Fire

Saturday night we were going back over the big hill to our apartment. From up on the hill we could see a large fire starting down in the village and hear people screaming. Before even talking the situation over I said, "Let's go help." and took off running. It was about 3/4 mile run through the dark until we came to the scene. It was chaos! One long "hut" consisting of about 5 homes on each side was completely up in flames. People were frantically getting everything out of their homes that were surrounding the one on fire. I ran into the closest house and helped carry out a couch, mattresses, cushions, a long cabinet full of dishes, etc. When the house was cleared I looked over the fire while recording a video and realized which house was going to catch next. I ran over and helped them knock down their walls to get their enormous shelf out and some bed frames that apparently were built inside the house. Within five minutes it caught fire. People we're going crazy! Hundreds! Their level of education really showed. [They were] throwing rocks at the fire, destroying a small shop in their efforts to clear out the goods. I even found myself doing some of the same actions in the mix of it all, until I looked around and realized what really needed to be done. Once everything and everyone was out of the houses, I just stood back and watched it burn while people continued to throw things and beat it with sticks. About an hour later the fire brigade showed up after the fire had already shown that it wasn't spreading anywhere else. In the end I wish there was more I could have done. When a fire like that starts in a third world country, you're just kind of out of luck. Some people lost everything they have...

So that's my highlight of the week. Didn't save any lives like I had in mind while running there, but it still felt good to help like that while in proselyting clothes.

Later,
ZAC