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Deal’s Gap Journal:
Saturday, Feb. 24, 2007

I had not been able to get over to the Dragon for the last couple of weeks due to snow. The weather warmed up a bit this week so headed over to the Dragon yesterday (Saturday) to have some fun motoring on my favorite road, but the day was not to turn out as anyone could have ever thought.

On my way to the Dragon, on the other side of the Interstate, I saw a large white trailer, like the kind that you would haul a car in, which was on fire. The smoke was billowing and flames were leaping. I saw a man walking away from the trailer and I thought to myself, I wonder what had been in the fiery box.

When I got to the Dragon, right off, I had a nice and clean run from tip to tail: from the Gravel Parking Lot to the Store. When I was warmed up, this certainly would be a great day for plenty good runs. The weather was beautiful. We were finally having a warm day. It was supposed to rain later that night, and there were some clouds about. It was a bit windy as well.

After my first run and could not get another one. I kept getting behind local traffic that could not do the speed limit. I don’t like to ride up people’s asses to try to get them to pull over, so when I see a pull-off, I’ll pull off, turn around and motor on the other direction. I ended up getting to know the bottom half of the Dragon real well this day because it seemed I could never get halfway back to the Overlook without getting behind a slower vehicle.

Finally I did manage to get to the Overlook and took a quick break, but wanting to get some decent runs under my belt before heading home, I took off again. I was having a pretty good run but then passed a group of bikes that were pulled over. The riders were all off their bikes and looking at the other side of the road. I slowed down a bit since I did not know what the problem was, and when I passed them, I glanced at what they were looking at. There was a fire in the ditch beside the road. That was about all I could see, since I had to pay attention to my driving.

After I passed them, and thought to myself that I should go back and see if anyone needed help. I turned around the first chance I had and headed back. Right before the fire spot, there was a good pull-off, so I pulled over and parked my car. I didn’t get out, I just looked out my window to assess the situation. There did not seem to be an accident or injuries, which was my first fear. The fire was on my side of the road and had climbed up the bank. I followed the line of fire with my eyes and saw it was climbing the hill and into the woods. I was concerned. I looked at the guys standing around looking at the fire. I looked at the fire, and then back at the guys. I felt like asking, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

The fire was not raging high, and even though it was spreading fairly quickly. It looked to me like you could practically stomp it out. I was thinking again asking of they needed help, but then I thought, they aren’t doing anything, so me asking if they needed help seemed silly. I guess they just didn’t know what to do, which I can understand. I felt compelled to do something, I knew I could attempt to help stop this fire before it possibly got really bad and/or totally out of hand (it has been an extremely dry winter this year).

I really could not move on with diving, and let this fire just go. When I saw one guy, John, finally shed his riding leathers and start climbing up the hill towards the head of the fire, I jumped from my car to join him. As he trekked up the hill he pulled a small pine tree from the ground and when he reached the fire he started beating it with the small pine. It really did work to stop the fire. I said to him, I could not pull a tree up myself, but if he gave my his, I would help. He handed me the pine and pulled he up a new one for himself. He’s a real hero, I which I knew what his name was.

While I was beating the fire I was thinking to myself, and will not allow the road I love andit’s forest to burn. The fire wasn’t huge, but I feared it possibly could get out of hand. I felt an obligation to help protect the forest. I was out of breath just from the climb to the fire, but beat it as quickly as I could. I managed to stop about 15 feet of one side of the “fire line” and glanced down at the few onlookers still standing there watching. I yelled down. “Come on! Help us!” A few of them moved to come help but I was so busy I didn’t really pay much attention. My beating the fire was working and I was pushing myself as hard as I could to not let this fire get out of hand.

I beat with my little pine tree and stomped with my feet. I manage to stop the entire side of the section I was working on, and thought I should go to the other side of the fire line and work on that. The wind was blowing, and while working on the other side I was engulfed in smoke. I never felt I was in danger from the fire, and am not stupid and I don’t do stupid, or really dangerous, things that would risk my life, but this smoke was thick and I found myself unable to breathe. I used to have asthma, which I cured a few years ago with my herbals, and all of a sudden I thought to myself and did not want to have an asthma attack. I was right on the edge of the 15-20 foot steep bank and was looking where I could go to get some air. I yelled down that I could not breath.

I wanted to keep beating the fire: I was compelled to help, but I really could not breath and I yelled down, “I’m coming straight down the hill!” I started to climb down the extremely steep hill/bank but just tried to do a controlled slide, grabbing anything solid and digging in the feet. As I reached the bottom, I was caught by Kamal, who had just arrived on the scene, and another guy. Kamal says to me, “I see you are crazy.” He said he saw me up on the hill and was concerned that I might fall, so grabbed this other guy to get under me just in case. Good thing too. I thank them very much for catching me. They helped me across the road where I sat down and emptied my shoes of dirt and caught my breath.

