The difficult thing being back in Illinois is having data limits. I was attempting to get through the month without having to change my data plan. It didn't work. So now I pay for unlimited data and can resume blogging.
Saturday when Carol and I got home from the fireman's breakfast in Victoria we saw one of the Wataga\Oneida fire department trucks coming up the hill from the East. Being curious we went down to investigate. We learned they were going to do a controlled burn on the empty house to allow the new firefighters to experience a house fire under direct supervision. The house had been empty for years and it was probably time for it to go. Why not allow its destruction to serve as a learning experience?
This is the house. If you look to the right you can see two red tarp tanks. They hold water used by the firefighters to battle the blaze. The truck barely visible to the right pumps the water through the hoses.
I had been in this house several times during the mid to late 1960's when 4-H meetings were held at members homes. In addition we used to camp out in the back woods and pasture.
Note in the center of the picture there is a stack of broken pallets. They are taken in and set on fire to provide the new firefighters an opportunity to fight a blazing fire in a confined area with the normal heat and smoke of a house fire.
If you look closely by the evergreen in front of one of the firefighters you can see flames coming out the window.
This picture shows the smoke and water spray coming out from inside. I thought the rainbow effect of the water spray was interesting.
The firefighters come out after successfully extinguishing the blaze. They meet to discuss what has been learned and share their respective experiences. Another viewer asked me who was in charge. I suggested they look for someone with a clipboard. Note the guy in the black sweatshirt. Right hand air tank, left hand clipboard. Question answered.
The first fire was set in the living room. Here they are preparing to set a fire in the kitchen area.
Kitchen is on fire and the firefighters are preparing to enter through the front door.
As you can see in the picture above the flames started coming out the window. This threatened to set the siding and roof on fire. In talking to one of the experienced firefighters later I learned the fire had created a vortex across the ceiling and jumped into another room. They were concerned at that time they might lose control of the fire and lose the house. Some quick thinking and effective application of water prevented a big problem.
Some water to cool the siding and the roof.
Water tank on ground and an additional tanker truck of water ready to unload if needed.
Since there was an upstairs it was important to practice dragging hose up the stairs and putting the fire out in that area. Please note at the bottom of the wall a hole has been created in the wall to help when the house is fully destroyed later. Circumstances required me to leave before the house was set on fire and consumed. We did return later and take the following picture.
The house now exists only in photographs and memories. A bobcat and backhoe will finish the work. The hole will be filled the dirt smoothed and perhaps at some point soon it will be part of a corn or bean field.
One of the things that haunted my mother was an empty abandoned house. She thought they were the saddest things. I agree. In every place there was, at times, happiness and joy. Families born, families died. A house is a living thing itself when there are people within its walls. Too bad this house will be fogotten in a while - but time marches on and some local firemen learned things that may save lives in the future. really enjoyed the post. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOh, and glad to see you are back in business.
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