My Fifteenth Minute of Fame

[longtime]

The following article from this weekend's Orange County Register probably concludes my 15 minutes of fame that started with their earlier story on Tuesday:


"[LongTime] raced to his Wagon Wheel neighborhood Monday after his panicked wife called him to say she had been chased from their home by a raging wildfire.

The vice president of Thuris Corp. sped from his Irvine office to the gas station where his wife, Rosanne, and sons, Connor, 9, and Bryan, 5, had gathered with neighbors.

Then he slipped by the roadblocks to get to his house. His intention was to collect more valuables. Instead, he ended up fighting the flames.

'There's a basic instinct there,' LongTime said. 'If something is going to defeat me, I want to try and fight it.'

. . . . (Discussion about caution by fireman) . . .

LongTime, clad in long pants, a long sleeved shirt and a hat, stayed. He and neighbor Mark Quick stayed on the ground, battling spot fires with shovels until the wind changed, then taking a hose and fighting flare-ups. LongTime kept a wet towel over his face and doused his boots to keep them from melting.

'I think I would do it the same way again,' LongTime said Friday. 'I know there's counterarguments: Don't obstruct the firefighters, don't get yourself killed. But if you can help without violating those two parts, then pitch in and be a good neighbor.'"

Only two problems -- a very minor thing considering journalism generally -- a) I guess you could slay I "slipped through" the roadblocks, being the last (perhaps only) one in -- but I got permission from the sheriffs; and b) they failed to mention my most effective protective garment -- my motorcycle goggles! :cool:

 

[bclapham]

i hope this story has a happy ending?

 

[longtime]

Yep -- house didn't burn, and we were finally able to return to it this weekend. Man, those smoke and ash restoration contractors are amazing. They had a dozen people in my house for three days, and our laundry/blankets/drapes etc. should be back early this week. They cleaned everything, and the air is totally fine again. Also got to give kudos to my insurance co, USAA. There are hundreds of people waiting for contractors/claims to get started -- and we're already done. Almost makes up for how the S***'ed me on the truck. :confused: DF

 

[a454elk]

Hey LT, that fireman they interviewed about you going back wasn't too supportive of you. It sounded like he didn't want any citizen doing his work, kind alike people taking the law into their own hands. Sometimes, you have to do it and take the risk. Thumbs up from me pal!!;) I don't think I'd let someone tell me I can't take of my own property and stuff either. Good job and don't let his B.S. get you down.
Elk

 

[longtime]

Yeah, he was kind of a tool. He definitely projected the sentiment of "leave this to the professionals", I thought. The reporter was there though -- and that's why he wrote favorably. The firemen weren't there at the time, as they incorrectly thought our area had been passed for good and moved to the hot spot at Coto de Caza. Only about three hours later, after we had it almost completely dead, did the real helpers -- the brushfire fighters (California Dep't of Forestry) come around, as the neighbors returned. Their guy went on the side of the hill and realized that the whole thing was still simmering just under the surface. It then took a team of four young men, with proper tools, two hours to put it reallyout -- like we had been calling for all along.

I learned that nobody wants to protect your stuff -- or your neighbors' -- as much as you do.

(The reporter was glad, though, that we fought the start ups with shovels, so we weren't going against that fireman's advice that sprinklers and hoses don't generally help. (Advice that I've not seen any other firemen agree with, by the way)).

 

[JWW]

Glad to hear things worked out well for you.

 

[a454elk]

It WAS kinda sad that they went to Coto in a heartbeat and left the common folk to burn! Some lady was in the paper complaining about who was going to clean her patio from the orange fire retardent! What a knob. Coto, figures:p

 

[longtime]

Some other lady, though, nailed that one from Coto who complained about the fire retardent on her pool patio. She said "Put on some rubber gloves and get to work. How Coto." Classic. :moon:

 

[Ol'89r]

Originally posted by LongTime

I learned that nobody wants to protect your stuff -- or your neighbors' -- as much as you do.

Very true LT. Glad things turned out ok.

 

[ktmboy]

I just LOVE happy endings! :) (Sigh.)

 

[WaltCMoto]

NOBODY has the interest in your stuff like you do. If you feel you are taking reasonable safety precautions, and are ready to face the concicuences if something goes bad, then just do it.
Glad to here alls OK.

 

[Sawblade]

LT, Great to hear you made it through unscathed. What kind of goggles were they by the way? :)

 

[Howser03]

Good job on saving the house!

A few years back I was driving a buddy home at night and we saw a fire in the woods, and it wasn't a camp fire. We decided to stop and put it out. I walked up to the fire and it wasn't flaming up too bad and my buddy got distracted by what seemed like a line of christmas lights through the grass to the fire. It was so dark out we couldn't see anything. I didn't even think about it and picked my leg up to smother the center of the fire with my foot. On my way down my buddy yells "holy s*** it's a power line" I swung my leg over it and ended up doing a split over the wire. It was so close I still get the chills everytime I think about it. Man that woulda sucked :confused:

 

[Senior KX Rider]

Well done LT. :cool: :cool:

 

[70 marlin]

Congrat on your victory! you beat the devils breath, and lived to tell about it, "YOU THE MAN"