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Sad day for a friend!

E

EastTexasGal

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Joined
Dec 7, 2005
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Location
DEEPEST OF EAST TEXAS
After all our prayers going out to those of you fighting and dodging wildfires. I got a phone call this morning from a very good friend who is broken hearted. He had moved back to help his family with the farm/ranch and last night wild fire took off and got out of control and jumped all the fire breaks, the wind was going so hard, burnt his parents house and g.parents house. They lost 2 barns filled with alfalfa , and they also farm tomatos...not sure how many thousands of acres of crops they have lost yet. They did get a lot of eqt moved and the livestock that was in immediate danger...said it was amazing how fast you can move stock in an hour and half when you have to. Now they sit and wait, not allowed back into their homes to assess the damage, said that they still had several balers and tractors that they were not able to get to that he was sure were smoldered. Tough on a guy to see all that he had been working for smolder...they had just broke ground for his house and only thing I could tell him was maybe it was a blessing that the builder had not started. My heart is broken for him, now he wonders why he went back to California to help family if there is nothing left? I am sure they are insured, but nothing can replace your home and memories lost.

I hope the rest of you out there are doing well and that the dangers are past for you.

Easty
 
Tuff deal, but he will overcome it. You must be positive, even when it looks so black! Tell him he has my sympathies, but that I'm sure he will survive and do well. :-)
 
Yes he will survive....just feels as if it was bad luck for him to go home. Think just being young and wanting to contribute to their ranch, now he wonders what it will be. He is getting married and they were planning on getting married at his folks place. As, I have always told him through all his ordeals, he will overcome and he will be stronger and better for it. Just how do you as a friend comfort someone that has lost everything? I mean, yea I can listen to him on the phone...I can not be there and even if I were not a lot I could do physically.

Thanks JB and FH for your responses and just makes us all look at how fast it really can happen. We read what you all have written, SW fighting the fires and such...all of you contributing to one another as neighbors to fight the blasted fires the last few years, to keep your homes and families safe. Anyway, just thinking way to much. God Bless you all for being good neighbors to one another.

Easty
 
EastTexasGal said:
Yes he will survive....just feels as if it was bad luck for him to go home. Think just being young and wanting to contribute to their ranch, now he wonders what it will be. He is getting married and they were planning on getting married at his folks place. As, I have always told him through all his ordeals, he will overcome and he will be stronger and better for it. Just how do you as a friend comfort someone that has lost everything? I mean, yea I can listen to him on the phone...I can not be there and even if I were not a lot I could do physically.

Thanks JB and FH for your responses and just makes us all look at how fast it really can happen. We read what you all have written, SW fighting the fires and such...all of you contributing to one another as neighbors to fight the blasted fires the last few years, to keep your homes and families safe. Anyway, just thinking way to much. God Bless you all for being good neighbors to one another.

Easty
Click to expand...

Sometimes just listening is the best medicine. :-)
 
The tv news shows these short snippets of wildfires but they don't begin to scratch the surface of the pain of loss folks have to endure. It is good he has a listening friend like you.
 
Our thoughts and prayers are with your friend and family.
Ironically Tuesday morning at 2:45 our neighbor called and said his house was on fire. I rushed down with the fire wagon, his brother and another neighbor were already there and within 40 minutes the local fire dept. made it down but it was too far gone. He and his kid had gotten some things out and had to drive a half mile to the top of a hill to call with his cell phone as the phone didn't work in the house. While he was up there calling the doors were blown off. Might have save him and his kids life. This house had a lot of history to it. One of the oldies that had been added on a couple of time. Origianally was the Chase Post Office. I've fought a lot of prairie fires, and we lost our barn a couple of years ago, but house fires are the toughest. A lot of antiques and family heirlooms burned up but at least no one was lost. I spent Thurs. down there with the crawler pushing whats left into the basement. He then finished burning it the last couple of days. I know how devastating this was, but to loose the whole place like your friends did, is terrible. Main thing is nobody was lost, ranches and buildings can be rebuilt, people can't.
 
So true, Empty Pockets.

Some friends of ours from W. Montana bought a ranch over by Worden in 1993. They were moving in when that house caught on fire and burned up
everything in it. Luckily, they weren't there so no lives were lost.

Interesting what started the fire though. They had dog food in a metal
container and the internal combusiton from that started the fire.

So there is a safety tip: don't store dog or cat food in a metal container.
 
To lose everything is devistating! Yes we do recover, and are stonger for the experience. It becomes all the more valuable as a life lesson when, later we are able through our experiences to guide others through similar situations. The important thing is to keep faith in the Lord, faith in yourself and see the positives; health, youth, the land to start up again with etc.
Blessings;Andy.
 

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