My neighbor's house burned down yesterday. It was dramatic for the neighborhood, probably slightly more dramatic for the family involved.
Our cul-de-sac was blocked off for hours and even the mailman was trapped on his route and had to abandon his truck. A while later some postal employees walked in, beating their way through the bushes from the main road, and delivered our street's mail on foot. They bagged up the rest of the mail and carried it out on their backs. Good work.
L. and her little six-year girl A. were on the patio when the fire started somewhere inside. The husband was at work. Natalia, another little girl of the same age, was out on the street and she's the one who first noticed the fire and raised the alarm. L. & A. got out, but the little girl's puppy, Princess, was trapped inside in a crate. Luckily the firemen found her and revived her with oxygen from a mask made just for dogs.
We're all good friends with the couple across the street, so we went there and I got to take care of the little girl for the evening. Everybody needed a minder: the injured puppy had to be taken to the hospital, there was an escape-artist dog in residence, and there were detectives going in and out conducting interviews with some frazzled people who needed whatever help could be had. The girl was wonderful and I was tickled by some of the things she managed to enjoy despite all her things burning up. Some unknown person left a tray of food for her on the front porch where we were -- a little pizza, some round jars of apple juice, and some granola bars for a snack. She knocked her knuckles on the plate and exclaimed "It's real!" Who knew kids had an appreciation of china? She enjoyed her food, so thanks to whoever brought it over. Also, when I was bringing over clothes, I brought an unopened toothbrush for her. She squealed when she took possession of it, and I'm thinking it might be because it was an adult-sized version and not a kiddie one.
Natalia and her mom came over with more clothes and the all-important My Little Pony items so essential to a first-grade girl's well-being.
The husband had an unenviable homecoming, but he did a good save and took care of things -- even managing to laugh at the $3,000 estimate the animal hospital faxed over for the care of the puppy. Disaster ain't cheap.
Holy smoke, Donnah.
I'm glad they had good neighbors :)
Have they found the cause yet? I'll guess...
something left on the stove.
You remember Natalia from that first visit with the girls? She was a very useful child yesterday!
The front section of the house is still there, but black, and all the windows in the house had blown out. Two firemen got hurt, but not seriously.
Posted by: Donnah at February 2, 2008 06:36 PMYea, I remember her.
The girls were six then, and she was about three.
I don't know if it started in the kitchen or not. One of the detectives, a woman, was a real hard ass. There were several interview sessions with the family members during the evening, some of it not so nice. The detectives had their agenda and it didn't necessarily run in sync with that of a vulnerable family. The man was jovial enough. They were kicking me off of the patio (him quite jovially) where I'd been hanging out with the girl and the non-fire dog. I went and got my friend, who went and got the girl's father from where he was looking at his house. We didn't think it so cool for a six-year-old to get double-teamed by LE.
Posted by: Donnah at February 2, 2008 07:31 PMYeah.. those LEO's would have earned a few choice words from me had they been all in my youngin's face.
I am glad it didn't turn into anything worse, Donnah..you sound like a real Cracker neighbor.
I had just started my grill this afternoon when my neighbor's son came walking over with ribs (cooked since 7 am) and came back a few minutes later with
greens, cornbread and taters..
The gent of the house..Earl, is dying, to be frank..and I just hate it. I was taking a robellini palm out (to replace with a dwarf magnolia) and they had a dead 100 year old sago, so I ripped it out and planted the palm. We swap treats all the time, that is what neighbors are for.
I am really sorry about stuff like that for kids..hopefully everything goes ok, but I swear I'd call that vet and let him know I will spread the word about his 3 grand bill. What an idiot.
I was thinking the same thing about the vet's bill. Perhaps they sent the estimate for a direction to proceed (?)
Posted by: nancy at February 4, 2008 05:57 AMSo glad all made it out plus in relatively good shape, and she sounds like a cutey-patootie. I wonder why the det's were being so...d*ckheaded, n'est pas? Save that grilling for later, how 'bout it?
Guess the vet's not getting his own Animal Planet show any time soon.
Posted by: panhandle cooter at February 4, 2008 09:34 PMGosh, home fires just scare the bejeebus out of me. I'm glad the folks and fido got out ok.
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at February 5, 2008 06:29 PMMy family lost our house to a fire two years ago. Luckily, our LEO seemed a lot more able to determine the facts without this kind of nastiness. And our two dogs made it out with us without trauma. It took almost a year to rebuild but we made it.
Now I read of fires or see fire engines go by with great sadness and (in the latter case), not a little fear.
Posted by: Frank at February 5, 2008 08:58 PM"We're all good friends with the couple across the street, so we went there and I got to take care of the little girl for the evening."
That line made my day. Some people might have said they *had* to take care of the little girl. You said you *got* to. You are the best kind of neighbour, even for people who aren't in your neighbourhood.
Posted by: rg at February 5, 2008 10:44 PMShe's a peach! I enjoyed my time with her. I even got to wash the soot off her face and hands, which I found rather satisfying.
Posted by: Donnah at February 6, 2008 12:15 AM"I even got to wash the soot off her face and hands, which I found rather satisfying."
You betcha..Another star in Florida Cracker's already heavy crown.. ;)
Posted by: csason at February 6, 2008 08:50 PM