The Deadly Fire

October 22, 2020. This day was like no other. I ran to town to pick up my daughter so she could do laundry at my home while I when back to town to do errands. She was in the living room playing her switch game. My son was sleeping because he worked nights and I was in the bathroom getting ready to leave.

   My daughter was yelling to me the living room lights was flashing on and off. I said, "You're crazy they are not in here, you're probably going to have a seizure. All of a sudden I heard a banging on the door. I figured it was UPS dropping off some packages of things I had ordered. I asked my daughter go tell him just leave them I would get them later. But she argues with me that she looked terrible and didn't want to do it.

   By now the person was POUNDING on the walls. I said that's a cop, as I ran to the door. I get there to find a man who was panicked saying my house was on fire. I looked out in disbelief and sure enough it was. I screamed for my daughter to get the dogs out . I opened the door to let them get outside. I tried using the hose but there was no water. The fire stated in the well house from the pump switch sticking. I know this from the fire Marshall's investigation. 

  He called 911 while asking me my address my daughter was also calling 911. I told her get outside and I would grab the dogs and hand them to her she could put them in the truck. While I was doing this I heard the man holler to move my truck it was catching on fire.  I ran out and moved it far away. But it had already melted my head light and the front of my truck. 

   Then I realized my son was still sleeping. I pounded on his door, "GET UP, GET UP", I yelled!!! I finally opened his door and shook him, "Get up our house is on fire. He jumped up and put on a pair of pants and started grabbing the dogs. I grabbed the close basket with 5 one week old puppies in it and gave it to Sarah to put in the truck. 

   By now the neighbor came over and grabbed some of the dogs running around outside and put in his garage. I was in the house and it was filling with smoke so fast I couldn't see anymore. Then I realized I had puppies out in the fenced yard playing. I ran out and they was huddled under the deck up close to the house. I laid on my belly and grabbed by what ever i could touch. I didn't care if I broke a leg they wasn't going to die on that day. I got those two out and the took off and ran into the house along with the two goats I had. I caught them and now the sheriff's deputies was there helping me.

   While they was getting all they could out one of them made me go to the ambulance. See I have had 2 heart attacks and I only have 30% of my lug capacity.  I was on the Lung Transplant list until I had my second heart attack. SO of course I couldn't breath and my oxygen tank was in the house. 

   The paramedics wouldn't let me out of the ambulance. My Blood Pressure was to high . Finally I tore off the o2 and said I had to leave. 

   I get out to the house and see my son going back in. I yelled at him as did the fire fighters and police. I had a full fuel tank setting there and the heat had melted all the decorative fence surrounding it. But he was bound and determined he was going to save them all. 

   By now I was counting my dogs, I had 18 all together. They was spread everywhere. in my barn, in the truck and in the neighbors garage. Finally my son couldn't get back in the flames had engulfed the whole house. All we could do was wait and watch. I asked the firefights to please look for our babies still in there. They said they had already found a few that has succumb to the smoke inhalation.

   The two goats seemed to be having a good time chasing one particular fire fighter. they not only kept following him but would bite his butt. I finally got them caught and put in the barn. 

   It took 6 hours and 5 fire companies to finally get the fire out. The house was first built in 1865 and had been added onto multiple times. It has three roofs that kept the fire going in between.

   After the fire was out I counted and lost 6 dogs. One of them was the Mamma to the puppies I had in the truck. And they needed to be fed.  Although I got puppy mild from the farm store the baby bottles never work. and these babies was to little to nurse with them. All my special nipples was in the house. Thank God the Fire Chief told me I could go in and selvage everything i could. It so happened the drawer   that had them in it was still intact and untouched by the fire. Of course they had to be sterilized but I had them. 

   The next couple of days was just as bad. I lost two more dogs to smoke inhalation. And all but one puppy died. The last puppy died 4 days later. SO I lost them all. But they was with their mamma at the rainbow bridge. I hate talking about this. I get sick to my stomach every time I do. 

   I was tough but we made it through. Now what to do with my fur babies I saved. They couldn't stay in the barn, the fire took out the electric in the barn too. It was getting way to cold for them, they would have froze to death. So I had to find foster homes for them. I only had eight dogs left. I was staying in a no pet hotel. We snuck all eight into the room. Thank God they don't bark much. 

   For more on this story, please read my blog my poor dogs.