There have been fires all over the department
recently (due to wind, high temperatures and idiots with cigarettes) but this
one was a bit close! It looked like a large bonfire to start with but
definitely not the time of year for that so rang the fire brigade. They arrived within 5 minutes but the fire
was already out of control. So scary to
see it cross the road and burn the fields where we walk the dog each night, and
the noise of the trees burning sounded like rocks falling down a mountainside.
The 'waterbomb' helicopter hovered over the house but our pool is too close to
the house for it to safely 'dip' into so it made several journeys to Lake Raho
and back.
By this time there were around 6 fire trucks
but as the fire advanced towards the vineyard in front of us, and the smoke
became uncomfortable to breathe, we decided to make some emergency
preparations. One of us put the
sprinklers on, positioned hosepipes around the garden, opened the front gate
and parked the cars facing the road ready for a quick getaway if necessary; the
other one (I’m not saying who!) ran around like a lunatic filling a bag with
IPads, telephones, chargers, make-up and a change of underwear!
Luckily it has been brought under control now
and we didn’t have to evacuate. Looking
out of the window all is normal in the garden and the dog is enjoying playing
in the sprinklers. I have never been so
close to a fire before and had no idea of the speed and violence of the way it
takes hold - and hope never to experience anything like that again.
