Just before fire really got going.
Hi Everyone,
Things have been going along OK, for the most part, since my last post. We’ve gone through a Siberian cold snap which killed about 300 people across Europe . This is not the worst cold I’ve experienced. Being a Minnesotan and then living for years in the Rockies , you are accustomed to much worse cold and more snow. Still, it was pretty cold.
Along with that, my back/leg trouble is still in process. The neurologist ordered another, more extensive MRI, to see what it might show. We’ll have the results of that later this week. They aren’t completely sure what’s going on, aside from the herniated disk. I’m hoping we’ll have some resolution soon as it’s been nearly eight months of severe chronic pain. I was ready to be fixed several months ago. Anyway, we’ll see how this will all come out. One real positive is that I’ve lost about 27 lbs. I still have more to lose, but am working on that.
Exciting Morning
There was some excitement around here this morning. I woke up around 1:30AM from smoke. It was strong, thick, acrid smoke that got my asthma going. I got up and thought we had a fire in our flat, but couldn’t find anything wrong. Then I stepped out onto the balcony and saw that acrid smoke pouring from a garbage bin on the corner near our building. Jiri was sleeping, so I woke him up to ask if we should call the fire department. He said no…it was only a bin smoldering from a cigarette, it was nothing. Jiri said he’s seen many of these over the years. Then he went back to sleep. I couldn’t sleep, so stayed out on the balcony to keep watch for a bit.
About fifteen minutes after Jiri went back to sleep, the bin burst into flames! That was something to see. The fire and smoke resembled one of our chase and smash-em movies from back home! Only this was a real fire. Once the flames became evident, I woke Jiri up again, and told him the bin was now on fire. He got up and looked and said it was nothing and went back to sleep. Here you have a funny picture—one housewife watching a bin explode into flames, and husband who says it’s nothing and goes back to sleep!
Incomprehensible Reaction
My husband’s reaction was quite incomprehensible to me, even at 2AM , when none of us is usually too coherent. Why on earth would he not want to call the fire department? Back where I come from, we would try to fight the fire (if we have the means on hand) and/or call the fire department right away.
Most of my life has been spent in drier places, where even a spark from a truck’s exhaust pipe can start a fire. Of course, my reaction is we need to do something before the fire spreads. However, my husband was also correct. Right now, it’s still cold and the ground’s wet from melting snow and rain. The bin was on a concrete sidewalk, not close to the building. Still, it could have spread under the right conditions…thankfully it didn’t!
Most of my life has been spent in drier places, where even a spark from a truck’s exhaust pipe can start a fire. Of course, my reaction is we need to do something before the fire spreads. However, my husband was also correct. Right now, it’s still cold and the ground’s wet from melting snow and rain. The bin was on a concrete sidewalk, not close to the building. Still, it could have spread under the right conditions…thankfully it didn’t!
Police and Firemen to the Rescue
When the fire really got to going good, a car drove by. The driver stopped and watched the fire for several minutes, and then must have called the police. The police came and tried to use a fire extinguisher to put out the by now 10 ft. flames, but they couldn’t get the fire out. The police then called the fire department. In the mean time, two more police cars came to join the “fun.”
The firemen came in a medium-sized fire truck and doused the flames for several minutes. The bin was melted down to just an outline of plastic, still on fire. The firemen then took some sand and more water to the fire; then spread out the embers and soaked them down again. It was quite exhilarating to watch all of this from our balcony while Jiri slept.
Bin Fires are Common
Bin fires do happen here occasionally. I’ve seen the results of these fires before—not far from where we live. It’s a wonder that more buildings don’t become involved in the flames! We suspect “our” bin fire was started by someone who tossed in a smoldering cigarette. That’s typically the case with bin fires in this country. Sometimes, you’ll come across the small bins, on the light poles, smoking away for the same reason—someone tossed in a cigarette. No one seems to take much notice—it’s surreal for me.
Cross-Cultural Misunderstanding
You could say this is another example of a cross-cultural misunderstanding between Jiri and I. To Jiri, the fire was just a small thing and nothing to worry about; on the other hand, to me, the 10 ft flames were something to be concerned about and professionals should have been called.
We have different perspectives due to coming from different places and having different experiences with fire. Thankfully everything turned out OK. It was amusing when the dustmen (garbage truck guys) came to empty our bins this morning. They saw the destroyed bin and were amazed, wondering what had happened. But I think they were happy to have one less bin to empty today!
We have different perspectives due to coming from different places and having different experiences with fire. Thankfully everything turned out OK. It was amusing when the dustmen (garbage truck guys) came to empty our bins this morning. They saw the destroyed bin and were amazed, wondering what had happened. But I think they were happy to have one less bin to empty today!
That’s all for today! Have a great day!
God bless,
Sher :0)