More people had showed up and were trying to help. Someone else who had been fighting the fire asked if I had anything to drink. I had some coffee in my car… not the best thing to quench a thirst, but anything is better than nothing and offered him some. I was pretty thirsty myself and my throat ached so had some coffee too… actually two cups, which left me a bit jittery. I then grabbed my camera and took a few shots.

The policeman showed up, and Kamal asked him if he had a fire extinguisher in his car, The Officer said yes, and Kamal asked if he could use it to put out the fire, and the Office said, “Let’s just wait for the fire department to show up.” What are you going to do? You can’t argue with a police officer. This was a shame because I think Kamal could have put out the fire if he could have used the extinguisher.

The fire had been started by a careless driver who had tossed a cigarette out their car window.

Kamal, Lori and some others climbed back into the forest to work on the head of the fire which was extending quite far into the forest now. It was taking the Fire Department a very long to time to get here.

Lori, Kamal, and others, I do not know their names, are real heroes, who tried to do whatever they could to contain the fire in the forest. I wish I knew all their names to name in this journal. I’m horrible at remembering names, even of people I know.

The fire on the steep bank was spreading, and I said why doesn’t someone grab a pine and beat that fire? They said it was too steep; they could not get to it. I can understand why some of the bikers could not, help. It would be a be bit difficult in riding leathers and boots. I was dressed better for the task at hand, with jeans, a fleece pull-over and Vans (slip on tennis shoes)

I handed my camera to a bikers (who I didn’t even know at the time) named Joe, grabbed a pine and started to scale the hill face. The hill was pretty much straight up and down, but I am used to scaling “goat land” and am not at all afraid of getting dirty, so up I went. I steadied myself on a root, holding a rhododendron branch, and began beating the fire. I was being quite successful, but my pine branch gave out. I yelled down for someone to hand me a new branch and no one moved. I really didn’t want to climb down and back up, but finally the guy who I handed my camera to found me a branch and I finished putting out steep hill face. It was kind of amusing to me because my audience now pointed out “hot” placed for me to stir and get completely out before descending.

Again I sat down and emptied my shoes of dirt. I put my camera back in my car and had a rest.

The Fire Department finally showed: A small truck with a hose, one man and a rake.

Lori, Kamal and the others, came out of the forest when they heard the fire truck sirens and when Lori saw the truck she said, “That hose is not going to reach.”

We all sat down to rest and another fire truck showed. We had done all we could at that point and we all sat and drank a bit of water. My hands hurt and I noticed cuts and scrapes on my palms. I was wearing my brand new Michigan MINI Motoring Club embroidered fleece top and I noticed a little burn hole where an ember had landed on it. That was really disappointing. Well, I told myself, I did what I had to do, and that was just the way it was.

After a bit, I asked what time it was. It was 3:30, about time for me to head home. I said I thought I would go home, I was too tired to drive anymore, and Kamal chuckled and said, “Two hours”. He knew I had a two hour drive to get home. So much for being too tired to drive.

I had done all I could. I felt I had to do what did. I tried to help and I gave all I could. You just can’t stand around and watch the forest burn when there is actually something you can do about it. I try to be proactive.

I headed home. The palm pad on my hand was cut right where I grasp the steering wheel and driving was not really comfortable. I took it easy driving home. When I was on the highway I looked at my hands and noticed my very favorite ring was gone. I have three rings that I have had for 20 years, that am extremely fond of. I always wear them when I go driving. Now one was gone for good. I was sad, but, I said, oh well, we shouldn’t get too attached to stuff, right?

On the Interstate I saw the trailer that had burned. I could see inside it as I passed by. It looked to be furniture and household items. It was probably someone moving. I felt extremely bad for them. Loosing one ring is nothing to loosing all your belongings.

When I got home and gave Larry a hug and said, “Smell me”. He took a whiff and said I smelled like a camp fire. I told him the story and he shook his head…. I certainly have adventures. My throat and lungs ache a bit. I guess it’s mild smoke inhalation. After having a couple martinis and dinner I made myself some of my herbal Breathe EZT to ease my lungs.

I heard rain falling in the middle of then night last night. When I heard it, I hoped that if the fire had not been contained earlier, the rain was able to finish the job.

I keep telling myself I did the best I could, but I wish I could have done more. I try to be prepared of the unforeseen as well as possible. In my MINI I carry granola bars, a flat tire repair can, an air compressor, a flashlight, walkie talkies, glass cleaner, towels… I didn’t have two things that would have been quite useful: water and a fire extinguisher. This week I will pick up a couple bottles of water and a fire extinguisher for my car and next time, if there ever is a next time, I’ll be ready.

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Filed under: Bike Photos, Cars Photos, Deal's Gap Journal