Hoses stretched from the tanker truck through the yard, and another tanker was on the way to wet down the surrounding areas. In these dry conditions, the last thing they needed was the mountainside to ignite.
It was a hot fire. The old wooden house was crumbling as fast as they could soak the flames.
Firefighters rotated in and out as they continued to try to drown the fiery embers.
Sheriff Brothers walked over. “What can we do?”
“Keep the roads clear. Two other counties are on the way for backup. It’s going to be a long night.”
“We’ve got it.” He turned on his heel and hopped back inhis car, flipping his blue lights on and heading back down the mountain.
Tucker checked in with Doris and her team on the status of getting the family moved to the station if other arrangements hadn’t been made yet. Being here was too much for anyone to watch. Especially with the added stress of children and the holidays for the Jacobs, and Tucker couldn’t allow any distractions to put his people in danger.
He walked toward the family, still under the canopy of the picnic shelter, which was the first thing Jack had built. They’d parked an RV under it, and that’s where they had all lived for the first year as they began work on the old homestead.
Betty Jo, Diane’s mother, cried, grabbing his arm as he got closer. “How can we tell the children there won’t be Christmas?”
The EMTs rolled a weary Jack Jacob to the ambulance, which made Betty Jo become even more emotional.
“They’re taking him to Roanoke for treatment. It’s precautionary,” he tried to reassure her. He’d thought he could instruct her to communicate to Diane, but Betty Jo was nearing hysteria. He moved past her. “It’s okay,” he said to Diane. “Jack took in a lot of smoke. It’s not something to mess around with, so we’re taking him to get checked out, but don’t worry, I don’t think he’s in any critical danger. We’ll be moving you to the fire station.”
“My keys are still inside. My purse. Everything.” She sucked in a breath. “I—”
“We’re going to take care of you. Just let us lead you through this, okay?” He spoke slowly, trying to comfort her. “I’ll keep you updated every step of the way. I promise.”
Over his shoulder, Tucker saw an SUV slide to a stop across the street.
Natalie hopped out of the driver’s side. His heart hitched when he saw Sheila come around from the other side, excited to see her, but this wasn’t the time. People meant well, but the last thing he needed was another person to watch over during an emergency.
Before he could address Natalie, Orene had joined her and Sheila.
The fire department van blocked his view of them as it pulled in front of the picnic shelter.
Doris got out carrying bottles of water. “We’ve got it from here, Chief.” She, along with a couple of her blue-helmetted volunteers, swept in to help the family. Doris flipped her hand as if to dismiss him. That always tickled him, the way she’d do that.
“Thank you.” Tucker checked back in with each of the teams. Gathering and imparting information. Keeping everyone on task, and making sure progress was communicated, so they stayed safe, which was his priority.
He walked over to his truck and typed an update in the computer.
Across the way, a volunteer handed out blankets to the members of the Jacob family. One of the boys was running with his like a Superman cape, oblivious to the danger or that their home was going up in smoke around him.
Another volunteer carried the creature-comfort box filled with the handiwork of the seniors: hand-crocheted bears, bunnies, dinosaurs, and even firefighter dolls with the Bull Mountain Boys badge stitched to the hats, which always put a smile on the kids’ faces. Doris stooped down, although it wasn’t necessary. She was barely five feet tall herself, but she got right down at their level with the basket of assorted crocheted toys. The kids seemed to calm down.
Each of the Jacob children was bent over picking out a soothing something to cling to. Doris tucked a small one in the arms of the youngest, whom Diane had on her hip. His tiny chubby arm flapped in the air, and then the toy went straight into his mouth.A little yarn never hurt anyone. Least of her worries.
Back at the fire station, each of them would get a box that the women’s auxiliary put together for this type of emergency. Essentials, like water bottles, electrolyte packets, minor first aid items, snacks, wet wipes, toothbrushes, and some things that were specific to men, women, or children. They had a whole shelving unit of them. Blue boxes for the men, pink for the women, and polka dots on the kids’ boxes.
He watched Doris and her team escort the family, wrapped in blankets to fight the cold, to the van in which they’d transport them to the fire station, to stay until they determined what the next steps needed to be. Shelter was a certainty already. This house wouldn’t be habitable anytime soon, if ever.
Thank God for an angel like Doris to come out of retirement to be a part of his team. She’d been married to a firefighter for forty years, so she knew the ins and outs from real-life experience. Having been a teacher in the community, she had the people skills and know-how to organize and act quickly. Plus, she knew everyone in town.
Tucker’s radio was active with standard updates and check-ins. He didn’t allow idle chatter on the airwaves during an emergency. Scanning the area, he noted that the number of yellow helmets, indicating rookie members or those on probation, were appropriately distributed among the black helmets, worn by more experienced team members. Safety came with experience that you couldn’t teach in a classroom.
Then he heard the message he’d been dreading.
“Wind shift, we’ve got fire on the east side of the structure in the woods, about forty feet.”
It wasn’t unusual. And in the winter, when the air was drier, the trees and fallen debris made like kindling. It was almost expected, but he’d hoped for the best tonight.
