floyd told him not worry that anyone was mad about it. It could have happened to anyone. Floyd just told him that he demonstrated great integrity by admitting what had happened even though he didn't know if Floyd or anyone else would be mad . Floyd told him that he showed Godly character because he told the truth when he could have gotten away with a lie.
The estimate is that over 50 acres was burned but we're so grateful that nobody was hurt!
Here are some photos for those that are curious:
When we pulled up to the house, I got out of the car and within seconds, I had a feeling that this was not normal. A few of our staff members were standing by the dorm building, which could just be a normal conversation, but it didn't seem like it. I walked down, asking, "who's controlling that?" The head mistress told me that it had come from a neighboring field.
A few guys were down trying to stop it from spreading, but they hadn't been successful yet. The wind was very strong and we were praying that a storm would come to put out the fire. Floyd and the rest of the men went down to join the fight against the fire. Knowing that they would be more distracted by us ladies trying to help, so I just put on my gum boots and grabbed my camera.
As I made my way through the trail of burned land, I finally got to the end where they were snuffing out the last of it.
We all went back up to the main area of our property to resume our activities and some of the men left the property to return home. I went down to the dorm to check on a boy who was sick and Floyd went to his office. As I walked out the dorm a good while later, I noticed a new huge cloud of smoke. As I focused my eyes that direction, I saw flames and new the fire had been stirred up again. I went to the house to tell Floyd but couldn't find him anywhere.
Finally, I gave up looking for him and decided to walk down the trail a ways to see if I could see the fire and decide what to do. As I got to the lower trail, I saw Floyd's shirt from a distance. Thankfully he was wearing a bright color that day. He had seen the fire as well and gathered some guys to help him try to put it out again.
Here's a video of the fire the first time.
We did find out later that the fire had started as normal. One man had finished working his crop and was about to leave but he decided to burn a small pile of dead clippings before leaving. Unforunately, he had no way to know that the storm winds would be blowing in just a short time after he lit the fire. The winds came out of nowhere and he could do nothing. He tried to stop the fire, but it was "jumping" over him. He continued to fight the fire the entire time and was grateful when others came to help.
The thing is, when Floyd asked how the fire started, he could have said anything. He could have just said, "I don't know." Everyone would have believed him. It is not unheard of for a fire to be carried by the wind. But, he said, "it was me". As we walked back to the main area, he told us what happened. Floyd told him not worry that anyone was mad about it. It could have happened to anyone. Floyd just told him that he demonstrated great integrity by admitting what had happened even though he didn't know if Floyd or anyone else would be mad . Floyd told him that he showed Godly character because he told the truth when he could have gotten away with a lie.
The estimate is that over 50 acres was burned but we're so grateful that nobody was hurt!
Here are some photos for those that are curious:
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| A raging fire was still burning inside this tree. |
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| Some of the guys went back and forth to the pond getting water to help put out the fire. |
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| These guys worked hard and used whatever they had to help put out the fire. |
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| This was after the second time putting out the fire. Floyd told all the guys to come to the house for a soda. They were on the porch drinking it when Sam, our grounds keeper in the center, knocked on the door- "Madame Tamra, take our photo with the soda." How could I say no. They certainly earned it! |
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