By Elizabeth Alderman
I want to publicly thank all the firemen from Station 2-Latta, Station 9-Oak Grove and Station 1-Dillon County for coming to our home one very terrifying afternoon. On October 15, 2021 after being out visiting a church member who had suddenly lost her husband, we rounded the bend in our road and saw billowing smoke and fire trucks in our yard. My heart absolutely stopped beating for a moment and I jumped out of the car beseeching the firemen to tell us what was going on. They said a fire behind our home had gotten out of control where the owner was burning big piles of brush and trees from a recent logging he had done. The flames were licking the parched weeds and undergrowth. The smoke was acrid and getting thicker. The wind picked up and the fire was more than the few firemen could tackle alone. They called in more stations and began wetting our roof to keep the flying embers from catching our home on fire. Everything was so dry due to at least a month without significant rain. Trees were becoming engulfed and our yeard was on fire in many places. Over the course of three days, the fire departments had to be called over eight times and each time they faithfully came even into the wee morning hours. They had to call in a firebreak machine and when it tore up they brought out another one. All these firemen saved our home.
How can we ever say thank you enough. The firemen were a direct answer to our fervent prayers to the Lord Jesus to keep our home safe. They gave and gave without any reservation. Mr. Henry Brunson and Mitchell Gardner are in their 70s/80s and they were there every time. What dedication!!!! A young fellow, Adam Langley, was there every time also.
I wish I could name all the firemen there those days. I do believe if all these firemen had not helped us we would have lost our home. They would humbly say, “we were just doing our job” but their tireless hard work and dedication to a calling, which is more than a job, allowed us to have a place to lay our heads that night. Ours hearts are forever grateful.
Thank you, Fire Heroes.