House Fire
I cannot tell you what it is like to watch, helpless, as a neighbour family's entire lives go -- literally -- up in flames.
I tried to help as much as I could, but there was nothing I could do except stand back and offer what assistance I was able to. I took photos because I knew I'd have to bring my own kids past this horror and that they'd have heard and seen things from the school, and be frightened. They were. My youngest had been crying and most of the kids thought it was their house on fire. So I brought my camera with me and showed them one of the photos, telling them that they were safe and to be prepared for what they were going to see. They were relieved but still very tense, and when we got to the house I showed them how the firemen (and women!) were keeping track of who was where, how they put on their oxygen tanks, how they checked for hot spots, and why they were pulling down bricks and poking things with long poles. There were hundreds of people out watching and I met quite a few people, including one fireman's wife (who totally understands my thing for guys in uniform) named Beth. She answered a lot of my own questions about what they were doing, and we talked about my fears that someone would get killed going in there at night (they have a night patrol person to stay).
There was at least one person in the house, and all got out safely. They all lost everything. It's such a tragedy, but they still have each other... as unkind as it may seem to say it, the house and treasured things they lost are nothing compared to what it would be like to lose one of their loved ones.
The whole community has tried to come together and help out, I know they have family and many friends in the area who are doing all they can for them as well. If you have any suggestions of what I can do (my neighbours have made me the contact person for them, because I am friends with the gal who took them in while all this was happening), please let me know.
And while I've got your ear, please say a little thank you for the rescue workers and volunteers who put their lives in danger for us. They are true heroes, no two ways about it. Hug your family and thank whatever powers that be that they are safe.
Comments
glad to hear no one got hurt.
Thank you, Elyse, and Lady M. ~hugs~
The best way to handle it would be for someone to help these poor people come up with a list of the things they will be needing (this will change over time as they add things to it and figure out they don't really need stuff they thought they did) and then work to help find those things. Friends and neighbors will want to make donations, but it's important to get that coordinated so these people don't find themselves saddled with 40 toasters and no plates.
Once a list is drawn up, have people pledge to donate these items. If they can hold their donations until a new place to live has been secured it will be a big help. Some items (like clothes) will be needed right away, but furniture and such will need to wait until they move into their new place.
And they'll need help with the moving. They are going to be very fragile for quite a while. Tasks that require little or no thought on normal days can be more than they are capable of handling right now. But that doesn't mean they should be left out of the loop. They need to have a sense of power and control over their lives right now, but they also need a strong net underneath to catch them when they fall (and they will).