Alum Creek Fire...

This is an on the scene report from my friend Lenel, who is with the Smithville Fire Department.

I can’t tell you how horrible it was and still is. This fire reminded me of a disaster movie. I didn't have any business trying to help at that fire because I haven't fought a fire in about a year. I'm still part of the dept. and do alot with them, but not actual fires. We had no idea how bad this "brush" fire was going to be, but when we drove up Cottletown Rd., I knew I was in way over my head.

Of course, just about everyone in Smithville knows at least one person who lost a home or business – 28 homes, 12 businesses and more than 1,500 acres. It was tough to see all the devastation on Sunday when we were driving all over the place putting out hot spots. Saturday the smoke was so thick you couldn’t see anything, but Sunday the devastation was clear. We worked on it from 7:30AM ‘til 8:30PM Sunday. I didn’t get emotional until Monday morning when I had to drive thru it (Hwy. 71) on the way to work. The exec. vice pres. of the bank called me about an hour after I got to work and told me to take the day off and rest. That was so thoughtful. I went home and slept for about three hours. At least 20 volunteer fire departments came in to help and the incident command center was set up in a field next to Duke's Convenience Store. It was a beehive of activity thru yesterday. This morning, passing it on the way to work, I saw that most of the TV trucks and people are now gone, but there are still a few people manning the mobile command center.

The response and support of the community was overwhelming. Citizens started showing up at the Smithville Fire Station Saturday afternoon and just took it over while we were all gone. They set up a command center there and started getting water and food from all the local businesses, making sandwiches for all the firefighters, etc. They brought coolers of ice and water, candy bars and sandwiches to everyone. They stayed at the station all night answering phone calls from worried family members of firefighters and victims. They were wonderful. Every day our Chamber of Commerce gets call after call from people wanting to donate money, furniture, clothing, food, etc. to the victims that were left with nothing. And, I have to say that of all the homes I saw that were burned, I did not see a single home that was only partially burned. It was either all or nothing in every instance.