The good news is, all our stuff is out of the crazy man's house. The last pickup load was retrieved yesterday, but we were just too exhausted to unload it yesterday. And did I mention, our summer is not over: 103 is the predicted high today, and I wouldn't be surprised if we've exceeded that already.
So, early this afternoon, I lay down with the children to take a nap. I'm not feeling well. About a half hour later, Hubby comes in to say his friend from the fire department is here, and they are going out to drive one of the trucks around. (This particular truck is kept less than 1/8 mile away on the property.)
I go ahead and get up, knowing that if I don't, the kids will sneak out of the room and get into stuff.
I'm bored, so decide to go move the pickup to the side doors so I can unload it. I put on my sandals, grab the keys, and head outside. The heat feels like a blast wave as I step out the door, and I'm grateful I won't have to spend too much time out there.
I climb in and start the truck with no problems. I move it to the side of the house, back it in, shut it off, and climb out. I start to walk back around the house to the front, but something is wierd. I just get this feeling. So, I freeze. Thirty seconds pass, and I smell something funny...not like smoke, but wierd. I turn around.
About this time, Hubby has made it over to the building where the fire truck is, has opened the doors, and is running his prelim checks before starting the engine.
So, I turn around...thick black smoke is starting to seep from under the hood of the pickup. I call Hubby. "Get that truck started and get down here NOW! The truck is on fire." I hang up.
The truck is not more than 5 feet from our new house. The grass underneath it is burning. I run around to the front of the house and grab a H2O extinguisher from the back of Hubby's pickup. Man, that thing's heavy!
Run back around, spray water on the burning grass and on the hood of the pickup, trying to cool it off because the paint is bubbling and peeling. Hubby and Friend pull up, lights flashing (no traffic to warn, they haven't left the property...I think they just like blinky lights), pop the hood.
Flames about a foot high on the engine! Spraying water, and it's all over. Less than a minute response time. Go guys!
If I'd just gone back in like I'd planned, I would not have discovered this fire for at least 10 minutes. By then, we'd have lost the truck, and possibly the house and everything in it.
Thank You again, God!
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Whoa - crazy! I'm glad you had that little spark of intuition!
My roommate's car burst into flames yesterday too, only she was driving down the highway.
Very freaky.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
Look out!, 38 Helens agree:
These things come in 3.
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
This fire started because there was a crack in the fuel line, which caused fuel to spray on the distributor cap.
The good news is: Daddy came up to look at it and thinks he can fix it for about $30-50. Not too bad at all considering.
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