Bryant called me last night on his way home with Reeves to tell me that from 162 he saw smoke that he thought was coming from John's Island. As he got closer, he realized it was West Ashley, then he saw it was Sofa Super Store. 
He and Reeves parked at Babe's to watch. He had the camera with him and got some good shots. The whole time this was going on, I was thinking that was a nice little bonding time for them. 
Reeves loves to watch a big fire burn, and Bryant said he was jumping with excitement. Maybe it's hereditary. Mom said Grandmother and Poppa had taken her down to watch St. Matthews Lutheran burn when it went up in flames all those years ago. There's just something mesmerizing about a fire. No harm, no foul, I thought. It's just a warehouse fire. It stinks that all that inventory is lost, but everyone's OK, so let's just watch it burn and enjoy the show.
Then they got home. Reeves went down, and we turned on the TV and saw the news ticker. The fire didn't seem so nonlethal then. There were firefighters missing. I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me before that this was a distinct possibility. I suppose I just thought that since it was a warehouse, there was no one inside to save, so why not just let it burn. I didn't see that there was any reason for a firefighter to go inside. 
But there were two employees in there. And these guys were firefighters. And that's what they do. They fight fires and save lives. And that's what they did. And tragically, nine of them lost their own lives doing just that. I am so emotional over this today. When we turned on the news this morning and saw that nine brave men had died in that fire overnight, tears began streaming down my face. I can't begin to imagine what their families are going through. I hope I never have to.
I think we're all hugging our husbands and children just a little bit tighter and a little bit longer today. We're all saying our prayers with heavier hearts today. It's a tragic and terrible event. And it's something you always know can happen, but it still shocks you, particularly when it happens in your own backyard. God bless all those who give their lives to save ours. 
They are truly heroes.
He and Reeves parked at Babe's to watch. He had the camera with him and got some good shots. The whole time this was going on, I was thinking that was a nice little bonding time for them. Reeves loves to watch a big fire burn, and Bryant said he was jumping with excitement. Maybe it's hereditary. Mom said Grandmother and Poppa had taken her down to watch St. Matthews Lutheran burn when it went up in flames all those years ago. There's just something mesmerizing about a fire. No harm, no foul, I thought. It's just a warehouse fire. It stinks that all that inventory is lost, but everyone's OK, so let's just watch it burn and enjoy the show. Then they got home. Reeves went down, and we turned on the TV and saw the news ticker. The fire didn't seem so nonlethal then. There were firefighters missing. I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me before that this was a distinct possibility. I suppose I just thought that since it was a warehouse, there was no one inside to save, so why not just let it burn. I didn't see that there was any reason for a firefighter to go inside. But there were two employees in there. And these guys were firefighters. And that's what they do. They fight fires and save lives. And that's what they did. And tragically, nine of them lost their own lives doing just that. I am so emotional over this today. When we turned on the news this morning and saw that nine brave men had died in that fire overnight, tears began streaming down my face. I can't begin to imagine what their families are going through. I hope I never have to.I think we're all hugging our husbands and children just a little bit tighter and a little bit longer today. We're all saying our prayers with heavier hearts today. It's a tragic and terrible event. And it's something you always know can happen, but it still shocks you, particularly when it happens in your own backyard. God bless all those who give their lives to save ours. They are truly heroes.
2 comments:
I also got really emotional when I heard that nine firefighters died. I remember my parents taking me to watch a dry cleaners burn down in Beaufort. It was in a strip mall and almost the entire strip mall burned down.
I had no clue about any of this until Tuesday morning. I was then scared to death that one of my high school friends who is a Fire Captain may have been inside. He wasn't - but waiting for them to read the list of names was agonizing. Then I felt guilty when I was relieved because I knew that it meant that someone else had heard a name they didn't want to hear.
My heart has been aching too.
Tell Bryant that he took great pictures.
Post a Comment