Fire

We were just tidying up after breakfast when we saw a black smoke “bomb” suddenly appear at the house two doors down.  I said to MrMacD to run down quickly to see if it was a fire.  I ran after him and by the time we arrived about 30 seconds later a chap was already on the phone to the emergency services and a great wall of fire was rising from the front of the house.  Another chap had been around the outside of the house checking the doors, which were locked, but we were sure no-one was home as both cars were missing.  It was unbelievable how quickly the fire consumed the house and we could feel the heat of the fire from across the road.  The fire brigade turned up and very quickly had hoses trained on the flames.  Network Waitaki were also there and secured the power lines.  We just stood and watched quietly feeling sick at heart for the young family who lived there.  They’d left this morning to go to work and now their life was changed for who knows how long.  The only positive for us was that we met our next door neighbour for the first time.  So sad that it took something like this.  When we left home at 5pm tonight to go to Rotary, there was a fire engine, about six firemen and two or three men in white boiler suits, presumably the forensics team.  Later, after we arrived home a police car when past with a search light on top, obviously keeping an eye on the house.  

The whole experience upset me quite markedly and I was a bit slow with the painting today.  MrMacD and I talked about the Israel-Gaza conflict and the fact that this is what the civilians there experience every day in a much, much worse way.  And I accept that.  But this was two doors away from us and, therefore, immediate and close and, whilst we didn’t know the young couple and their little girl, we had seen them when we’d walked by.  We really feel for them.