Adam the Hero

Above – a picture off of Google showing what can happen with flame flare-up when deep frying a turkey.

On Christmas day we had the family over for dinner. The first ones that arrived was my son Adam and his friend Savvy. It was in the plans for Adam to come early and do some electronic fixing and correcting for us.

I was keeping my focus on a beef tenderloin roast we were cooking on the grill on the deck. Adam came out and told me there was a fire at the house across the street. We quickly walked and ran over to the house. Big flames were leaping up behind their carport. Adam rung their door bell and knocked on the door but no one came. Their cars were in the driveway but I for whatever reason they did not come to the door. Adam hollered out, “Your house is on fire!”

And that got their attention. They all ran out and I think it was the lady of the house that grabbed a water hose and put the fire out. It couldn’t tell what was burning from my position but I think it was the lattice on the back of their carport. It was surprising that it was extinguished so quickly. Well, good.
They thanked us but somehow I sensed they were wishing we would mind our own business. We more or less said, “Aww shucks, we are just glad y’all are OK.”

We went back. I went back tending to the roast on the grill and Adam went back to the electronic fixing our electronic screw-ups.

Then I heard sirens. Up pulled three police cars and three fire trucks. I found out later that Savvy called 911. One police car drove down the street slowly looking for a problem and apparently saw none. He looked at me and I pointed to the neighbor’s house. He looked at me more puzzled. I, again, pointed at the neighbor’s house. He stopped and got out and said he didn’t understand what I was motioning. I told him it was that house over there that had the fire and added that they put it out already.

He went over to look and so did the rest, including the firemen. From their actions I saw that there was still a problem. They ran back to the truck and got equipment including two ladders. While they were in the back a big belch of smoke shot up from the roof. They stayed there between 30 minutes to an hour, and as far as I know, solved their fire problem.


A little later my neighbor Bob came over and asked what did the police want with me and I told him about the fire. Bob walked over to the house to the spot the fire was in and came back and told me apparently they were deep frying a turkey and were not watching it, and it was right in the middle of some scrap wood… so poof! It was ignited.

Thanks to Adam and the firemen, their house was not burned down.